SMRTR Science & EngineeringNov 26, 2024Quanta Magazine

Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal

SMRTR summary

Three high school students, mentored, proved all mathematical knots can be embedded in the Menger sponge fractal, expanding on Menger's 1926 theorem about curves. Using arc presentations and Cantor set properties, they showed knots fit within the fractal without intersecting holes. They also explored embedding knots in a tetrahedral sponge version. This work may lead to new fractal complexity measurements based on containable knot types.

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