# K-theory

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The study of rings R generated by the set of vector bundles over some topological space or scheme;
2. The study of rings R generated by the set of vector bundles over some topological space or scheme;
(dated, obsolete) that part of algebraic topology comprising what is now called topological K-theory.
3. The cohomology generated by the set of vector bundles over some topological space or scheme.

## Etymology
From circa 1960. The K stands for German Klasse (“class”).
The theory developed out of algebraic geometry after the 1957 publication of work by German-born French mathematician Alexander Grothendieck.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/k-theory