An Interactive Introduction to Knot Theory

by Johnson, Inga; Henrich, Allison K.

• ISBN13: 9780486804637
• ISBN10: 0486804631
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-01-18
• Publisher: Dover Publications

Summary

This well-written and engaging volume, intended for undergraduates, introduces knot theory, an area of growing interest in contemporary mathematics. The hands-on approach features many exercises to be completed by readers. Prerequisites are only a basic familiarity with linear algebra and a willingness to explore the subject in a hands-on manner.
The opening chapter offers activities that explore the world of knots and links — including games with knots — and invites the reader to generate their own questions in knot theory. Subsequent chapters guide the reader to discover the formal definition of a knot, families of knots and links, and various knot notations. Additional topics include combinatorial knot invariants, knot polynomials, unknotting operations, and virtual knots.

Author Biography

Allison Henrich is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Seattle.
Inga Johnson is Professor of Mathematics at Willamette University.

Table of Contents

Notes

1. Playing and Building Intuition

2. Knot Definition and Equivalence

3. Families of Links and Braids

4. Knot Notation

5. Combinatorial Knot Invariants

6. Knot Polynomials

7. Unknotting Operations and Invariants

8. Virtual Knots

Acknowledgmenys

Index

Bibliography