Homology, Homotopy and Applications

Volume 5 (2003)

Number 2

Volume of a Workshop at Stanford University

Computing linking numbers of a filtration

Pages: 19 – 37

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4310/HHA.2003.v5.n2.a2

Authors

Herbert Edelsbrunner (Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A.)

Afra Zomorodian (Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Il., U.S.A.)

Abstract

We develop fast algorithms for computing the linking number of a simplicial complex within a filtration. We give experimental results in applying our work toward the detection of non-trivial tangling in biomolecules, modeled as alpha complexes.

Keywords

computational geometry and topology, knots, linking number, three-manifolds, filtrations, alpha shapes, algorithms

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification

55Mxx, 55Nxx, 55U10

Published 1 January 2003