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Unknot
In the knot theory, mathematical theory of knots, the unknot, not knot, or trivial knot, is the least knotted of all knots. Intuitively, the unknot is a closed loop of rope without a Knot (mathematics), knot tied into it, unknotted. To a knot theorist, an unknot is any embedding, embedded Topological sphere, topological circle in the 3-sphere that is ambient isotopy, ambient isotopic (that is, deformable) to a geometrically round circle, the standard unknot. The unknot is the only knot that is the boundary of an embedded disk (mathematics), disk, which gives the characterization that only unknots have Seifert surface, Seifert genus 0. Similarly, the unknot is the identity element with respect to the knot sum operation. Unknotting problem Deciding if a particular knot is the unknot was a major driving force behind knot invariants, since it was thought this approach would possibly give an efficient algorithm to unknotting problem, recognize the unknot from some presentation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unknotting Problem
In mathematics, the unknotting problem is the problem of algorithmically recognizing the unknot, given some representation of a knot, e.g., a knot diagram. There are several types of unknotting algorithms. A major unresolved challenge is to determine if the problem admits a polynomial time algorithm; that is, whether the problem lies in the complexity class P (complexity), P. Computational complexity First steps toward determining the computational complexity were undertaken in proving that the problem is in larger complexity classes, which contain the class P. By using normal surfaces to describe the Seifert surfaces of a given knot, showed that the unknotting problem is in the complexity class NP (complexity), NP. claimed the weaker result that unknotting is in Arthur–Merlin protocol, AM ∩ co-AM; however, later they retracted this claim. In 2011, Greg Kuperberg proved that (assuming the generalized Riemann hypothesis) the unknotting problem is in co-NP, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knot Theory
In topology, knot theory is the study of knot (mathematics), mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life, such as those in shoelaces and rope, a mathematical knot differs in that the ends are joined so it cannot be undone, the simplest knot being a ring (or "unknot"). In mathematical language, a knot is an embedding of a circle in 3-dimensional Euclidean space, \mathbb^3. Two mathematical knots are equivalent if one can be transformed into the other via a deformation of \mathbb^3 upon itself (known as an ambient isotopy); these transformations correspond to manipulations of a knotted string that do not involve cutting it or passing it through itself. Knots can be described in various ways. Using different description methods, there may be more than one description of the same knot. For example, a common method of describing a knot is a planar diagram called a knot diagram, in which any knot can be drawn in many different ways. Therefore, a fundamental p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knot Diagram
In topology, knot theory is the study of mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life, such as those in shoelaces and rope, a mathematical knot differs in that the ends are joined so it cannot be undone, the simplest knot being a ring (or "unknot"). In mathematical language, a knot is an embedding of a circle in 3-dimensional Euclidean space, \mathbb^3. Two mathematical knots are equivalent if one can be transformed into the other via a deformation of \mathbb^3 upon itself (known as an ambient isotopy); these transformations correspond to manipulations of a knotted string that do not involve cutting it or passing it through itself. Knots can be described in various ways. Using different description methods, there may be more than one description of the same knot. For example, a common method of describing a knot is a planar diagram called a knot diagram, in which any knot can be drawn in many different ways. Therefore, a fundamental problem in knot the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khovanov Homology
In mathematics, Khovanov homology is an oriented link invariant that arises as the cohomology of a cochain complex. It may be regarded as a categorification of the Jones polynomial. It was developed in the late 1990s by Mikhail Khovanov. Overview To any link diagram D representing a link L, we assign the Khovanov bracket \left D \right/math>, a cochain complex of graded vector spaces. This is the analogue of the Kauffman bracket in the construction of the Jones polynomial. Next, we normalise \left D \right/math> by a series of degree shifts (in the graded vector spaces) and height shifts (in the cochain complex) to obtain a new cochain complex C(D). The cohomology of this cochain complex turns out to be an invariant of L, and its graded Euler characteristic is the Jones polynomial of L. Definition This definition follows the formalism given in Dror Bar-Natan's 2002 paper. Let denote the ''degree shift'' operation on graded vector spaces—that is, the homogeneous comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jones Polynomial
In the mathematical field of knot theory, the Jones polynomial is a knot polynomial discovered by Vaughan Jones in 1984. Specifically, it is an invariant of an oriented knot or link which assigns to each oriented knot or link a Laurent polynomial in the variable t^ with integer coefficients. Definition by the bracket Suppose we have an oriented link L, given as a knot diagram. We will define the Jones polynomial V(L) by using Louis Kauffman's bracket polynomial, which we denote by \langle~\rangle. Here the bracket polynomial is a Laurent polynomial in the variable A with integer coefficients. First, we define the auxiliary polynomial (also known as the normalized bracket polynomial) :X(L) = (-A^3)^\langle L \rangle, where w(L) denotes the writhe of L in its given diagram. The writhe of a diagram is the number of positive crossings (L_ in the figure below) minus the number of negative crossings (L_). The writhe is not a knot invariant. X(L) is a knot invariant si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stuck Unknot
