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  • Satellite knot

    In the mathematical theory of knots, a satellite knot is a knot that contains an incompressible, non boundary-parallel torus in its complement.[1] Every knot is either hyperbolic, a torus, or a satellite knot. The class of satellite knots include composite knots, cable knots, and Whitehead doubles. A satellite link is one that orbits a companion knot K in the sense that it lies inside a regular neighborhood of the companion.[2]:217

    A satellite knot K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} can be picturesquely described as follows: start by taking a nontrivial knot K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} lying inside an unknotted solid torus V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V}. Here “nontrivial” means that the knot K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} is not allowed to sit inside of a 3-ball in V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V} and K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} is not allowed to be isotopic to the central core curve of the solid torus. Then tie up the solid torus into a nontrivial knot.

    This means there is a non-trivial embedding f : V S 3 {\displaystyle f\colon V\to S^{3}} {\displaystyle f\colon V\to S^{3}} and K = f ( K ) {\displaystyle K=f\left(K’\right)} {\displaystyle K=f\left(K'\right)}. The central core curve of the solid torus V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V} is sent to a knot H {\displaystyle H} {\displaystyle H}, which is called the “companion knot” and is thought of as the planet around which the “satellite knot” K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} orbits. The construction ensures that f ( V ) {\displaystyle f(\partial V)} {\displaystyle f(\partial V)} is a non-boundary parallel incompressible torus in the complement of K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K}. Composite knots contain a certain kind of incompressible torus called a swallow-follow torus, which can be visualized as swallowing one summand and following another summand.

    Since V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V} is an unknotted solid torus, S 3 V {\displaystyle S^{3}\setminus V} {\displaystyle S^{3}\setminus V} is a tubular neighbourhood of an unknot J {\displaystyle J} {\displaystyle J}. The 2-component link K J {\displaystyle K’\cup J} {\displaystyle K'\cup J} together with the embedding f {\displaystyle f} {\displaystyle f} is called the pattern associated to the satellite operation.

    A convention: people usually demand that the embedding f : V S 3 {\displaystyle f\colon V\to S^{3}} {\displaystyle f\colon V\to S^{3}} is untwisted in the sense that f {\displaystyle f} {\displaystyle f} must send the standard longitude of V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V} to the standard longitude of f ( V ) {\displaystyle f(V)} {\displaystyle f(V)}. Said another way, given any two disjoint curves c 1 , c 2 V {\displaystyle c_{1},c_{2}\subset V} {\displaystyle c_{1},c_{2}\subset V}, f {\displaystyle f} {\displaystyle f} preserves their linking numbers i.e.: lk ( f ( c 1 ) , f ( c 2 ) ) = lk ( c 1 , c 2 ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {lk} (f(c_{1}),f(c_{2}))=\operatorname {lk} (c_{1},c_{2})} {\displaystyle \operatorname {lk} (f(c_{1}),f(c_{2}))=\operatorname {lk} (c_{1},c_{2})}.

    Basic families

    When K V {\displaystyle K’\subset \partial V} {\displaystyle K'\subset \partial V} is a torus knot, then K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} is called a cable knot. Examples 3 and 4 are cable knots. The cable constructed with given winding numbers (m,n) from another knot K, is often called the (m,n) cable of K.

    If K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} is a non-trivial knot in S 3 {\displaystyle S^{3}} {\displaystyle S^{3}} and if a compressing disc for V {\displaystyle V} {\displaystyle V} intersects K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} in precisely one point, then K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} is called a connect-sum. Another way to say this is that the pattern K J {\displaystyle K’\cup J} {\displaystyle K'\cup J} is the connect-sum of a non-trivial knot K {\displaystyle K’} {\displaystyle K'} with a Hopf link.

    If the link K J {\displaystyle K’\cup J} {\displaystyle K'\cup J} is the Whitehead link, K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} is called a Whitehead double. If f {\displaystyle f} {\displaystyle f} is untwisted, K {\displaystyle K} {\displaystyle K} is called an untwisted Whitehead double.

    Examples

    • Example 1: A connect-sum of a trefoil and figure-8 knot.
      Example 1: A connect-sum of a trefoil and figure-8 knot.
    • Example 2: The Whitehead double of the figure-8.
      Example 2: The Whitehead double of the figure-8.
    • Example 3: A cable of a connect-sum.
      Example 3: A cable of a connect-sum.
    • Example 4: A cable of a trefoil.
      Example 4: A cable of a trefoil.
    • Example 5: A knot which is a 2-fold satellite i.e.: it has non-parallel swallow-follow tori.
      Example 5: A knot which is a 2-fold satellite i.e.: it has non-parallel swallow-follow tori.
    • Example 6: A knot which is a 2-fold satellite i.e.: it has non-parallel swallow-follow tori.
      Example 6: A knot which is a 2-fold satellite i.e.: it has non-parallel swallow-follow tori.

    Examples 5 and 6 are variants on the same construction. They both have two non-parallel, non-boundary-parallel incompressible tori in their complements, splitting the complement into the union of three manifolds. In 5, those manifolds are: the Borromean rings complement, trefoil complement, and figure-8 complement. In 6, the figure-8 complement is replaced by another trefoil complement.

