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Introduction to Knot Theory

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About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we provide an introduction to knot theory. In particular, we consider: (i) famous knots in history such as the Gordian knot, which was cut by Alexander the Great; (ii) how to describe a mathematical knot; (iii) deforming a knot, which does not change it; (iv) the trivial knot (or unknot) and the trefoil knot; (v) a table of knots; (vi) links, which are a set of knots that are tangled up with each other; (vii) Odin’s knot depicted in a stone carving by Vikings; (viii) the Borromeo family crest, which includes an image of Borromean rings – these rings named after the family; (ix) Brunnian links; (x) Brunnian clothes; (xi) Celtic knots; (xii) knots in seafaring, including the Ashley Book of Knots; and (xiii) The Knot Book<\em> by Colin Adams.

About the lecturer

Colin Adams is the Thomas T. Read Professor of Mathematics at Williams College in in Williamstown, MA. His research interests are primarily in hyperbolic 3-manifolds and knot theory. He has often collaborated and published his research with students from SMALL, an undergraduate summer research program at Williams College. Professor Adams is the author of The Knot Book (1984), which has been praised for its accessible approach to advanced topics in knot theory. He has also written a comic book called Why Knot? (2004) that introduces knot theory to a more general audience. He has written and collaborated on many other books, including How to Ace Calculus: The Streetwise Guide (1998) and Zombies & Calculus (2014). He also writes Mathematically Bent, a column of math humour for The Mathematical Intelligencer, a mathematical journal published bySpringer. Professor Adams was awarded the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo National Distinguished Teaching Award by the Mathematical Association of America in 1998 and the Robert Foster Cherry Great Teacher Award from Baylor University in 2003.

Cite this Lecture

APA style

Adams, C. (2022, August 30). Topology - Introduction to Knot Theory [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/options/topology?auth=0&lesson=8679&option=750&type=lesson

MLA style

Adams, C. "Topology – Introduction to Knot Theory." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 30 Aug 2022, https://massolit.io/options/topology?auth=0&lesson=8679&option=750&type=lesson