  We interpret the combinatorial Mandelbrot set in terms of \it{quadratic
laminations} (equivalence relations $\sim$ on the unit circle invariant under
$\sigma_2$). To each lamination we associate a particular {\em geolamination}
(the collection $\mathcal{L}_\sim$ of points of the circle and edges of convex
hulls of $\sim$-equivalence classes) so that the closure of the set of all of
them is a compact metric space with the Hausdorff metric. Two such
geolaminations are said to be {\em minor equivalent} if their {\em minors}
(images of their longest chords) intersect. We show that the corresponding
quotient space of this topological space is homeomorphic to the boundary of the
combinatorial Mandelbrot set. To each equivalence class of these geolaminations
we associate a unique lamination and its topological polynomial so that this
interpretation can be viewed as a way to endow the space of all quadratic
topological polynomials with a suitable topology.