    Origins

    In 1949[3] Horst Schubert proved that every oriented knot in S 3 {\displaystyle S^{3}} {\displaystyle S^{3}} decomposes as a connect-sum of prime knots in a unique way, up to reordering, making the monoid of oriented isotopy-classes of knots in S 3 {\displaystyle S^{3}} {\displaystyle S^{3}} a free commutative monoid on countably-infinite many generators. Shortly after, he realized he could give a new proof of his theorem by a close analysis of the incompressible tori present in the complement of a connect-sum. This led him to study general incompressible tori in knot complements in his epic work Knoten und Vollringe,[4] where he defined satellite and companion knots.

    Follow-up work

    Schubert’s demonstration that incompressible tori play a major role in knot theory was one several early insights leading to the unification of 3-manifold theory and knot theory. It attracted Waldhausen’s attention, who later used incompressible surfaces to show that a large class of 3-manifolds are homeomorphic if and only if their fundamental groups are isomorphic.[5] Waldhausen conjectured what is now the JacoShalenJohannson-decomposition of 3-manifolds, which is a decomposition of 3-manifolds along spheres and incompressible tori. This later became a major ingredient in the development of geometrization, which can be seen as a partial-classification of 3-dimensional manifolds. The ramifications for knot theory were first described in the long-unpublished manuscript of Bonahon and Siebenmann.[6]

    Uniqueness of satellite decomposition

    In Knoten und Vollringe, Schubert proved that in some cases, there is essentially a unique way to express a knot as a satellite. But there are also many known examples where the decomposition is not unique.[7] With a suitably enhanced notion of satellite operation called splicing, the JSJ decomposition gives a proper uniqueness theorem for satellite knots.[8][9]

    See also

    References

    1. Colin Adams, The Knot Book: An Elementary Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Knots, (2001), ISBN 0-7167-4219-5
    2. Menasco, William; Thistlethwaite, Morwen, eds. (2005). Handbook of Knot Theory. Elsevier. ISBN 0080459544. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
    3. Schubert, H. Die eindeutige Zerlegbarkeit eines Knotens in Primknoten. S.-B Heidelberger Akad. Wiss. Math.-Nat. Kl. 1949 (1949), 57104.
    4. Schubert, H. Knoten und Vollringe. Acta Math. 90 (1953), 131286.
    5. Waldhausen, F. On irreducible 3-manifolds which are sufficiently large.Ann. of Math. (2) 87 (1968), 5688.
    6. F.Bonahon, L.Siebenmann, New Geometric Splittings of Classical Knots, and the Classification and Symmetries of Arborescent Knots,
    7. Motegi, K. Knot Types of Satellite Knots and Twisted Knots. Lectures at Knots ’96. World Scientific.
    8. Eisenbud, D. Neumann, W. Three-dimensional link theory and invariants of plane curve singularities. Ann. of Math. Stud. 110
    9. Budney, R. JSJ-decompositions of knot and link complements in S^3. L’enseignement Mathematique 2e Serie Tome 52 Fasc. 34 (2006). arXiv:math.GT/0506523

    This article is adapted from “Satellite knot” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Butterfly loop

    Butterfly loop
    Butterfly loop

    A butterfly loop with a carabiner.
    Names Butterfly loop, alpine butterfly knot, butterfly knot, lineman’s loop, lineman’s rider
    Category Loop
    Related Alpine butterfly bend, farmer’s loop, artillery loop, span loop
    Releasing Non-jamming
    Typical use Fixed loop on the bight. Isolating a worn section of rope.
    ABoK #331, #532,[1] #1053
    Instructions

    The butterfly loop, also known as lineman’s loop, butterfly knot, alpine butterfly knot and lineman’s rider, is a knot used to form a fixed loop in the middle of a rope. Tied in the bight, it can be made in a rope without access to either of the ends; this is a distinct advantage when working with long climbing ropes. The butterfly loop is an excellent mid-line rigging knot; it handles multi-directional loading well[2] and has a symmetrical shape that makes it easy to inspect.[2] In a climbing context it is also useful for traverse lines, some anchors, shortening rope slings, and for isolating damaged sections of rope.[3]

    History

    The earliest known presentation of the knot was in A.A. Burger’s 1914 work Rope and Its Uses, included in an agricultural extension bulletin from what is now Iowa State University.[4] Burger called the knot a lineman’s rider stating it was often used by “linemen and especially telephone men”. The knot’s security and ability to withstand tension in any direction are both discussed.[5]

    The knot’s association with mountaineering—and with butterflies—originates from a 1928 article in Alpine Journal by C.E.I. Wright and J.E. Magowan.[6] The authors claim to have developed the butterfly noose themselves while attempting to improve the selection of knots available to climbers. The name is “so styled on the basis of a more or less fanciful resemblance imagined in the form of the knot.” In the second part of the article they express dissatisfaction regarding their earlier use of the word “noose,” since the knot is non-collapsing, and refer to the knot as butterfly loop or simply butterfly.[7] Wright and Magowan call the butterfly loop “new,” along with several other of their knots, in the sense they were unable to identify any earlier record of them. However, they prudently added that it “might be rash to claim they have never been used before.”[8]

