Thicknesses of knots
by
Claus Ernst
Western Knetucky University
Coauthors: Y. Diao, E.J. Janse Van Rensburg

We define a set of radii called thickness for simple closed curves denoted by K, which are assumed to be p.l. or differentiable. These radii capture a balanced view between the geometric and the topological properties of these curves. One can think of these radii as representing the thickness of a rope in space and of K as the core of the rope. Great care is taken to define our radii in order to gain freedom from small pieces with large curvature in the curve. Intuitively, this means that we tend to allow the surface of the ropes that represent the knots to deform into a non smooth surface. But as long as the radius of the rope is less than the thickness so defined, the surface of the rope will remain a two manifold and the rope (as a solid torus) can be deformed onto K via strong deformation retract.

Date received: February 3, 1998

Copyright © 1998 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # caas-21.