Bing's recognition theorem
In topology, a branch of mathematics, Bing's recognition theorem, named for R. H. Bing, asserts that a necessary and sufficient condition for a 3-manifold M to be homeomorphic to the 3-sphere is that every Jordan curve in M be contained within a topological ball.
References
- Bing, R. H. (1958). "Necessary and sufficient condition that the 3-manifold be S3". Annals of Mathematics 68 (1): 17. doi:10.2307/1970041.