# knot theory

## Primary tabs

Defines:
knot, link, knot diagram, Reidemeister moves, vertices, elementary deformation
Type of Math Object:
Topic
Major Section:
Reference

## Mathematics Subject Classification

### knots on PM

KnotPlot (http://www.pims.math.ca/knotplot/)
seems to be able to generate quite
good quality knot pictures in eps format. See e.g.

KnotPlot also includes a database of over 400 knots and links.
These are accesable using their standard names, e.g., $3_1$ for
the trefoil knot.

I think it would be great if PM had at least a
houndreds of eps files to PM would be quite a job for a remote
user. Is there any intelligent way to do this? Do we want a knot
dictionary on PM?

Also, how is it? The knotplot site does not state any licence
for KnotPlot except "Go to the download site for a free copy."
Does that mean that the output of the program is "free", too?
Ideas? The knot dictionary in the program is taken (with
permission) from Dale Rolfsen. Knots and Links.
Publish or Perish, Inc., 1976.

Matte

### Re: knots on PM

IMO, it would be good to have a long entry on knots, rather than have many
entries on individual knots. (But I'm not a knot theorist.) Of course, really
important knots should probably have their own entries. But a full dictionary
WITHIN the encyclopedia seems like overkill. However, as a stand-alone
subcollection, or a separate Book or something like that, it could be a nice

It isn't clear to me what the copyright status of KnotPlot output is, but
certainly the fact that one can obtain a "free copy" of the program does not
imply that the output is free-as-in-freedom.

Perhaps you can write to the people who run the site and ask them what they
think the copyright status of the pictures is.

PS. I agree that uploading lots of files should always be automated.

### update on KnotPlot (Was: Re: knots on PM)

matte wrote:
> KnotPlot (http://www.pims.math.ca/knotplot/)
[snip]
> Also, how is it? The knotplot site does not state any
> licence
> for KnotPlot except "Go to the download site for a free
> copy."
> Does that mean that the output of the program is "free",
> too?

The KnotPlot site is now http://knotplot.com .