    Clifford Ashley presented the knot in 1944 (text & image #1053), calling it the lineman’s loop; he attributed its first publication to J.M. Drew, but made no specific reference as to the source of this claim.[9] A 1912 article called “Some Knots and Splices” by Drew appears in the bibliography of The Ashley Book of Knots.[10] A 1913 reprint of this Drew article does not mention the butterfly loop.[11] Nor does Drew’s 1942 book Ropework : Knots, Hitches, Splices, Halters –and presumably earlier edition 1936 (but which has 66pp vs. 58 for 1942?!)– own book on knots present this knot. But in his contributed “Chapter 12 Rope Work”, pp.202 .. 252 to Lester Griswold’s Handicraft does present the knot. (Curiously, Ashley gives no hint that this book which he twice praises contains a full knots chapter written by Drew!)

    Use

    Butterfly loop
    To tie the butterfly loop, start by making two twists in the same direction to form the two loops. Then wrap the outer loop around the standing part and pull it through the hole of the inner loop.
    Butterfly loop
    Alternate method of formation using wraps on the hand.

    The loop is typically attached to a climbing harness by 2 carabiners together with gates to opposite sides from each other.

    It can also be used to isolate a worn section of rope, where the knot is tied such that the worn section is isolated in the loop (which of course does not receive a carabiner nor bear any loads in this case).[3] The loop portion is isolated when the other two legs are loaded, and in fact the butterfly can be tied as a bend with the ends emerging where the loop would be.[12][13]

    Errors in tying the butterfly loop can produce a similar looking but inferior knot, the so-called “false butterfly”, which is prone to slipping. However, some sources suggest this behavior can be exploited purposely for shock absorption.[3] Wright and Magowan called this less secure loop knot the “half-hitch noose”.[14]

    Advantages

    • Forms stable, secure loop after initial setting
    • Allows for the knot to be loaded three ways; by each end of the main line and the loop
    • Relatively easy to untie after loading (more difficult if wet)
    • Size of loop can be adjusted more easily than with bulkier or more complex loop knots
    • Easy to inspect[2]
    • Can easily be tied with gloves on
    • Can easily be tied one-handed

    Disadvantages

    • Difficult to tie around a solid ring or similar object, as when a rethreaded figure eight is needed
    • Improper tying can result in similar looking but inferior “false butterfly” knot
    • Works best with softer ropes[2]

    Variations

    The double butterfly loop has two non-collapsing loops, allowing for two clip-in points, both of which have the same advantages and disadvantages of a single-loop butterfly.[12][15]

    See also

    Notes and references

    1. Entry #532 on page 87 of The Ashley Book of Knots shows a diagram of the butterfly loop under the name harness loop. Ashley appears to have illustrated or named the incorrect knot in this case. The harness loop is shown and discussed as a distinct and specific knot throughout the rest of the book.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Bruce; Allen Padgett (1996). On Rope; North American Vertical Rope Techniques (New Revised ed.). Huntsville, Ala.: National Speleological Society. p. 49. ISBN 1-879961-05-9.
    3. 1 2 3 Marbach, Georges; Bernard Tourte (2002). Alpine Caving Techniques; A Complete Guide to Safe and Efficient Caving. English edition translated and adapted by Melanie Alspaugh. Allschwil, Switzerland: Speleo Projects, Caving Publications International. p. 73. ISBN 3-908495-10-5.
    4. Day, Cyrus Lawrence (1986), The Art of Knotting and Splicing (4th ed.), Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, pp. 80–81
    5. Burger, A.A. (1914). “Rope and Its Uses”. Extension Bulletin 24. XIII (8). Ames: Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts: 24–25. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
    6. Warner, Charles (1996), “A History of Life Support Knots”, in Turner, J.C.; van de Griend, P. (eds.), History and Science of Knots, K&E Series on Knots and Everything, vol. 11, Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, pp. 157–160, ISBN 981-02-2469-9
    7. Wright, C.E.I.; Magowan, J.E. (1928). “Knots for Climbers”. Alpine Journal (40). London: Alpine Club: 120–140, 340–351.
    8. Wright & Magowan, p. 140.
    9. Ashley, Clifford W. (1944), The Ashley Book of Knots, New York: Doubleday, p. 191
    10. Ashley, p. 595
    11. Drew, J.M. (1913). “Some Knots and Splices”. Irrigation Age. 28 (1). Chicago: D.H. Anderson Pub. Co.: 212–220.
    12. 1 2 Smith, Phil D. (1955) [1953]. Knots for Mountaineering, Camping, Utility, Rescue, etc. Twentynine Palms, CA: Desert Trail.
    13. Budworth, Geoffrey (1999), The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots, London: Hermes House, p. 77
    14. Wright & Magowan, p. 126
    15. Toss, Brion (1990). Chapman’s Nautical Guides: Knots. New York: Hearst Marine Books. p. 65. ISBN 0-688-09415-5.

