Mathematicians and engineers from MIT have used color-changing fibers to help develop a mathematical model that can predict the stability of a knot. By combining the theoretical with the empirical, ...

Scanning the crowd at a fancy soiree may reveal a wide array of neckties, each fastened with a highly complex mathematical object masquerading as fashion. An entire field of mathematics is devoted to ...

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., July 8, 2004 – It's knot every day that discussion of a major mathematical theory is paired with a comic book's format and colorful cast of characters. Colin Adams, the Francis ...

MIT researchers develop a mathematical model to predict a knot’s stability with the help of color-changing fibers. Photo by Joseph Sandt Knots are some of the oldest and most-used technologies that ...

Find a string. Really. Do it. Now twist, tie and tangle it as much as you like. Finally, attach the two loose ends of your string together to make a closed loop. (This is a crucial step.) What you ...

You may not have heard of knot theory. But take it from Bill Menasco, a knot theorist of 35 years: This field of mathematics, rich in aesthetic beauty and intellectual challenges, has come a long way ...

Humans have known for generations that some knots are stronger than others. This is apparent in sailing, where different types of knots are used for different needs. What exactly makes one type of ...

Physicists show knotted cosmic strings may have dominated the early universe before collapsing to create matter—a theory ...

Researchers wanted to understand precisely how blackworms execute tangling and ultrafast untangling movements for a myriad of biological functions. They researched the topology of the tangles. Their ...

Physicists have discovered a new way to tie microscopic knots within a solution of liquid crystals. Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have gone to creative lengths to earn their ...

The 1990 Fields Medals, mathematics' most prestigious international awards, were announced on August 21 in Kyoto, Japan, at the International Congress of Mathematicians. Four mathematicians received ...

Mathematics is the language of the universe, but it’s a language few of us speak well. Yet mathematicians can use this language to help people better understand the world, discover unexpected ...