The Euler characteristic is a topological invariant, a number that describes a topological space’s structure or shape regardless of how it is bent. For polyhedra, it is defined by the formula [latex]\chi = V – E + F[/latex], where V, E, and F are the number of vertices, edges, and faces, respectively. For a sphere, [latex]\chi = 2[/latex], while for a torus, [latex]\chi = 0[/latex].
