Related papers: History of Knot Theory
This article provides an overview of relative strengths of polynomial invariants of knots and links, such as the Alexander, Jones, Homflypt, and Kaufman two-variable polynomial, Khovanov homology, factorizability of the polynomials, and…
The lectures review the state of affairs in modern branch of mathematical physics called probabilistic topology. In particular we consider the following problems: (i) We estimate the probability of a trivial knot formation on the lattice…
We initiate the study of classical knots through the homotopy class of the n-th evaluation map of the knot, which is the induced map on the compactified n-point configuration space. Sending a knot to its n-th evaluation map realizes the…
This paper is an introduction to the state sum model for the Alexander-Conway polynomial that was introduced in the the author's book "Formal Knot Theory" (Princeton University Press, 1983). The article outlines how Alexander's original…
In 2000, Thomas Fink and Young Mao studied neck ties and, with certain assumptions, found 85 different ways to tie a neck tie. They gave a formal language which describes how a tie is made, giving a sequence of moves for each neck tie. The…
We consider knot theories possessing a {\em parity}: each crossing is decreed {\em odd} or {\em even} according to some universal rule. If this rule satisfies some simple axioms concerning the behaviour under Reidemeister moves, this leads…
In this paper we introduce the tied links, i.e. ordinary links provided with some ties between strands. The motivation for introducing such objects originates from a diagrammatical interpretation of the defining generators of the so-called…
We give an obstruction to unknotting a knot by adding a twisted band, derived from Heegaard Floer homology.
We employ the sl(2) foam cohomology to define a cohomology theory for oriented framed tangles whose components are labelled by irreducible representations of U_q(sl(2)). We show that the corresponding colored invariants of tangles can be…
We review the construction of Heegaard Floer homology for closed three-manifolds and also for knots and links in the three-sphere. We also discuss three applications of this invariant to knot theory: studying the Thurston norm of a link…
Recent progress in string theory has led to a reformulation of quantum-group polynomial invariants for knots and links into new polynomial invariants whose coefficients can be understood in topological terms. We describe in detail how to…
We analyze the connections between the mathematical theory of knots and quantum physics by addressing a number of algorithmic questions related to both knots and braid groups. Knots can be distinguished by means of `knot invariants', among…
In this thesis, we prove several results concerning field-theoretic invariants of knots and 3-manifolds. In Chapter 2, for any knot $K$ in a closed, oriented 3-manifold $M$, we use $SU(2)$ representation spaces and the Lagrangian field…
This is an expository paper discussing some parallels between the Khovanov and knot Floer homologies. We describe the formal similarities between the theories and give some examples which illustrate a somewhat mysterious correspondence…
Knot Floer homology is an invariant for knots discovered by the authors and, independently, Jacob Rasmussen. The discovery of this invariant grew naturally out of studying how a certain three-manifold invariant, Heegaard Floer homology,…
In this paper, we generalize the \textit{Clock Theorem} of Formal Knot Theory to knotoids in $S^2$. The clock theorem implies that clock states of a knotoid diagram form a lattice under transpositions. These states form the basis of many…
In \cite{Kim} it is shown that knots in $S_{g} \times S^{1}$ can be presented by virtual diagrams with a decoration, so called, {\em double lines}. In this paper, we study the essential diagram for each knot in $S_{g} \times S^{1}$, which…
We study petal diagrams of knots, which provide a method of describing knots in terms of permutations in a symmetric group $S_{2n+1}$. We define two classes of moves on such permutations, called trivial petal additions and crossing…
In this article, we explore a polynomial invariant for Legendrian knots which is a natural extension of Jones polynomial for (topological) knots. To this end, a new type of skein relation is introduced for the front projections of…
In GT/0006019 oriented quantum algebras were motivated and introduced in a natural categorical setting. Invariants of knots and links can be computed from oriented quantum algebras, and this includes the Reshetikhin-Turaev theory for Ribbon…