Q Club Virtual Meeting

Eduardo Puerta '22 will speak on The Knot Determinant: A Romance of Linear Algebra and Topology. Knot theory is a sub-field of topology focusing on the classification and properties of mathematical knots. The study of knots has applications in statistical mechanics, molecular biology, and DNA unfolding. Intuitively, mathematical knots can be viewed as knotted strings where the ends are glued together to form a knotted loop. Much of knot theory revolves around distinguishing knots from each other. This talk will explore basic knot theory with the goal of motivating a concept known as the knot determinant, a useful number used to distinguish knots.  If you have any questions please email Matt Higham at mhigham@stlawu.edu. Join a few minutes early so we can start right at noon http://stlawu.zoom.us/j/2417184033