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I am working on an article about skyrmion manipulation and it is written that those particles are "topologically stable particle-like spin configurations that carry a characteristic topological charge S". I am struggling with the word "topological(ly)" as it does not ring any bell and the definitions that I have read were as confusing as this word.

Could anyone explain to me the meaning of this?

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A field configuration that solves the equations of motion of a theory is topologically stable if it cannot be continuously transformed to the vacuum keeping the energy finite.

The reason for the name is the fact that topologically stable solutions can be classified by a topological quantum number.

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