Classical Knot Theory.docVIP

Symmetry2012,4,225-250;doi:10.3390/sym4010225 OPENACCESS symmetry ISSN2073-8994 /journal/symmetry Article ClassicalKnotTheory J.ScottCarter UniversityofSouthAlabama,DepartmentofMathematicsandStatistics,ILB325,Mobile, AL36608,USA;E-Mail:carter@;Tel.:+1-251-460-6264 Received:3February2012;inrevisedform:1March2012/Accepted:1March2012/ Published:7March2012 Abstract: Thispaperisaverybriefintroductiontoknottheory. Itdescribesknotcoloring byquandles,thefundamentalgroupofaknotcomplement,andhandle-decompositionsof knotcomplements. Keywords: knots; quandles; fundamental groups; handles; knot color