Knowledge

Stick number

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Six is the lowest stick number for any nontrivial knot. There are few knots whose stick number can be determined exactly. Gyo Taek Jin determined the stick number of a
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that intuitively gives the smallest number of straight "sticks" stuck end to end needed to form a knot. Specifically, given any knot
1050: 812:; Brennan, Bevin M.; Greilsheimer, Deborah L.; Woo, Alexander K. (1997), "Stick numbers and composition of knots and links", 1618: 1537: 264: 792: 1084: 669:{\displaystyle {\frac {1}{2}}(7+{\sqrt {8\,{\text{c}}(K)+1}})\leq {\text{stick}}(K)\leq {\frac {3}{2}}(c(K)+1).} 85: 1532: 1527: 1403: 521: 1689: 1104: 320: 1166: 809: 780: 764: 364: 1236: 1231: 1172: 1043: 1711: 776:. An accessible introduction into the topic, also for readers with little mathematical background. 1364: 486:{\displaystyle {\text{stick}}(K_{1}\#K_{2})\leq {\text{stick}}(K_{1})+{\text{stick}}(K_{2})-3\,} 1578: 1547: 1408: 187: 1677: 1448: 1036: 985: 947: 917: 871: 833: 375: 152: 896:
Jin, Gyo Taek (1997), "Polygon indices and superbridge indices of torus knots and links",
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The same result was found independently around the same time by a research group around
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Huh, Youngsik; Oh, Seungsang (2011), "An upper bound on stick number of knots",
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Negami, Seiya (1991), "Ramsey theorems for knots, links and spatial graphs",
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The Knot Book: An elementary introduction to the mathematical theory of knots
840:
Calvo, Jorge Alberto (2001), "Geometric knot spaces and polygonal isotopy",
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Smallest number of edges of an equivalent polygonal path for a knot
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New stick number bounds from random sampling of confined polygons
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can be upper bounded by the stick numbers of the summands:
998: 558: 529: 506: 393: 323: 267: 245: 225: 190: 155: 126: 88: 68: 48: 668: 544: 512: 485: 353: 309: 251: 231: 211: 173: 132: 106: 74: 54: 1058: 926:Transactions of the American Mathematical Society 787:, Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society, 310:{\displaystyle \operatorname {stick} (T(p,q))=2q} 1703: 877: 769:"Why knot: knots, molecules and stick numbers" 1044: 878:Eddy, Thomas D.; Shonkwiler, Clayton (2019), 956:Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications 898:Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications 842:Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications 814:Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications 379:Square knot = trefoil + trefoil reflection. 1051: 1037: 678:These inequalities are both tight for the 967: 937: 887: 853: 583: 482: 367:, but for a smaller range of parameters. 107:{\displaystyle \operatorname {stick} (K)} 757: 374: 18: 114:, is the smallest number of edges of a 1704: 1023:KnotPlot Research and Development Site 923: 740: 1032: 1019:Stick numbers for minimal stick knots 999: 953: 839: 779: 763: 748: 744: 495: 1684: 802: 354:{\displaystyle 2\leq p<q\leq 2p.