Home Science and Nature What the mathematics of knots reveals about the shape of the universe

What the mathematics of knots reveals about the shape of the universe

by News7

Mathematics

Knot theory is linked to many other branches of science, including those that tell us about the cosmos

By Joan Licata

Sybillla/Shutterstock

Sybillla/Shutterstock

The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time for free here.

The mathematical study of knots started with a mistake. In the 1800s, mathematician and physicist William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin, suggested that the elemental building blocks of matter were knotted vortices in the ether: invisible microscopic currents in the background…

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