compactification
noun
com·pact·i·fi·ca·tion
kəmˌpaktəfə̇ˈkāshən
plural -s
1
: a compact topological space that contains a given topological space as a subset or that contains a subset homeomorphic to the given topological space
2
: the application of a topological compactification to a model of the universe (such as one involving superstrings) in which the ordinary dimensions of space are held to coexist with several other dimensions too infinitesimal in size to observe
Word History
Etymology
compact entry 1 + -ification (as in saponification)