A Conversation for The Hairy Ball Theorem
Hairy Dinner Plate
Leo Started conversation Mar 22, 2006
That's basically saying that any surface will have such a pattern. 
so what's so special about the ball?
Besides, there are flat round surfaces covered in hair that dont have that problem. Sporrans do it.
Hairy Dinner Plate
Bagpuss Posted Mar 22, 2006
With sporrans the hair all hangs down - we're imagining it being combed against the ball. What's special about the ball (or sphere, mathematically) is that it doesn't have holes in, like a doughnut (torus), or edges, like a disc or a cylinder.
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