Related papers: What is a Singular Knot?
Physical knots and links are one-dimensional submanifolds of R^3 with fixed length and thickness. We show that isotopy classes in this category can differ from those of classical knot and link theory. In particular we exhibit a Gordian…
This paper examines the relationship between the knotting of an embedded surface in $\R^3$ and the knotting of its fold curves, formed by the singular set of projection to a plane. The first result shows that every surface, no matter how…
Following Goussarov's paper `Interdependent Modifications of Links and Invariants of Finite Degree' [Topology 37 (1998) 595--602] we describe an alternative finite type theory of knots. While (as shown by Goussarov) the alternative theory…
Streamlines, vortex lines and magnetic flux tubes in turbulent fluids and plasmas display a great amount of coiling, twisting and linking, raising the question as to whether their topological complexity (continually created and destroyed by…
We discuss the consequences of the possibility that Vassiliev invariants do not detect knot invertibility as well as the fact that quantum Lie group invariants are known not to do so. On the other hand, finite group invariants, such as the…
Braided deformations of (symmetric) monoidal categories are related to Vassiliev theory by a direct generalization of well-known results relating "quantum" knot invariants to Vassiliev invariants. The deformation theory of braidings is…
We exhibit an encoding of knots into processes in the {\pi}-calculus such that knots are ambient isotopic if and only their encodings are weakly bisimilar.
This paper contains the first knot polynomials which can distinguish the orientations of classical knots and which make no excplicit use of the knot group. But they make extensive use of the meridian and of the longitude in a geometric way.…
An $n$-plat 1-knot is one isotopic to the plat closure of some $2n$-braid, which is also called an $n$-bridge 1-knot. Schubert classified 2-bridge 1-knots by considering their double branched covers which are homeomorphic to lens spaces. A…
Knots and links which are closed 3-braids are a very special class. Like 2-bridge knots and links, they are simple enough to admit a complete classification. At the same time they are rich enough to serve as a source of examples on which,…
We consider the problem of deciding whether a polygonal knot in 3-dimensional Euclidean space is unknotted, capable of being continuously deformed without self-intersection so that it lies in a plane. We show that this problem, {\sc…
We study surface knots in 4-space by using generic planar projections. These projections have fold points and cusps as their singularities and the image of the singular point set divides the plane into several regions. The width (or the…
Classical knot theory deals with {\em diagrams} and {\em invariants}. By means of horizontal {\em trisecants}, we construct a new theory of classical braids with invariants valued in {\em pictures}. These pictures are closely related to…
We introduce an algebraic structure we call semiquandles whose axioms are derived from flat Reidemeister moves. Finite semiquandles have associated counting invariants and enhanced invariants defined for flat virtual knots and links. We…
Simple closed curves in the plane can be mapped to nontrivial knots under the action of origami foldings that allow the paper to self-intersect. We show all tame knot types may be produced in this manner, motivating the development of a new…
A brief summary of the development of perturbative Chern-Simons gauge theory related to the theory of knots and links is presented. Emphasis is made on the progress achieved towards the determination of a general combinatorial expression…
Kashaev's invariants for a knot in a three sphere are generalized to invariants of a knot in a three manifold. A relation between the newly constructed invariants and the hyperbolic volume of the knot complement is observed for some knots…
A generic immersion of a circle into a $2$-sphere is often studied as a projection of a knot; it is called a knot projection. A chord diagram is a configuration of paired points on a circle; traditionally, the two points of each pair are…
In this note, I describe a formalism for treating knots as geometric spaces, and make an application to a simple statistical mechanics computation. The motivation for this study is the natural visual symmetry of the knot, and I describe how…
We derive two geometric approaches to categorification of quantum invariants of links associated to an arbitrary compact simple Lie group $^L{G}$. In part I, we describe the first approach, based on an equivariant derived category of…