Since discovery of the Jones polynomial, knot theory has enjoyed a virtual explosion of important results and now plays a significant role in modern mathematics. In a unique presentation with contents not found in any other monograph, Knot Theory describes, with full proofs, the main concepts and the latest investigations in the field. The book is divided into six thematic sections. The first part discusses "pre-Vassiliev" knot theory, from knot arithmetics through the Jones polynomial and the famous Kauffman-Murasugi theorem. The second part explores braid theory, including braids in different spaces and simple word recognition algorithms. A section devoted to the Vassiliev knot invariants follows, wherein the author proves that Vassiliev invariants are stronger than all polynomial invariants and introduces Bar-Natan's theory on Lie algebra respresentations and knots. The fourth part describes a new way, proposed by the author, to encode knots by d-diagrams. This method allows the encoding of topological objects by words in a finite alphabet. Part Five delves into virtual knot theory and virtualizations of knot and link invariants. This section includes the author's own important results regarding new invariants of virtual knots. The book concludes with an introduction to knots in 3-manifolds and Legendrian knots and links, including Chekanov's differential graded algebra (DGA) construction. Knot Theory is notable not only for its expert presentation of knot theory's state of the art but also for its accessibility. It is valuable as a professional reference and will serve equally well as a text for a course on knot theory.

A selection of topics which graduate students have found to be a successful introduction to the field, employing three distinct techniques: geometric topology manoeuvres, combinatorics, and algebraic topology. Each topic is developed until significant results are achieved and each chapter ends with exercises and brief accounts of the latest research. What may reasonably be referred to as knot theory has expanded enormously over the last decade and, while the author describes important discoveries throughout the twentieth century, the latest discoveries such as quantum invariants of 3-manifolds as well as generalisations and applications of the Jones polynomial are also included, presented in an easily intelligible style. Readers are assumed to have knowledge of the basic ideas of the fundamental group and simple homology theory, although explanations throughout the text are numerous and well-done. Written by an internationally known expert in the field, this will appeal to graduate students, mathematicians and physicists with a mathematical background wishing to gain new insights in this area.

This volume contains the proceedings of the ICTS program Knot Theory and Its Applications (KTH-2013), held from December 10–20, 2013, at IISER Mohali, India. The meeting focused on the broad area of knot theory and its interaction with other disciplines of theoretical science. The program was divided into two parts. The first part was a week-long advanced school which consisted of minicourses. The second part was a discussion meeting that was meant to connect the school to the modern research areas. This volume consists of lecture notes on the topics of the advanced school, as well as surveys and research papers on current topics that connect the lecture notes with cutting-edge research in the broad area of knot theory.

This book is a survey of current topics in the mathematical theory of knots. For a mathematician, a knot is a closed loop in 3-dimensional space: imagine knotting an extension cord and then closing it up by inserting its plug into its outlet. Knot theory is of central importance in pure and applied mathematics, as it stands at a crossroads of topology, combinatorics, algebra, mathematical physics and biochemistry. * Survey of mathematical knot theory * Articles by leading world authorities * Clear exposition, not over-technical * Accessible to readers with undergraduate background in mathematics

Topics in Knot Theory is a state of the art volume which presents surveys of the field by the most famous knot theorists in the world. It also includes the most recent research work by graduate and postgraduate students. The new ideas presented cover racks, imitations, welded braids, wild braids, surgery, computer calculations and plottings, presentations of knot groups and representations of knot and link groups in permutation groups, the complex plane and/or groups of motions. For mathematicians, graduate students and scientists interested in knot theory.

Braid theory and knot theory are related via two famous results due to Alexander and Markov. Alexander's theorem states that any knot or link can be put into braid form. Markov's theorem gives necessary and sufficient conditions to conclude that two braids represent the same knot or link. Thus, one can use braid theory to study knot theory and vice versa. In this book, the author generalizes braid theory to dimension four. He develops the theory of surface braids and applies it tostudy surface links. In particular, the generalized Alexander and Markov theorems in dimension four are given. This book is the first to contain a complete proof of the generalized Markov theorem. Surface links are studied via the motion picture method, and some important techniques of this method arestudied. For surface braids, various methods to describe them are introduced and developed: the motion picture method, the chart description, the braid monodromy, and the braid system. These tools are fundamental to understanding and computing invariants of surface braids and surface links. Included is a table of knotted surfaces with a computation of Alexander polynomials. Braid techniques are extended to represent link homotopy classes. The book is geared toward a wide audience, from graduatestudents to specialists. It would make a suitable text for a graduate course and a valuable resource for researchers.

LinKnot — Knot Theory by Computer provides a unique view of selected topics in knot theory suitable for students, research mathematicians, and readers with backgrounds in other exact sciences, including chemistry, molecular biology and physics.The book covers basic notions in knot theory, as well as new methods for handling open problems such as unknotting number, braid family representatives, invertibility, amphicheirality, undetectability, non-algebraic tangles, polyhedral links, and (2,2)-moves.Hands-on computations using Mathematica or the webMathematica package LinKnot and beautiful illustrations facilitate better learning and understanding. LinKnot is also a powerful research tool for experimental mathematics implementation of Caudron's ideas. The use of Conway notation enables experimenting with large families of knots and links.Conjectures discussed in the book are explained at length. The beauty, universality and diversity of knot theory is illuminated through various non-standard applications: mirror curves, fullerens, self-referential systems, and KL automata.

"Knot theory is a fascinating mathematical subject, with multiple links to theoretical physics. This enyclopedia is filled with valuable information on a rich and fascinating subject." – Ed Witten, Recipient of the Fields Medal "I spent a pleasant afternoon perusing the Encyclopedia of Knot Theory. It’s a comprehensive compilation of clear introductions to both classical and very modern developments in the field. It will be a terrific resource for the accomplished researcher, and will also be an excellent way to lure students, both graduate and undergraduate, into the field." – Abigail Thompson, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at University of California, Davis Knot theory has proven to be a fascinating area of mathematical research, dating back about 150 years. Encyclopedia of Knot Theory provides short, interconnected articles on a variety of active areas in knot theory, and includes beautiful pictures, deep mathematical connections, and critical applications. Many of the articles in this book are accessible to undergraduates who are working on research or taking an advanced undergraduate course in knot theory. More advanced articles will be useful to graduate students working on a related thesis topic, to researchers in another area of topology who are interested in current results in knot theory, and to scientists who study the topology and geometry of biopolymers. Features Provides material that is useful and accessible to undergraduates, postgraduates, and full-time researchers Topics discussed provide an excellent catalyst for students to explore meaningful research and gain confidence and commitment to pursuing advanced degrees Edited and contributed by top researchers in the field of knot theory

More recently, Khovanov introduced link homology as a generalization of the Jones polynomial to homology of chain complexes and Ozsvath and Szabo developed Heegaard-Floer homology, that lifts the Alexander polynomial. These two significantly different theories are closely related and the dependencies are the object of intensive study. These ideas mark the beginning of a new era in knot theory that includes relationships with four-dimensional problems and the creation of new forms of algebraic topology relevant to knot theory. The theory of skein modules is an older development also having its roots in Jones discovery. Another significant and related development is the theory of virtual knots originated independently by Kauffman and by Goussarov Polyak and Viro in the '90s. All these topics and their relationships are the subject of the survey papers in this book.