Metcalfe

Metcalfe is an English surname that originated from a place name. The name is borne by several individuals, notably Robert Metcalfe (born 1946), an American electrical engineer who co-invented Ethernet and co-founded the computer networking company 3Com.

Metcalfe's law is a principle in network theory stating that the value of a network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users, or more precisely to n(n−1)/2. The law has been applied to telecommunications, social networks, and other networked systems.

Geographically, Metcalfe is used as a place name in multiple countries. Examples include Metcalfe County in Kentucky, United States; Metcalfe, Victoria, Australia; and Metcalfe in Ontario, Canada.