} 895: 729: 703: 13: 412: 14: 1723: 992: 259:are not too far from each other: 1683: 1672: 1671: 552:by the following inequalities: 144: 1538:Dowker–Thistlethwaite notation 734: 719: 708: 697: 660: 651: 645: 639: 623: 617: 606: 595: 589: 569: 539: 533: 473: 460: 449: 436: 425: 399: 295: 292: 280: 274: 206: 194: 168: 156: 101: 95: 1: 685: 32:mathematical theory of knots 7: 500:The stick number of a knot 24:2,3 torus (or trefoil) knot 10: 1728: 26:has a stick number of six. 1667: 1571: 1528:Alexander–Briggs notation 1515: 1350: 1252: 1217: 1075: 978:10.1142/S0218216511008966 910:10.1142/S0218216597000170 864:10.1142/S0218216501000834 826:10.1142/S0218216597000121 370: 690: 1619:List of knots and links 1167:Kinoshita–Terasaka knot 219:in case the parameters 670: 546: 514: 487: 383:The stick number of a 380: 355: 311: 253: 233: 213: 212:{\displaystyle T(p,q)} 175: 134: 108: 76: 62:, the stick number of 56: 27: 1409:Finite type invariant 758:Introductory material 671: 547: 515: 488: 378: 356: 312: 254: 234: 214: 176: 174:{\displaystyle (p,q)} 135: 109: 77: 57: 22: 556: 545:{\displaystyle c(K)} 527: 504: 391: 321: 265: 243: 223: 188: 153: 124: 86: 66: 46: 1579:Alexander's theorem 1001:Weisstein, Eric W. 666: 542: 520:is related to its 510: 496:Related invariants 483: 381: 351: 307: 249: 229: 209: 171: 130: 104: 72: 52: 28: 1699: 1698: 1553:Reidemeister move 1419:Khovanov homology 1414:Hyperbolic volume 803:Research articles 749:Huh & Oh 2011 726:Adams et al. 1997 715:Adams et al. 1997 637: 615: 604: 587: 567: 513:{\displaystyle K} 458: 434: 397: 252:{\displaystyle q} 232:{\displaystyle p} 133:{\displaystyle K} 75:{\displaystyle K} 55:{\displaystyle K} 1719: 1687: 1686: 1675: 1674: 1639:Tait conjectures 1342: 1341: 1327: 1326: 1312: 1311: 1204: 1203: 1189: 1188: 1173:(−2,3,7) pretzel 1053: 1046: 1039: 1030: 1029: 1014: 1013: 988: 971: 950: 941: 920: 892: 891: 874: 857: 836: 797: 775: 751: 738: 732: 723: 717: 712: 706: 701: 675: 673: 672: 667: 638: 630: 616: 613: 605: 588: 585: 579: 568: 560: 551: 549: 548: 543: 519: 517: 516: 511: 492: 490: 489: 484: 472: 471: 459: 456: 448: 447: 435: 432: 424: 423: 411: 410: 398: 395: 360: 358: 357: 352: 316: 314: 313: 308: 258: 256: 255: 250: 238: 236: 235: 230: 218: 216: 215: 210: 180: 178: 177: 172: 141: 139: 137: 136: 131: 113: 111: 110: 105: 81: 79: 78: 73: 61: 59: 58: 53: 1727: 1726: 1722: 1721: 1720: 1718: 1717: 1716: 1712:Knot invariants 1702: 1701: 1700: 1695: 1663: 1567: 1533:Conway notation 1517: 1511: 1498:Tricolorability 1346: 1340: 1337: 1336: 1335: 1325: 1322: 1321: 1320: 1310: 1307: 1306: 1305: 1297: 1287: 1277: 1267: 1248: 1227:Composite knots 1213: 1202: 1199: 1198: 1197: 1194:Borromean rings 1187: 1184: 1183: 1182: 1156: 1146: 1136: 1126: 1118: 1110: 1100: 1090: 1071: 1057: 995: 939:10.2307/2001731 810:Adams, Colin C. 805: 795: 760: 755: 754: 739: 735: 724: 720: 713: 709: 702: 698: 693: 688: 629: 612: 584: 578: 559: 557: 554: 553: 528: 525: 524: 522:crossing number 505: 502: 501: 498: 467: 463: 455: 443: 439: 431: 419: 415: 406: 402: 394: 392: 389: 388: 373: 361: 322: 319: 318: 266: 263: 262: 244: 241: 240: 224: 221: 220: 189: 186: 185: 154: 151: 150: 147: 125: 122: 121: 119: 87: 84: 83: 67: 64: 63: 47: 44: 43: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1725: 1715: 1714: 1697: 1696: 1694: 1693: 1681: 1668: 1665: 1664: 1662: 1661: 1659:Surgery theory 1656: 1651: 1646: 1641: 1636: 1631: 1626: 1621: 1616: 1611: 1606: 1601: 1596: 1591: 1586: 1581: 1575: 1573: 1569: 1568: 1566: 1565: 1560: 1558:Skein relation 1555: 1550: 1545: 1540: 1535: 1530: 1524: 1522: 1513: 1512: 1510: 1509: 1503:Unknotting no. 1500: 1495: 1490: 1489: 1488: 1478: 1473: 1472: 1471: 1466: 1461: 1456: 1451: 1441: 1436: 1431: 