Kervaire Invariant
The Kervaire Invariant is a mathematical concept in the field of topology, specifically in the study of manifolds. It is an invariant associated with certain types of smooth manifolds, particularly those of dimension 4k+2, where k is a non-negative integer. This invariant helps classify these manifolds based on their properties and structures.
Developed by mathematician {Michel Kervaire} in the 1960s, the Kervaire Invariant plays a crucial role in understanding the relationships between different manifolds. It is particularly significant in the context of {cobordism theory}, which studies how manifolds can be transformed into one another through certain operations.