This week we will have Prof. Kusner speaking on “Geometric Knots and Links” (abstract below). Join us on Wednesday at 5:30 in LGRT 1634 for some great math and pizza.
Abstract: How much “rope” is needed to tie a knot? Are there “Gordian”
unknots or unlinks made of “rope” whose geometry is “stuck” in a
complicated configuration, even though they are topological trivial? We’ll
discuss these and related questions about geometric knots and links,
indicating how the topology of the knot and link becomes an interesting
constraint for the “ropelength” minimization problem.