1426: 1421: 1416: 1411: 1406: 1401: 1396: 1395: 1394: 1384: 1379: 1378: 1377: 1367: 1362: 1356: 1354: 1348: 1347: 1345: 1344: 1338: 1329: 1323: 1314: 1308: 1299: 1295: 1289: 1285: 1279: 1275: 1269: 1265: 1258: 1256: 1250: 1249: 1247: 1246: 1241: 1240: 1239: 1234: 1223: 1221: 1215: 1214: 1212: 1211: 1206: 1200: 1191: 1185: 1176: 1170: 1164: 1158: 1154: 1148: 1144: 1138: 1134: 1128: 1124: 1120: 1116: 1112: 1108: 1102: 1098: 1092: 1088: 1081: 1079: 1073: 1072: 1056: 1055: 1048: 1041: 1033: 1027: 1026: 1015: 1005:"Stick number" 994: 993:External links 991: 990: 989: 962:(5): 741–747, 951: 932:(2): 527–541, 921: 904:(2): 281–289, 893: 875: 848:(2): 245–267, 837: 820:(2): 149–161, 804: 801: 800: 799: 793: 777: 759: 756: 753: 752: 733: 718: 707: 695: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 665: 662: 659: 656: 653: 650: 647: 644: 641: 636: 633: 628: 625: 622: 619: 611: 608: 603: 600: 597: 594: 591: 582: 577: 574: 571: 566: 563: 541: 538: 535: 532: 509: 497: 494: 481: 478: 475: 470: 466: 462: 454: 451: 446: 442: 438: 430: 427: 422: 418: 414: 409: 405: 401: 372: 369: 350: 347: 344: 341: 338: 335: 332: 329: 326: 306: 303: 300: 297: 294: 291: 288: 285: 282: 279: 276: 273: 270: 261: 248: 228: 208: 205: 202: 199: 196: 193: 170: 167: 164: 161: 158: 146: 143: 129: 116:polygonal path 103: 100: 97: 94: 91: 71: 51: 40:knot invariant 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1724: 1713: 1710: 1709: 1707: 1692: 1691: 1682: 1680: 1679: 1670: 1669: 1666: 1660: 1657: 1655: 1652: 1650: 1647: 1645: 1642: 1640: 1637: 1635: 1632: 1630: 1627: 1625: 1622: 1620: 1617: 1615: 1612: 1610: 1607: 1605: 1602: 1600: 1597: 1595: 1594:Conway sphere 1592: 1590: 1587: 1585: 1582: 1580: 1577: 1576: 1574: 1570: 1564: 1561: 1559: 1556: 1554: 1551: 1549: 1546: 1544: 1541: 1539: 1536: 1534: 1531: 1529: 1526: 1525: 1523: 1521: 1514: 1508: 1504: 1501: 1499: 1496: 1494: 1491: 1487: 1484: 1483: 1482: 1479: 1477: 1474: 1470: 1467: 1465: 1462: 1460: 1457: 1455: 1452: 1450: 1447: 1446: 1445: 1442: 1440: 1437: 1435: 1432: 1430: 1427: 1425: 1422: 1420: 1417: 1415: 1412: 1410: 1407: 1405: 1402: 1400: 1397: 1393: 1390: 1389: 1388: 1385: 1383: 1380: 1376: 1373: 1372: 1371: 1368: 1366: 1365:Arf invariant 1363: 1361: 1358: 1357: 1355: 1353: 1349: 1333: 1330: 1318: 1315: 1303: 1300: 1293: 1290: 1283: 1280: 1273: 1270: 1263: 1260: 1259: 1257: 1255: 1251: 1245: 1242: 1238: 1235: 1233: 1230: 1229: 1228: 1225: 1224: 1222: 1220: 1216: 1210: 1207: 1195: 1192: 1180: 1177: 1174: 1171: 1168: 1165: 1162: 1159: 1152: 1149: 1142: 1139: 1132: 1129: 1127: 1121: 1119: 1113: 1106: 1103: 1096: 1093: 1086: 1083: 1082: 1080: 1078: 1074: 1069: 1065: 1061: 1054: 1049: 1047: 1042: 1040: 1035: 1034: 1031: 1024: 1020: 1016: 1012: 1011: 1006: 1002: 997: 996: 987: 983: 979: 975: 970: 965: 961: 957: 952: 949: 945: 940: 935: 931: 927: 922: 919: 915: 911: 907: 903: 899: 894: 890: 885: 881: 876: 873: 869: 865: 861: 856: 851: 847: 843: 838: 835: 831: 827: 823: 819: 815: 811: 807: 806: 796: 794:0-8218-3678-1 790: 786: 782: 778: 774: 773:Plus Magazine 770: 766: 762: 761: 750: 746: 742: 737: 731: 727: 722: 716: 711: 705: 700: 696: 683: 681: 676: 663: 657: 654: 648: 642: 634: 631: 626: 620: 609: 601: 598: 592: 580: 575: 572: 564: 561: 536: 530: 523: 507: 493: 479: 476: 468: 464: 452: 444: 440: 428: 420: 416: 407: 403: 386: 377: 368: 366: 348: 345: 342: 339: 336: 333: 330: 327: 324: 304: 301: 298: 289: 286: 283: 277: 271: 268: 260: 246: 226: 203: 200: 197: 191: 184: 165: 162: 159: 142: 127: 117: 98: 92: 89: 82:, denoted by 69: 49: 