Category theory | Simplicial sets
Nerve (category theory)
In category theory, a discipline within mathematics, the nerve N(C) of a small category C is a simplicial set constructed from the objects and morphisms of C. The geometric realization of this simplicial set is a topological space, called the classifying space of the category C. These closely related objects can provide information about some familiar and useful categories using algebraic topology, most often homotopy theory. (Wikipedia).
