An Interactive Introduction to Knot Theory

by Inga Johnson, Allison K. Henrich

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.

Genres: Mathematics

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2017

About the author

aka Dr. Jae

Reviews

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish more math books were presented like this. Going through the process of playing with knots, being curious, posing questions and proving whether they're true or not, it felt like I was doing what real mathematicians do, and that's something that's rarely afforded to students in most courses.

My only critique is that toward the end the topics seem a bit more random. I think the need to have the results be proved by the reader limited how deep the book could go on certain topics. Nonetheless, I still found it to be a fascinating (and challenging) read.