Activities include making knots with string, with paper and pencil, with people and then with sticks, noting which knots are identical and which can be untangled. One exercise asks students to build, using string, a knot with predetermined properties. An application presented under this topic involves the relationship of knots to DNA molecules. The tutorial takes the user through four levels, from the mathematical definition of a knot to the bases of the unsolved problem. Corresponding levels of exercises are provided as well as an illustrated glossary of definitions.
Mathematical concepts used to describe knots include polynomials, group theory, and topology.
However, under connections to the curriculum are included concepts considered accessible to students of all ages, along with related activites field-tested in elementary classrooms. This site popularizes the efforts of Paul Erdos, a mathematician who posed open but unsolved problems to students. As was his custom, verified solutions are posted and, in some cases, a prize is awarded to young students and amateurs for correct answers. Ministry of Employment and Investment. Partners in Science Awareness Program.