Knot theory, a branch of topology, examines the intricate properties of closed curves embedded in three-dimensional space. At its core is the study of knot invariants—quantitative measures that remain ...

When Lisa Piccirillo solved a decades-old mystery about the “Conway knot,” she had to overcome the knot’s uncanny ability to hoodwink some of the most powerful tools mathematicians have devised. Known ...

Sometimes, a simple, even childish question turns out to be connected to the deepest secrets of the universe. Here’s one: How many different ways can you tie your shoelaces? Mathematicians have been ...

Q: When is a knot not a knot? A: When it's a quantum computer. Steve Simon explains how a remarkable link between knot theory and certain quantum systems may be useful for quantum information ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Find a string. Really. Do it. Now twist, tie and tangle it as much as you like. Finally, attach the two loose ends of your string ...

Knot theory, a vibrant branch of topology, investigates the properties of knots viewed as embeddings of circles in three-dimensional space. Central to this field are knot invariants—algebraic or ...