The technique of diagrammatic morphisms is an important ingredient in comprehending and visualizing certain types of categories with structure. It was widely used in this capacity in many areas of algebra, low-dimensional topology and physics. It was also applied to problems in classical and quantum information processing and logic. This volume contains articles based on talks at the Special Session, ``Diagrammatic Morphisms in Algebra, Category Theory, and Topology'', at the AMS Sectional Meeting in San Francisco. The articles describe recent achievements in several aspects of diagrammatic morphisms and their applications. Some of them contain detailed expositions on various diagrammatic techniques. The introductory article by D. Yetter is a thorough account of the subject in a historical perspective.

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.

From prehistory to the present, knots have been used for purposes both artistic and practical. The modern science of Knot Theory has ramifications for biochemistry and mathematical physics and is a rich source of research projects for undergraduate and graduate students and professionals alike. Quandles are essentially knots translated into algebra. This book provides an accessible introduction to quandle theory for readers with a background in linear algebra. Important concepts from topology and abstract algebra motivated by quandle theory are introduced along the way. With elementary self-contained treatments of topics such as group theory, cohomology, knotted surfaces and more, this book is perfect for a transition course, an upper-division mathematics elective, preparation for research in knot theory, and any reader interested in knots.

This proceedings volume presents a diverse collection of high-quality, state-of-the-art research and survey articles written by top experts in low-dimensional topology and its applications. The focal topics include the wide range of historical and contemporary invariants of knots and links and related topics such as three- and four-dimensional manifolds, braids, virtual knot theory, quantum invariants, braids, skein modules and knot algebras, link homology, quandles and their homology; hyperbolic knots and geometric structures of three-dimensional manifolds; the mechanism of topological surgery in physical processes, knots in Nature in the sense of physical knots with applications to polymers, DNA enzyme mechanisms, and protein structure and function. The contents is based on contributions presented at the International Conference on Knots, Low-Dimensional Topology and Applications – Knots in Hellas 2016, which was held at the International Olympic Academy in Greece in July 2016. The goal of the international conference was to promote the exchange of methods and ideas across disciplines and generations, from graduate students to senior researchers, and to explore fundamental research problems in the broad fields of knot theory and low-dimensional topology. This book will benefit all researchers who wish to take their research in new directions, to learn about new tools and methods, and to discover relevant and recent literature for future study.

Since 1961, the Georgia Topology Conference has been held every eight years to discuss the newest developments in topology. The goals of the conference are to disseminate new and important results and to encourage interaction among topologists who are in different stages of their careers. Invited speakers are encouraged to aim their talks to a broad audience, and several talks are organized to introduce graduate students to topics of current interest. Each conference results in high-quality surveys, new research, and lists of unsolved problems, some of which are then formally published. Continuing in this 40-year tradition, the AMS presents this volume of articles and problem lists from the 2001 conference. Topics covered include symplectic and contact topology, foliations and laminations, and invariants of manifolds and knots. Articles of particular interest include John Etnyre's, ``Introductory Lectures on Contact Geometry'', which is a beautiful expository paper that explains the background and setting for many of the other papers. This is an excellent introduction to the subject for graduate students in neighboring fields. Etnyre and Lenhard Ng's, ``Problems in Low-Dimensional Contact Topology'' and Danny Calegari's extensive paper,``Problems in Foliations and Laminations of 3-Manifolds'' are carefully selected problems in keeping with the tradition of the conference. They were compiled by Etnyre and Ng and by Calegari with the input of many who were present. This book provides material of current interest to graduate students and research mathematicians interested in the geometry and topology of manifolds.

This book collects the proceedings of the Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics Conference, held at the University of Haute Alsace, France, October 2011. Organized in the four areas of algebra, geometry, dynamical symmetries and conservation laws and mathematical physics and applications, the book covers deformation theory and quantization; Hom-algebras and n-ary algebraic structures; Hopf algebra, integrable systems and related math structures; jet theory and Weil bundles; Lie theory and applications; non-commutative and Lie algebra and more. The papers explore the interplay between research in contemporary mathematics and physics concerned with generalizations of the main structures of Lie theory aimed at quantization and discrete and non-commutative extensions of differential calculus and geometry, non-associative structures, actions of groups and semi-groups, non-commutative dynamics, non-commutative geometry and applications in physics and beyond. The book benefits a broad audience of researchers and advanced students.