The hairy ball theorem of algebraic topology (sometimes called the hedgehog theorem in Europe)[1] states that there is no nonvanishing continuous tangent vector field on even-dimensional n-spheres.[2][3] For the ordinary sphere, or 2‑sphere, if f is a continuous function that assigns a vector in ℝ3 to every point p on a sphere such that f(p) is always tangent to the sphere at p, then there is at least one pole, a point where the field vanishes (a p such that f(p) = 0).
The theorem has been expressed colloquially as "you can't comb a hairy ball flat without creating a cowlick" or "you can't comb the hair on a coconut".[6]
^Richeson, David S. (23 July 2019). Euler's gem : the polyhedron formula and the birth of topology (New Princeton science library ed.). Princeton. p. 5. ISBN978-0691191997.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)