Definitions

1. noun

A symbol in geometry and differential geometry, named after Elie Cartan and Herman Weyl, and independently by Charles Ehresmann and André Lichnerowicz, in the form of a pair of one-forms or vector fields, used to describe curves and their properties.

“The Christoffel symbol is essential for understanding Riemannian geometry and its applications in physics.”

2. proper noun

A Dutch noble family, related to the noble house of Schetz.

“The Christoffels were prominent in the Dutch nobility during the 16th and 17th centuries.”