    External links



    This article is adapted from “Butterfly loop” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • San Diego Jam knot

    The San Diego jam knot is a common fishing knot used to tie a line to the hook, swivel, clip, or artificial fly. This knot is also known as the San Diego knot, reverse clinch knot or Heiliger knot.

    This is a common knot used by fishermen[1] because it is simple to tie, is strong[2] and can be used with many kinds of line including mono-filament, fluorocarbon, and braided fishing line.[3] It is an alternative to another fishing knot, the clinch knot.[4]

    Description

    The San Diego jam knot is intended to be tied to a ring or a hook with an eye on the back end. It is tied by first passing the main line through the eye, and then doubling the free end back over the main line. Next the fisherman wraps the free end around the doubled main line five times (more turns may be recommended for light line or fewer for heavy line)[5] working towards the eye. The free end is then passed through the loop that has formed at the eye, and subsequently through the loop around the main line that was formed by the first wrap. The dampened main line and free end are pulled to snug the knot tight.[5][6] A variation tied using line that is doubled prior to passing it through the eye is known as the doubled San Diego jam knot.[7][8]

    History

    This knot is thought to have originated as a quick and reliable way to tie the heavy “iron” jigs by fishermen chasing tuna on long-range boats, such as those that fished in Mexican waters.[3][9]

    References

    1. John Neporadny, Jr. (2013). 101 Bass Fishing Tips: Twenty-First Century Bassing Tactics and Techniques from All the Top Pros. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. pp. 200–. ISBN 978-1-62087-792-0.
    2. Merwin, John (3 February 2009). “Fishing Knots: How to Tie The Four Strongest”. Field & Stream. Archived from the original on 7 February 2013.
    3. 1 2 “Tying the San Diego Jam Knot”. Salt Water Sportsman. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    4. Etienne van Heerden (1 September 2013). Klimtol (in Afrikaans). Tafelberg. pp. 344–. ISBN 978-0-624-05726-0.
    5. 1 2 “San Diego Jam Knot”. Animated Knots. Grog. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    6. Sealock, Jason (1 December 2013). “How to Tie the San Diego Jam Knot”. Wired2Fish.com. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    7. Mansur, Robin (15 September 2008). “How to Tie a double San Diego jam knot for fishing”. WonderHowTo. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    8. Sealock, Jason (1 December 2013). “How to Tie the Doubled San Diego Jam Knot”. Wired2Fish.com. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
    9. “San Diego Jam Knot – How to tie a San Diego Jam Knot”. NetKnots.com. Retrieved 17 November 2022.

    External links

    See also


    This article is adapted from “San Diego Jam knot” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Sailor’s hitch

    Sailor’s hitch
    Sailor's hitch
    Category Hitch
    Releasing Non-jamming

    The sailor’s hitch is a secure, jam-proof hitch knot.[1] A hitch knot is a type of knot that has the ability to fit to the size and shape of an object that it is being tied to.[2]

    The sailor’s hitch is similar in function and appearance to the swing hitch.

    The sailor’s hitch can be used in such a way that allows a smaller rope to be attached to a large rope. The smaller rope should be pulled to the left while the bight should go through the final tuck to form the final product of a sailor’s hitch.

    This knot can also serve the purpose of a cleat hitch.

    There is another variation of the knot with several more turns that is called the gripping sailor’s hitch.[3] The gripping sailor’s hitch is commonly confused with the icicle hitch, but it has distinctions with the last tuck of the knot that allows them to be different.[4]

    The sailor’s knot is used in the following circumstances:

    • search and rescue
    • mountaineering
    • climbing
    • boating
    • horse and livestock
    • camping
    • scouting[1]

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 “Sailors Hitch Useful knot”. Advameg, Inc. lovetheoutdoors.com. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
    2. “The Most Useful Rope Knots for the Average Person to Know”. Southee. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
    3. “Sailor’s Hitch”. Notable Knot Index. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
    4. “Sailor’s GH, Icicle Hitch Confusion”. International Guild of Knot Tyers Forum. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

    External links


    This article is adapted from “Sailor's hitch” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Butterfly bend

    Butterfly Bend
    Butterfly bend
    Names Butterfly Bend, Strait bend[1]
    Category Bend
    Related butterfly loop, Hunter’s bend, Zeppelin bend, Ashley’s bend
    Releasing Non-jamming
    Caveat Errors in tying can result in a similar looking but insecure bend
    Instructions

    The butterfly bend is a knot used to join the ends of two ropes together. It is the analogous bend form of the butterfly loop,[1] in that it is the butterfly loop with the loop cut.[2] The observation that the butterfly loop is secure enough to isolate a worn or damaged section of rope within the loop indicated that the bend form of the knot would be similarly secure.[3]

    History

    When Phil D. Smith made the first known presentation of the Hunter’s bend in 1953 (under the name “rigger’s bend”),[4] he described it as a modification to the butterfly bend.[3] While the bend form had been known to mountaineers, nautical rigger Brion Toss brought the knot to a wider audience when he published it in 1975. Unaware of the earlier publication, Toss called the butterfly bend the strait bend after the Strait of Juan de Fuca.[1][5]

