|
 |
"Tying knots to tubular geometry, DNA loops," by Ivars Peterson. Science News, 16 November 1996, page 310.
This article describes a novel technique that mathematicians have used to analyze knots. A mathematical knot is usually thought of as a closed curve with no thickness. In this new approach, a knot is viewed as a knotted piece of tube that has a certain diameter. The diameter of the tube is then expanded until there is contact between different parts of the tube. Researchers have found that there are connections between the length and diameter of the tube and the number of crossings, as well as to the knotting behavior of DNA.
-Allyn Jackson
 |
Comments: Email Webmaster |
