Knotting Mathematics and Art: Conference in Low Dimensional Topology and Mathematical Art

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

One of the outcomes from the explosion of intellectual activities in knot theory that followed the discovery of Jones polynomials is the area of quantum topology. This area of low dimensional topology has made a significant development recently through categorifications of the quantum invariants such as Khovanov and Ozvath-Szabo theories. The main motivation for the planned conference: Knotting Mathematics and Art, Conference in Low Dimensional Topology and Mathematical Art, is to make advances in this research area. bringing in leading researchers and graduate students internationally. The highly visual aspects of low dimensional topology makes it possible to bring together wide range of speakers including mathematical artists. Hence, another goal of the conference is to bring together mathematicians and artists to promote their interactions and public awareness. A knot is a circle situated in space. Knot theory studies such knotted circles, and has provided models and applications to DNA theory, molecular configurations, and physics. Knot diagrams drawn on a piece of paper, and numerical quantities that are easily computable from diagrams, have been extensively used in knot theory. Knot theory has been one of the most active research areas in mathematics in recent decades, and continues to do so today. Due to its graphical subject matters and methods, this area of mathematics also attracts artists, in particular mathematical artists. Indeed, geometric structures can be found in variety of art works in general. The planned conference: Knotting Mathematics and Art, Conference in Low Dimensional Topology and Mathematical Art, will not only bring together top research mathematicians to an international research conference and make further advances in the subject, but also bring together mathematical artists to promote collaboration, with wide participation from general public interested in art and mathematics.