pôles

Pôles is the plural of pôle in French and is used to denote an end, a point of reference, or a center of activity. The term appears in geography, science, mathematics, and social sciences, often describing opposite extremities or focal points.

In geography and earth science, geographic poles are the points where the Earth's axis intersects its surface: the North Pole in the Arctic and the South Pole in Antarctica. These poles define the planet’s rotational geometry and are important for navigation, climate studies, and satellite positioning. Magnetic poles, by contrast, are regions where the Earth’s magnetic field lines emerge or converge. They are distinct from the geographic poles and wander over time, with known reversals in the planet’s magnetic field history.

In magnetism and engineering, a pole refers to the ends of a magnet or to the pole pieces of magnetic devices. A magnet has a north and a south pole, and magnetic monopoles have not been observed. Machines such as electric motors and generators may be designed with a specific number of poles (for example two-pole or four-pole configurations), which affects performance and speed.

In mathematics, a pole is a type of singularity of a complex function where the function tends to infinity near a point. The order of the pole indicates how strongly the function diverges. In projective geometry, poles and polars describe a dual relationship with respect to a conic.

Beyond science, the term is used in sociology and urban planning to denote centers of activity or influence, such as a cultural pole or economic pole.