Knot tabulation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article or section is in the middle of an expansion or major revamping. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. Please view the edit history should you wish to contact the person who placed this template. If this article has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. Consider not tagging with a deletion tag unless the page hasn't been edited in several days. |
Ever since Sir William Thomson's vortex theory, mathematicians have tired to classify and tabulate all possible knots. As of May 2008 all prime knots up to 16 crossings have been tabulated.
Contents |
[edit] Beginnings
In an attempt to make a periodic table of the elements, P. G. Tait, C. N. Little and others started counting all possible knots.[1]
[edit] Perko pair
In 1974 Perko discovered a duplication in the Tait-Little tables, called the Perko pair.
[edit] New methods
Hoste et al. and Thistlethwaite each independently counted all knots with 16 crossings, and both got the same number.