41: 37: 33: 25: 21: 1688: 1676: 1604:Double torus 1589:Braid theory 1492: 1404:Crossing no. 1399:Crosscap no. 1085:Figure-eight 1022: 1008: 959: 955: 929: 925: 901: 897: 879: 855:math/9904037 845: 841: 817: 813: 784: 781:Adams, C. C. 772: 767:(May 2001), 765:Adams, C. C. 736: 721: 710: 699: 680:trefoil knot 677: 499: 382: 362: 148: 145:Known values 36:stick number 35: 29: 1439:Linking no. 1360:Alternating 1161:Conway knot 1141:Carrick mat 1095:Three-twist 1060:Knot theory 741:Negami 1991 365:Colin Adams 118:equivalent 1599:Complement 1563:Tabulation 1520:operations 1444:Polynomial 1434:Link group 1429:Knot group 1392:Invertible 1370:Bridge no. 1352:Invariants 1282:Cinquefoil 1151:Perko pair 1077:Hyperbolic 969:1512.03592 889:1909.00917 745:Calvo 2001 686:References 183:torus knot 1493:Stick no. 1449:Alexander 1387:Chirality 1332:Solomon's 1292:Septafoil 1219:Satellite 1179:Whitehead 1105:Stevedore 1010:MathWorld 627:≤ 610:≤ 477:− 429:≤ 413:# 340:≤ 328:≤ 272:⁡ 93:⁡ 1706:Category 1678:Category 1548:Mutation 1516:Notation 1469:Kauffman 1382:Brunnian 1375:2-bridge 1244:Knot sum 1175:(12n242) 783:(2004), 730:Jin 1997 704:Jin 1997 385:knot sum 1690:Commons 1609:Fibered 1507:problem 1476:Pretzel 1454:Bracket 1272:Trefoil 1209:L10a140 1169:(11n42) 1163:(11n34) 1131:Endless 986:2806342 948:1069741 918:1452441 872:1822491 834:1452436 30:In the 1654:Writhe 1624:Ribbon 1459:HOMFLY 1302:Unlink 1262:Unknot 1237:Square 1232:Granny 984:  946:  916:  870:  832:  791:  371:Bounds 34:, the 1644:Twist 1629:Slice 1584:Berge 1572:Other 1543:Flype 1481:Prime 1464:Jones 1424:Genus 1254:Torus 1068:links 1064:knots 964:arXiv 884:arXiv 850:arXiv 691:Notes 614:stick 457:stick 433:stick 396:stick 317:, if 269:stick 90:stick 38:is a 1649:Wild 1614:Knot 1518:and 1505:and 1486:list 1317:Hopf 1066:and 789:ISBN 334:< 239:and 1634:Sum 1155:161 1153:(10 1021:", 974:doi 934:doi 930:324 906:doi 860:doi 822:doi 120:to 1708:: 1334:(4 1319:(2 1304:(0 1294:(7 1284:(5 1274:(3 1264:(0 1196:(6 1181:(5 1145:18 1143:(8 1133:(7 1107:(6 1097:(5 1087:(4 1007:, 1003:, 982:MR 980:, 972:, 960:20 958:, 944:MR 942:, 928:, 914:MR 912:, 900:, 882:, 868:MR 866:, 858:, 846:10 844:, 830:MR 828:, 816:, 771:, 747:, 743:, 728:, 1343:) 1339:1 1328:) 1324:1 1313:) 1309:1 1298:) 1296:1 1288:) 1286:1 1278:) 1276:1 1268:) 1266:1 1205:) 1201:2 1190:) 1186:1 1157:) 1147:) 1137:) 1135:4 1125:3 1123:6 1117:2 1115:6 1111:) 1109:1 1101:) 1099:2 1091:) 1089:1 1070:) 1062:( 1052:e 1045:t 1038:v 1025:. 1017:" 976:: 966:: 936:: 908:: 902:6 886:: 862:: 852:: 824:: 818:6 798:. 664:. 661:) 658:1 655:+ 652:) 649:K 646:( 643:c 640:( 635:2 632:3 624:) 621:K 618:( 607:) 602:1 599:+ 596:) 593:K 590:( 586:c 581:8 576:+ 573:7 570:( 565:2 562:1 540:) 537:K 534:( 531:c 508:K 480:3 474:) 469:2 465:K 461:( 453:+ 450:) 445:1 441:K 437:( 426:) 421:2 417:K 408:1 404:K 400:( 349:. 346:p 343:2 337:q 331:p 325:2 305:q 302:2 299:= 296:) 293:) 290:q 287:, 284:p 281:( 278:T 275:( 247:q 227:p 207:) 204:q 201:, 198:p 195:( 192:T 181:- 169:) 166:q 163:, 160:p 157:( 140:. 128:K 102:) 99:K 96:( 70:K 50:K

Index


2,3 torus (or trefoil) knot
mathematical theory of knots
knot invariant
polygonal path
torus knot
Colin Adams

knot sum
crossing number
trefoil knot
Jin 1997
Adams et al. 1997
Adams et al. 1997
Jin 1997
Negami 1991
Calvo 2001
Huh & Oh 2011
Adams, C. C.
"Why knot: knots, molecules and stick numbers"
Adams, C. C.
ISBN
0-8218-3678-1
Adams, Colin C.
doi
10.1142/S0218216597000121
MR
1452436
arXiv
math/9904037

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