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Point

In classical geometry, a point is an entity that has no extent. In the modern set theoretic approach to topology, this is formalised as: a point in a space X is simply an element of the set X.

See also: solution point


In navigation, especially at sea, a point is defined as one eighth of a right angle, and therefore equals exactly 11.25 degrees. For example, a bearing of northwest by north differs by one point from a northwest bearing, and by a point from a north-northwest one.


In typography, a point is approximately 1/72 inch; on computer displays it is often the height of one or four pixels.


In sports and games, a point is a unit of scoring.


A point on a railroad is also called a railroad switch.