Simplicial complex

A simplex by itself of dimension k is represented by labels called 0-simplices (its set of vertices), 1-simplices (its set of edges), and so on up to a single k-simplex. The general finite simplicial complex is a set of instructions for joining a number of simplices of varying dimensions together, as a topological space in the abstract (not assumed to be a subset of Euclidean space). The joins are restricted to be at vertices, or along an edge, or by joining two faces.

To make this formal we have to define precisely within the r-simplices the relation with the r-1-simplices of being a face. Identifications between two simplicial complexes are allowed only if they respect the face relations. That is, identifications in one dimension must match up in lower dimensions. Then the general concept may be defined inductively starting with the simplex case.

For the definition of homology groups of a simplicial complex, one can read the corresponding chain complex directly - provided consistent orientations are made of all simplices.

The requirements of homotopy theory[?] lead to rather more general spaces, the CW complexes[?], being used. Infinite complexes are a technical tool basic in algebraic topology.

See also the discussion at polytope of simplicial complexes as subspaces of Euclidean space, made up of subsets each of which is a simplex. That somewhat more concrete concept is there attributed to Alexandrov. Any finite simplicial complex in the sense talked about here can be embedded as a polytope in that sense, in some large number of dimensions.