Construct · 3 fields · 5 citations

Where does mesh collide?

One name. Different field. Different construct. One map.

● jingle · one word, three constructs Nearest construct by meaningtopologycompare the meanings
How to read this

Every construct on the map is compared with every other by the meaning of its definitions, and the closest one is surfaced here. The nearest construct to mesh is topology.

Hold this as a prompt, not a verdict. Two constructs sitting close in meaning is a reason to read them side by side and decide for yourself whether they are one idea under two names. It is not proof that they are. Compare the meanings in the Collider.

mesh3 CONSTRUCTSFinite-element meshCOURANT · DOMAIN CELLSNet mesh sizeBARANOV · NET OPENINGMesh networkBARAN · NODE TOPOLOGY

Spokes are fields; dashed arcs are shared lineage. Tap a field for its definition, unit, and measures.

1943Finite-element mesh1948Net mesh size1964Mesh network
2026

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Numerical analysis and engineering

A partition of a domain into elements for computation

In numerical analysis a mesh is the subdivision of a continuous region into small, non-overlapping cells, called elements, over which an approximate solution to a differential equation is built piece by piece. Courant's 1943 Variational methods for the solution of problems of equilibrium and vibrations split a domain into triangles and fitted a simple function on each, and Turner, Clough, Martin, and Topp's 1956 Stiffness and deflection analysis of complex structures turned that idea into the practical finite element method for engineering. Here the referent is a partition of space used to compute, described by how many cells cover the region and how fine they are, and it is not a fabric sewn into tissue, the opening of a fishing net, or a pattern of connected communication nodes.[1][2]

Unit
One element, a cell such as a triangle or tetrahedron, in the partition of a domain
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Described by element count, element size, and quality measures such as aspect ratio

Fisheries science

The opening size of a net

In fisheries science the mesh is the open square between the twines of a net, and its size decides which fish a net catches and which slip through or are held by the gills. This everyday meaning of the word is the oldest one, and Baranov's 1948 Theory and assessment of fishing gear gave it a quantitative treatment by linking mesh size to the length of fish a net retains, which Hamley's 1975 Review of gillnet selectivity later consolidated into modern selectivity curves. Here the referent is a physical opening measured as a length in millimetres, and it is not a computational partition of a domain, a surgical implant, or a topology of network links.[3][4]

Unit
One mesh opening in a net, scaled as a length such as bar or stretched mesh size
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Measured with a mesh gauge in millimetres and linked to catch by selectivity curves

Network engineering

A topology of many-to-many connected nodes

In network engineering a mesh is an arrangement in which nodes connect to many other nodes, so that traffic can travel by more than one path and the network keeps working when a link fails. Baran's 1964 On distributed communications networks set out the redundant, distributed mesh as a design that survives the loss of many nodes, in contrast to a centralised star. Here the referent is a pattern of connections between nodes, described by how densely the nodes link and how many independent paths exist, and it is not a physical net opening, a fabric implanted in tissue, or a grid of cells laid over a domain for calculation.[5]

Unit
One connection, a link, between two nodes in the topology
Recovery means
Traffic reroutes over alternate paths when a link or node fails
Measured by
Described by node degree, link density, and the number of independent paths

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Nearby collisions

network4 fields · 6 citationsjingle · one word, four constructsgrid4 fields · 4 citationsjingle · one word, four constructslattice4 fields · 4 citationsjingle · one word, four constructs

References

  1. Courant, R. (1943). Variational methods for the solution of problems of equilibrium and vibrations. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 49(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1090/S0002-9904-1943-07818-4
  2. Turner, M. J., Clough, R. W., Martin, H. C., & Topp, L. J. (1956). Stiffness and deflection analysis of complex structures. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, 23(9), 805–823. https://doi.org/10.2514/8.3664
  3. Baranov, F. I. (1948). Theory and assessment of fishing gear [Teoriya i raschet orudii rybolovstva]. Pishchepromizdat.
  4. Hamley, J. M. (1975). Review of gillnet selectivity. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 32(11), 1943–1969. https://doi.org/10.1139/f75-233
  5. Baran, P. (1964). On distributed communications networks. IEEE Transactions on Communications Systems, 12(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCOM.1964.1088883

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