In mathematics, a stuck unknot is a closed polygonal chain in three-dimensional space (a skew polygon) that is topologically equal to the unknot but cannot be deformed to a simple polygon when interpreted as a mechanical linkage, by rigid length-preserving and non-self-intersecting motions of its segments.G. T. Toussaint, "A new class of stuck unknots in Pol-6," ''Contributions to Algebra and Geometry'', Vol. 42, No. 2, 2001, pp. 301–306. Similarly a stuck open chain is an open polygonal chain such that the segments may not be aligned by moving rigidly its segments. Topologically such a chain can be unknotted, but the limitation of using only rigid motions of the segments can create nontrivial knots in such a chain. Consideration of such "stuck" configurations arises in the study of molecular chains in biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander-Conway Polynomial
In mathematics, the Alexander polynomial is a knot invariant which assigns a polynomial with integer coefficients to each knot type. James Waddell Alexander II discovered this, the first knot polynomial, in 1923. In 1969, John Conway showed a version of this polynomial, now called the Alexander–Conway polynomial, could be computed using a skein relation, although its significance was not realized until the discovery of the Jones polynomial in 1984. Soon after Conway's reworking of the Alexander polynomial, it was realized that a similar skein relation was exhibited in Alexander's paper on his polynomial. Definition Let ''K'' be a knot in the 3-sphere. Let ''X'' be the infinite cyclic cover of the knot complement of ''K''. This covering can be obtained by cutting the knot complement along a Seifert surface of ''K'' and gluing together infinitely many copies of the resulting manifold with boundary in a cyclic manner. There is a covering transformation ''t'' acting on ''X''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seifert Surface
In mathematics, a Seifert surface (named after German mathematician Herbert Seifert) is an orientable surface whose boundary is a given knot or link. Such surfaces can be used to study the properties of the associated knot or link. For example, many knot invariants are most easily calculated using a Seifert surface. Seifert surfaces are also interesting in their own right, and the subject of considerable research. Specifically, let ''L'' be a tame oriented knot or link in Euclidean 3-space (or in the 3-sphere). A Seifert surface is a compact, connected, oriented surface ''S'' embedded in 3-space whose boundary is ''L'' such that the orientation on ''L'' is just the induced orientation from ''S''. Note that any compact, connected, oriented surface with nonempty boundary in Euclidean 3-space is the Seifert surface associated to its boundary link. A single knot or link can have many different inequivalent Seifert surfaces. A Seifert surface must be oriented. It is possi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knot (mathematics)
In mathematics, a knot is an embedding of the circle () into three-dimensional Euclidean space, (also known as ). Often two knots are considered equivalent if they are ambient isotopic, that is, if there exists a continuous deformation of which takes one knot to the other. A crucial difference between the standard mathematical and conventional notions of a knot is that mathematical knots are closed — there are no ends to tie or untie on a mathematical knot. Physical properties such as friction and thickness also do not apply, although there are mathematical definitions of a knot that take such properties into account. The term ''knot'' is also applied to embeddings of in , especially in the case . The branch of mathematics that studies knots is known as knot theory and has many relations to graph theory. Formal definition A knot is an embedding of the circle () into three-dimensional Euclidean space (), or the 3-sphere (), since the 3-sphere is compact. Two knots ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knot Sum
In mathematics, specifically in topology, the operation of connected sum is a geometric modification on manifolds. Its effect is to join two given manifolds together near a chosen point on each. This construction plays a key role in the classification of closed surfaces. More generally, one can also join manifolds together along identical submanifolds; this generalization is often called the fiber sum. There is also a closely related notion of a connected sum on knots, called the knot sum or composition of knots. Connected sum at a point A connected sum of two ''m''-dimensional manifolds is a manifold formed by deleting a ball inside each manifold and gluing together the resulting boundary spheres. If both manifolds are oriented, there is a unique connected sum defined by having the gluing map reverse orientation. Although the construction uses the choice of the balls, the result is unique up to homeomorphism. One can also make this operation work in the smooth category, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crossing Number (knot Theory)
In the mathematics, mathematical area of knot theory, the crossing number of a knot (mathematics), knot is the smallest number of crossings of any diagram of the knot. It is a knot invariant. Examples By way of example, the unknot has crossing number 0 (number), zero, the trefoil knot three and the figure-eight knot (mathematics), figure-eight knot four. There are no other knots with a crossing number this low, and just two knots have crossing number five, but the number of knots with a particular crossing number increases rapidly as the crossing number increases. Tabulation Tables of prime knots are traditionally indexed by crossing number, with a subscript to indicate which particular knot out of those with this many crossings is meant (this sub-ordering is not based on anything in particular, except that torus knots then twist knots are listed first). The listing goes 31 (the trefoil knot), 41 (the figure-eight knot), 51, 52, 61, etc. This order has not changed significa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conway Knot
In mathematics, specifically in knot theory, the Conway knot (or Conway's knot) is a particular knot (mathematics), knot with 11 crossings, named after John Horton Conway. It is related by mutation (knot theory), mutation to the Kinoshita–Terasaka knot, with which it shares the same Jones polynomial. Both knots also have the curious property of having the same Alexander polynomial and Alexander polynomial#Alexander–Conway polynomial, Conway polynomial as the unknot. The issue of the slice knot, sliceness of the Conway knot was resolved in 2020 by Lisa Piccirillo, 50 years after John Horton Conway first proposed the knot. Her proof made use of Khovanov homology#Applications, Rasmussen's s-invariant, and showed that the knot is not a smoothly slice knot, though it is topologically slice (the Kinoshita–Terasaka knot is both). References External links Conway knoton The Knot Atlas. Conway knot illustrated bknotilus . {{Knot theory, state=collapsed John Horton Conw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