    Tying

    The butterfly bend can be tied using a subset of the methods used for tying the loop form by holding the two rope ends together and treating them as if they were a single bight. However, specific methods have been developed for tying the bend form directly, including the one shown below and characterizable using the mnemonic device “A d through a b; ‘twixt the two and toward me”:

    Butterfly bend
    butterfly bend step by step

    Security

    A properly tied butterfly bend should be as secure as the equivalent loop form.[1] However, subtle positioning errors during the above shown tying method can result in a similar looking but insecure bend knot.[6]

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 Toss, Brion (1998), The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice, Camden, Maine: International Marine, pp. 72–73, ISBN 0-07-064840-9
    2. Budworth, Geoffrey (1999), The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots, London: Hermes House, p. 77, ISBN 0-681-60694-0
    3. 1 2 Smith, Phil D. (1955) [1953]. Knots for Mountaineering, Camping, Utility, Rescue, etc. Twentynine Palms, CA: Desert Trail.
    4. Budworth, Geoffrey (1985) [1983], The Knot Book, New York: Sterling Publishing, p. 120, ISBN 0-8069-7944-5
    5. Asher, Harry (1989), The Alternative Knot Book, London: Nautical Books, p. 57, ISBN 0-7136-5950-5
    6. “Butterfly Bend”. Notable Knot Index. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2012-05-27.

    This article is adapted from “Butterfly bend” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Sailmaker’s whipping

    Sailmaker’s whipping
    Sailmaker's whipping
    Category Whipping
    Related West Country whipping
    Typical use Whipping
    ABoK #3446

    The sailmaker’s whipping is one of the most durable and stable of rope whippings known. According to The Ashley Book of Knots, “palm-and-needle whipping, or sailmaker’s whipping, is the most satisfactory of all.”[1]

    Technique

    Palm and needle whipping

    Using a needle, the twine (generally a waxed cord) is pushed through a strand of the rope at least two times to secure the end, then wrapped multiple times around the rope, to a width generally of the rope. Then the needle is pushed diagonally through each strand, then run once up the furrow between strands. This can be doubled by going around more than once, then finished with a final diagonal after which the excess twine is cut. Ashley also includes a technique to be used if the rope strands are too thick for one thrust of a needle to go through diagonally. The needle work makes it less able to slide.

    Sailmaker’s whipping

    What Ashley describes as a superficially similar technique, visually, to #3446 is included in The Ashley Book of Knots as #3448. It has the advantage that it doesn’t need a needle, strictly speaking. Multiple sources give this separate technique the term sailmaker’s whipping.[2][3][4]

    The twine is first threaded diagonally through the rope strands, leaving an excess loop in the middle of the twine. The twine is wrapped around the rope and then the loop is fit over one of the strand ends, the rope having been opened, such that the loop fits into the groove between strands. The remainder of the twine is pushed through the open part of the rope and fit into the last groove, or in the case of a 4 strand rope, two loops can be used. Finally a reef (square) or a string of reef (square) knots is tied between the two twine ends. Then this string of reef (square) knots is pulled or worked through the rope to bury the ends under the wraps.

    Alternatives

    West Country whipping
    West Country whipping

    The West Country whipping is a quick practical method using twine, having several advantages: it can be tied without a needle; it is simple to understand and remember; if the whipping fails, the loose ends can usually be re-tied to temporarily prevent the rope’s end from fraying.

    See also

    References

    1. Ashley, Clifford W. (1944). The Ashley Book of Knots, p.547. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-04025-3.
    2. Budworth, Geoffrey (1999). Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Knots and Ropes for All Pursuits from Sailing and Fishing. London: Anness Publishing Limited. p. 44. ISBN 9781859679111.
    3. “Sailmaker’s Whipping | How to make a Sailmaker’s Whipping | Knots”. Animated Knots. Grog LLC. 2007. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
    4. “Whipping”. www.scoutpioneering.com. Retrieved 2013-06-21.

    External links


    This article is adapted from “Sailmaker's whipping” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Burau representation

    In mathematics the Burau representation is a representation of the braid groups, named after and originally studied by the German mathematician Werner Burau[1] during the 1930s. The Burau representation has two common and near-equivalent formulations, the reduced and unreduced Burau representations.

    Definition

    Burau representation
    The covering space Cn may be thought of concretely as follows: cut the disk along lines from the boundary to the marked points. Take as many copies of the result as there are integers, stack them vertically, and connect them by ramps going from one side of the cut on one level to the other side of the cut on the level below. This procedure is shown here for n = 4; the covering transformations t±1 act by shifting the space vertically.

    Consider the braid group Bn to be the mapping class group of a disc with n marked points Dn. The homology group H1(Dn) is free abelian of rank n. Moreover, the invariant subspace of H1(Dn) (under the action of Bn) is primitive and infinite cyclic. Let π : H1(Dn) → Z be the projection onto this invariant subspace. Then there is a covering space Cn corresponding to this projection map. Much like in the construction of the Alexander polynomial, consider H1(Cn) as a module over the group-ring of covering transformations Z[Z], which is isomorphic to the ring of Laurent polynomials Z[t, t−1]. As a Z[t, t−1]-module, H1(Cn) is free of rank n  1. By the basic theory of covering spaces, Bn acts on H1(Cn), and this representation is called the reduced Burau representation.

