This book provides an accessible introduction to knot theory, focussing on Vassiliev invariants, quantum knot invariants constructed via representations of quantum groups, and how these two apparently distinct theories come together through the Kontsevich invariant. Consisting of four parts, the book opens with an introduction to the fundamentals of knot theory, and to knot invariants such as the Jones polynomial. The second part introduces quantum invariants of knots, working constructively from first principles towards the construction of Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants and a description of how these arise through Drinfeld and Jimbo's quantum groups. Its third part offers an introduction to Vassiliev invariants, providing a careful account of how chord diagrams and Jacobi diagrams arise in the theory, and the role that Lie algebras play. The final part of the book introduces the Konstevich invariant. This is a universal quantum invariant and a universal Vassiliev invariant, and brings together these two seemingly different families of knot invariants. The book provides a detailed account of the construction of the Jones polynomial via the quantum groups attached to sl(2), the Vassiliev weight system arising from sl(2), and how these invariants come together through the Kontsevich invariant.

A detailed exposition of the theory with an emphasis on its combinatorial aspects.

This book provides an extensive and self-contained presentation of quantum and related invariants of knots and 3-manifolds. Polynomial invariants of knots, such as the Jones and Alexander polynomials, are constructed as quantum invariants, i.e. invariants derived from representations of quantum groups and from the monodromy of solutions to the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation. With the introduction of the Kontsevich invariant and the theory of Vassiliev invariants, the quantum invariants become well-organized. Quantum and perturbative invariants, the LMO invariant, and finite type invariants of 3-manifolds are discussed. The ChernOCoSimons field theory and the WessOCoZuminoOCoWitten model are described as the physical background of the invariants. Contents: Knots and Polynomial Invariants; Braids and Representations of the Braid Groups; Operator Invariants of Tangles via Sliced Diagrams; Ribbon Hopf Algebras and Invariants of Links; Monodromy Representations of the Braid Groups Derived from the KnizhnikOCoZamolodchikov Equation; The Kontsevich Invariant; Vassiliev Invariants; Quantum Invariants of 3-Manifolds; Perturbative Invariants of Knots and 3-Manifolds; The LMO Invariant; Finite Type Invariants of Integral Homology 3-Spheres. Readership: Researchers, lecturers and graduate students in geometry, topology and mathematical physics."

This book introduces the study of knots, providing insights into recent applications in DNA research and graph theory. It sets forth fundamental facts such as knot diagrams, braid representations, Seifert surfaces, tangles, and Alexander polynomials. It also covers more recent developments and special topics, such as chord diagrams and covering spaces. The author avoids advanced mathematical terminology and intricate techniques in algebraic topology and group theory. Numerous diagrams and exercises help readers understand and apply the theory. Each chapter includes a supplement with interesting historical and mathematical comments.

This book is an introduction to the remarkable work of Vaughan Jones and Victor Vassiliev on knot and link invariants and its recent modifications and generalizations, including a mathematical treatment of Jones-Witten invariants. The mathematical prerequisites are minimal compared to other monographs in this area. Numerous figures and problems make this book suitable as a graduate level course text or for self-study.

More recently, Khovanov introduced link homology as a generalization of the Jones polynomial to homology of chain complexes and Ozsvath and Szabo developed Heegaard-Floer homology, that lifts the Alexander polynomial. These two significantly different theories are closely related and the dependencies are the object of intensive study. These ideas mark the beginning of a new era in knot theory that includes relationships with four-dimensional problems and the creation of new forms of algebraic topology relevant to knot theory. The theory of skein modules is an older development also having its roots in Jones discovery. Another significant and related development is the theory of virtual knots originated independently by Kauffman and by Goussarov Polyak and Viro in the '90s. All these topics and their relationships are the subject of the survey papers in this book.

In this second edition, the following recent papers have been added: “Gauss Codes, Quantum Groups and Ribbon Hopf Algebras”, “Spin Networks, Topology and Discrete Physics”, “Link Polynomials and a Graphical Calculus” and “Knots Tangles and Electrical Networks”. An appendix with a discussion on invariants of embedded graphs and Vassiliev invariants has also been included.This book is an introduction to knot and link invariants as generalized amplitudes (vacuum-vacuum amplitudes) for a quasi-physical process. The demands of knot theory, coupled with a quantum statistical framework, create a context that naturally and powerfully includes an extraordinary range of interrelated topics in topology and mathematical physics. The author takes a primarily combinatorial stance toward knot theory and its relations with these subjects. This has the advantage of providing very direct access to the algebra and to the combinatorial topology, as well as the physical ideas. This book is divided into 2 parts: Part I of the book is a systematic course in knots and physics starting from the ground up. Part II is a set of lectures on various topics related to and sometimes based on Part I. Part II also explores some side-topics such as frictional properties of knots, relations with combinatorics and knots in dynamical systems.