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Re: [ARSCLIST] Knots
---- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Smolian" <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
At the moment (10/5, 8:40 AM), there is an article on the news page of
Yahoo about science discovering how knots are formed. However, they don't
say anything useful about unforming them.
For those of us bedevilled by poorly wound wire recordings, its of no use
at all!
I thought that science already KNEW how "knots" were formed...which is a
relatively simple problem in topology! If one
traces the path of a theoretical "length of tangled string," and establishes
EXACTLY where it crosses itself, each of those
interesections will be of one of two possible types:
1) When both ends are pulled upon, the result will be a "knot" free length
of string...OR...
2) When both ends are pulled upon, the piece of string crosses itself in
such a way that a "knot" will be formed.
It is essentially impossible to actually form "knots" when string is
tangled. What usually occurs is that a loop will
be wrapped around another loop or group thereof in such a way that loop #1
effectively "strangles" the other
loop(s). This forms a "string path" that seems to ACT like a "knot," but
actually isn't...if enough force was applied
to both ends, the "strangled" loops would be pulled out of the primary
loop...!
If one looks at the simple "square knot" and traces the string path, it
becomes apparent that the ONLY way to
resolve it is to physically "untie" it by pulling the string out of the
knot...
Steven C. Barr
(who is KNOT an expert in this field...)