    The unreduced Burau representation has a similar definition, namely one replaces Dn with its (real, oriented) blow-up at the marked points. Then instead of considering H1(Cn) one considers the relative homology H1(Cn, Γ) where γDn is the part of the boundary of Dn corresponding to the blow-up operation together with one point on the disc’s boundary. Γ denotes the lift of γ to Cn. As a Z[t, t−1]-module this is free of rank n.

    By the homology long exact sequence of a pair, the Burau representations fit into a short exact sequence

    0 → VrVuDZ[t, t−1] → 0,

    where Vr (resp. Vu) is the reduced (resp. unreduced) Burau Bn-module and DZn is the complement to the diagonal subspace, in other words:

    D = { ( x 1 , , x n ) Z n : x 1 + + x n = 0 } , {\displaystyle D=\left\{\left(x_{1},\cdots ,x_{n}\right)\in \mathbf {Z} ^{n}:x_{1}+\cdots +x_{n}=0\right\},} {\displaystyle D=\left\{\left(x_{1},\cdots ,x_{n}\right)\in \mathbf {Z} ^{n}:x_{1}+\cdots +x_{n}=0\right\},}

    and Bn acts on Zn by the permutation representation.

    Explicit matrices

    Let σi denote the standard generators of the braid group Bn. Then the unreduced Burau representation may be given explicitly by mapping

    σ i ( I i 1 0 0 0 0 1 t t 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 I n i 1 ) , {\displaystyle \sigma _{i}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|cc|c}I_{i-1}&0&0&0\\\hline 0&1-t&t&0\\0&1&0&0\\\hline 0&0&0&I_{n-i-1}\end{array}}\right),} {\displaystyle \sigma _{i}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|cc|c}I_{i-1}&0&0&0\\\hline 0&1-t&t&0\\0&1&0&0\\\hline 0&0&0&I_{n-i-1}\end{array}}\right),}

    for 1 ≤ in 1, where Ik denotes the k × k identity matrix. Likewise, for n ≥ 3 the reduced Burau representation is given by

    σ 1 ( t 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 I n 3 ) , {\displaystyle \sigma _{1}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{cc|c}-t&1&0\\0&1&0\\\hline 0&0&I_{n-3}\end{array}}\right),} {\displaystyle \sigma _{1}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{cc|c}-t&1&0\\0&1&0\\\hline 0&0&I_{n-3}\end{array}}\right),}
    σ i ( I i 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 t t 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 I n i 2 ) , 2 i n 2 , {\displaystyle \sigma _{i}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|ccc|c}I_{i-2}&0&0&0&0\\\hline 0&1&0&0&0\\0&t&-t&1&0\\0&0&0&1&0\\\hline 0&0&0&0&I_{n-i-2}\end{array}}\right),\quad 2\leq i\leq n-2,} {\displaystyle \sigma _{i}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|ccc|c}I_{i-2}&0&0&0&0\\\hline 0&1&0&0&0\\0&t&-t&1&0\\0&0&0&1&0\\\hline 0&0&0&0&I_{n-i-2}\end{array}}\right),\quad 2\leq i\leq n-2,}
    σ n 1 ( I n 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 t t ) , {\displaystyle \sigma _{n-1}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|cc}I_{n-3}&0&0\\\hline 0&1&0\\0&t&-t\end{array}}\right),} {\displaystyle \sigma _{n-1}\mapsto \left({\begin{array}{c|cc}I_{n-3}&0&0\\\hline 0&1&0\\0&t&-t\end{array}}\right),}

    while for n = 2, it maps

    σ 1 ( t ) . {\displaystyle \sigma _{1}\mapsto \left(-t\right).} {\displaystyle \sigma _{1}\mapsto \left(-t\right).}

    Bowling alley interpretation

    Vaughan Jones[2] gave the following interpretation of the unreduced Burau representation of positive braids for t in [0,1] i.e. for braids that are words in the standard braid group generators containing no inverses which follows immediately from the above explicit description:

    Given a positive braid σ on n strands, interpret it as a bowling alley with n intertwining lanes. Now throw a bowling ball down one of the lanes and assume that at every crossing where its path crosses over another lane, it falls down with probability t and continues along the lower lane. Then the (i,j)‘th entry of the unreduced Burau representation of σ is the probability that a ball thrown into the i‘th lane ends up in the j‘th lane.

    Relation to the Alexander polynomial

    If a knot K is the closure of a braid f in Bn, then, up to multiplication by a unit in Z[t, t−1], the Alexander polynomial ΔK(t) of K is given by

    1 t 1 t n det ( I f ) , {\displaystyle {\frac {1-t}{1-t^{n}}}\det(I-f_{*}),} {\displaystyle {\frac {1-t}{1-t^{n}}}\det(I-f_{*}),}

    where f is the reduced Burau representation of the braid f.

    For example, if f = σ1σ2 in B3, one finds by using the explicit matrices above that

    1 t 1 t n det ( I f ) = 1 , {\displaystyle {\frac {1-t}{1-t^{n}}}\det(I-f_{*})=1,} {\displaystyle {\frac {1-t}{1-t^{n}}}\det(I-f_{*})=1,}

    and the closure of f* is the unknot whose Alexander polynomial is 1.

