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ski.ninja
Nov 2, 2008, 7:20 AM
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I haven't posted in here before, but this felt like the right place for this.
Found this article today on slashdot. It's an entertaining read on the history of knots in physics and mathematics as well as some cool pictures.
For example, these are all the knots (shown on a loop of cord) that can be made by crossing it eight times.
This doesn't seem to have much immediate use as far as climbing goes, but it's fun to understand a little more about the forces that keep us safe.
"Safe."
http://www.sciencenews.org/...knotting_knot_theory
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majid_sabet
Nov 2, 2008, 8:03 AM
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(This post was edited by majid_sabet on Nov 2, 2008, 3:18 PM)
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Lazlo
Nov 2, 2008, 2:49 PM
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There's a professor at CSU Chico that has a degree in knot theory. I've been told I need to meet him. Haven't yet.
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sungam
Nov 2, 2008, 5:13 PM
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That's the face of the man that wrote the article, right?
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rgold
Nov 2, 2008, 6:49 PM
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Knot theory is an interesting field of mathematics involving very deep results in topology and combinatorics. There have been some remarkable connections to physics and some at least interesting ones to biology.
The fundamental question is whether two knots (of course specified in some precise mathematical way) are equivalent by transformations that can be performed without breaking the material or involving the ends in any way.
For all its interest and promise, I think it is safe to assert that at present, knot theory has little, probably nothing, of value to say to climbers.
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a-e-jones
Nov 2, 2008, 7:36 PM
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wait this isn't another majid your gonna die post.....
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Carnage
Dec 30, 2008, 8:44 PM
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rgold wrote: ... For all its interest and promise, I think it is safe to assert that at present, knot theory has little, probably nothing, of value to say to climbers.
i havnt read too much into knot theory, but from what i've read, its more of a mental game than something that is actually useful to climbing. Most of the knots we use were figured out from years of trial an error. They work, we know that.
i just remember seeing stuff about knot theory, and it was just like squiggled lines covering half my screen... i said fuck it.
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xboogerx
Apr 1, 2009, 9:19 PM
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the guy from csu is Dr Mattman. i did some research with him on knots a couple of years ago-he's a pretty rad guy
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bill413
Apr 1, 2009, 11:10 PM
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I recall a joke about a conversation between a student & a professor....
Student: "What's your favorite part of mathematics?"
Professor: "Knot theory."
Student: "Me neither."
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milesenoell
Aug 16, 2009, 2:35 AM
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rgold wrote: . The fundamental question is whether two knots (of course specified in some precise mathematical way) are equivalent by transformations that can be performed without breaking the material or involving the ends in any way.
No breaks and no ends? doesn't that make them hitches rather than knots?
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patto
Aug 16, 2009, 11:10 AM
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I have a friend who is completing a PhD in knot theory. I have been helping him get into climbing. Knot theory has pretty much NO relevance to climbing knots. Sharpness of bends and material friction is very important in knots, but not relevant in knot theory.
Basic ideas of parity can help in untangling tangles. I've seen people be quite hopeless in this aspect of things.
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gmggg
Aug 16, 2009, 2:28 PM
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rgold wrote: Knot theory is an interesting field of mathematics involving very deep results in topology and combinatorics. There have been some remarkable connections to physics and some at least interesting ones to biology. The fundamental question is whether two knots (of course specified in some precise mathematical way) are equivalent by transformations that can be performed without breaking the material or involving the ends in any way. For all its interest and promise, I think it is safe to assert that at present, knot theory has little, probably nothing, of value to say to climbers.
Unless we start climbing with the 4th dimension. Then, many of our knots will quickly become undone!
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