Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
Explore the fascinating world of topology through this historic Christmas Lecture from 1978, where Professor Christopher Zeeman introduces the mathematical concepts of linking and knotting. Discover how topology treats objects as if they were made of rubber, allowing bending and twisting but no cutting or gluing, and learn about linking numbers that describe how closed curves intertwine with each other. Examine knotting numbers used to prove the differences between various mathematical knots, and investigate the mysterious properties of the Möbius Strip with its single-sided surface. Understand the nature of mathematical proofs and theorems, and see how these abstract concepts apply to real-world genetics and DNA structure. This groundbreaking lecture, the first mathematics presentation in the Christmas Lectures' 149-year history at that time, uses practical demonstrations, diagrams, and visual aids to reveal the beauty and universal nature of mathematical truths that stand for all time, unlike scientific theories that can be disproven.