    Faithfulness

    The first nonfaithful Burau representations were found by John A. Moody without the use of computer, using a notion of winding number or contour integration.[3] A more conceptual understanding, due to Darren D. Long and Mark Paton[4] interprets the linking or winding as coming from Poincaré duality in first homology relative to the basepoint of a covering space, and uses the intersection form (traditionally called Squier’s Form as Craig Squier was the first to explore its properties).[5] Stephen Bigelow combined computer techniques and the Long–Paton theorem to show that the Burau representation is not faithful for n ≥ 5.[6][7][8] Bigelow moreover provides an explicit non-trivial element in the kernel as a word in the standard generators of the braid group: let

    ψ 1 = σ 3 1 σ 2 σ 1 2 σ 2 σ 4 3 σ 3 σ 2 , ψ 2 = σ 4 1 σ 3 σ 2 σ 1 2 σ 2 σ 1 2 σ 2 2 σ 1 σ 4 5 . {\displaystyle \psi _{1}=\sigma _{3}^{-1}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{4}^{3}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2},\quad \psi _{2}=\sigma _{4}^{-1}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{-2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}^{2}\sigma _{1}\sigma _{4}^{5}.} {\displaystyle \psi _{1}=\sigma _{3}^{-1}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{4}^{3}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2},\quad \psi _{2}=\sigma _{4}^{-1}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{-2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}^{2}\sigma _{1}\sigma _{4}^{5}.}

    Then an element of the kernel is given by the commutator

    [ ψ 1 1 σ 4 ψ 1 , ψ 2 1 σ 4 σ 3 σ 2 σ 1 2 σ 2 σ 3 σ 4 ψ 2 ] . {\displaystyle [\psi _{1}^{-1}\sigma _{4}\psi _{1},\psi _{2}^{-1}\sigma _{4}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{4}\psi _{2}].} {\displaystyle [\psi _{1}^{-1}\sigma _{4}\psi _{1},\psi _{2}^{-1}\sigma _{4}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{1}^{2}\sigma _{2}\sigma _{3}\sigma _{4}\psi _{2}].}

    The Burau representation for n = 2, 3 has been known to be faithful for some time. The faithfulness of the Burau representation when n = 4 is an open problem. The Burau representation appears as a summand of the Jones representation, and for n = 4, the faithfulness of the Burau representation is equivalent to that of the Jones representation, which on the other hand is related to the question of whether or not the Jones polynomial is an unknot detector.[9]

    Geometry

    Craig Squier showed that the Burau representation preserves a sesquilinear form.[5] Moreover, when the variable t is chosen to be a transcendental unit complex number near 1, it is a positive-definite Hermitian pairing. Thus the Burau representation of the braid group Bn can be thought of as a map into the unitary group U(n).

    References

    1. Burau, Werner (1936). “Über Zopfgruppen und gleichsinnig verdrillte Verkettungen”. Abh. Math. Sem. Univ. Hamburg. 11: 179–186. doi:10.1007/bf02940722. S2CID 119576586.
    2. Jones, Vaughan (1987). “Hecke algebra representations of Braid Groups and Link Polynomials”. Annals of Mathematics. Second Series. 126 (2): 335–388. doi:10.2307/1971403. JSTOR 1971403.
    3. Moody, John Atwell (1993), “The faithfulness question for the Burau representation”, Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 119 (2): 671–679, doi:10.1090/s0002-9939-1993-1158006-x, JSTOR 2159956, MR 1158006
    4. Long, Darren D.; Paton, Mark (1993), “The Burau representation is not faithful for n 6 {\displaystyle n\geq 6} {\displaystyle n\geq 6}“, Topology, 32 (2): 439–447, doi:10.1016/0040-9383(93)90030-Y, MR 1217079
    5. 1 2 Squier, Craig C (1984). “The Burau representation is unitary”. Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society. 90 (2): 199–202. doi:10.2307/2045338. JSTOR 2045338.
    6. Bigelow, Stephen (1999). “The Burau representation is not faithful for n = 5“. Geometry & Topology. 3: 397–404. arXiv:math/9904100. doi:10.2140/gt.1999.3.397. S2CID 5967061.
    7. S. Bigelow, International Congress of Mathematicians, Beijing, 2002
    8. Vladimir Turaev, Faithful representations of the braid groups, Bourbaki 1999-2000
    9. Bigelow, Stephen (2002). “Does the Jones polynomial detect the unknot?”. Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications. 11 (4): 493–505. arXiv:math/0012086. doi:10.1142/s0218216502001779. S2CID 1353805.

    External links



    This article is adapted from “Burau representation” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Russian braid

    Russian braid
    Painting by Budkin Philipp Osipovich, “Girl before a mirror”, 1848, shows a Russian girl with a traditional Russian braid and the headress kokoshnik

    The Russian braid (Russian: Русская коса, Russkaya kosa) is a national traditional hairstyle in Russia. It has an ancient history since the times of the Rus’. In modern Russia the hairstyle is still widespread among girls and women, while the symbolism behind the Russian braid is no longer so strong in modern Russia. It also plays an important role in Russian folk dance and Russian folk song ensembles.

    Significance

    In Rus it was uncommon for women to cut their hair, so they would grow it for a long period of time and braid their long hair. The Russian braid symbolized honor and pride and had several meanings in Old Russia. One large and long braid was worn by girls in active search for a groom, while two braids which were tied around the head meant the girl was in marriage. If a colourful ribbon was woven into a braid, it meant that the girl is for marriage, when two ribbons appeared, it meant that the official groom was found. The end of a long braid was often adorned by a kosnik, a piece of jewelry that was made of birch bark.[1][2][3][4][5]

    References

    1. “Русская коса- вариации укладок русских косичек”. womanmirror.ru. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
    2. Beverly., Chico (2013-10-03). Hats and headwear around the world : a cultural encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California. p. 283. ISBN 9781610690638. OCLC 862077165.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
    3. Guzeva, Alexandra (2018-07-18). “8 fascinating facts about kokoshnik – the quintessential Russian headdress”. www.rbth.com. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
    4. “A Beautiful Braid Is a Long Tradition of Russian Women (Video)”. 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
    5. Karen., Evans-Romaine (2014). Encyclopedia of contemporary russian culture. Routledge. p. 215. ISBN 9780415758628. OCLC 960084469.

    This article is adapted from “Russian braid” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Buntline hitch

    Buntline hitch
    Buntline hitch

    Left: Buntline hitch
    Right: Slipped buntline hitch
    Names Buntline hitch, Stunsail tack bend,[1] Studding sail tack bend, Inside clove hitch
    Category Hitch
    Related Clove hitch, Two half-hitches, Lobster buoy hitch, Corned beef knot
    Releasing Jamming
    ABoK #55, #397, #1229, #1711, #1712, #1807, #1838, #1847, #1918, #2408

    The buntline hitch is a knot used for attaching a rope to an object. It is formed by passing the working end around an object, then making a clove hitch around the rope’s standing part and taking care that the turns of the clove hitch progress towards the object rather than away from it. Secure and easily tied, the buntline hitch will jam when subjected to extreme loads. Given the knot’s propensity to jam, it is often made in slipped form.

    The buntline hitch, when bent to a yard, makes a more secure knot than two half hitches, but is more liable to jam. It differs from two half hitches in that the second half hitch is inside instead of outside the first one.

    History

    Buntline hitch
    Untightened buntline hitch

    Simple and effective, the buntline hitch dates to the Age of Sail, when it was used to secure buntlines to the foot of the sails[3][4] on square-rigged ships. That the buntline hitch was the preferred knot speaks to its security and reliability.[3][5] Once set, repeated jerking and slatting tend to tighten it further rather than loosen it.[6] Its compact size allowed the foot of the sail to be drawn up as closely as possible to the buntline deadeyes on top of the yard.

    It has gained in popularity in recent years due to its performance in slippery modern synthetic lines.[3][6]

    Usage

    Buntline hitch
    Untightened slipped buntline hitch

    The buntline hitch is useful for attaching lines to rings, eyes, posts, rods, and railings where a compact and secure knot is required. The non-slipped form is appropriate for moderate loads or where the knot will not need to be untied often.[7] If heavily loaded it can be difficult or impossible to untie without the aid of a marlinspike.[3]

    The slipped form is more versatile and convenient when a secure temporary hitch is needed. For example, the slipped buntline hitch is an excellent choice to fasten a line to one side of a vehicle’s luggage rack, with a trucker’s hitch being used on the other side to tension the line over a load placed between them.

    The buntline hitch is the same knot as the four-in-hand knot used for neckties.[6] When it is made in flat material in the manner used to fasten a necktie, the working end is brought more parallel to the standing part during tightening than generally seen when made in cylindrical cordage for load-bearing purposes.

    Tying

    Buntline hitch

    The buntline hitch is simply a clove hitch tied around the standing part, with the turns of the clove hitch progressing towards the object.

    Slipped variation

    Buntline hitch

    The slipped variation is made by passing a bight through on the final step instead of the end. The knot may be released by pulling at the free end of the rope.

    Security

    While the buntline hitch is considered a secure knot, the turns of the clove hitch must progress towards the object, otherwise the much less secure two half-hitches will result.

    Although not generally required, a round turn can first be made around the object causing the buntline hitch to be even less prone to slipping.[8]

    A buntline hitch may also be tied with an extra half turn for security: see highpoint hitch.

    See also

    References

    1. “Sailing & The Tech Dinghy Instruction Manual” (Revised ed.). Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nautical Association (MITNA). 1995 [1981]. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
    2. Ashley, Clifford W. (1944). The Ashley Book of Knots, p.295. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-04025-3.
    3. 1 2 3 4 Brion Toss, Chapman’s Nautical Guides: Knots (New York: Hearst Marine Books, 1990), 39.
    4. Clifford W. Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots (New York: Doubleday, 1944), 310.
    5. Geoffrey Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots (London: Octopus, 1997), 51.
    6. 1 2 3 Des Pawson, Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices (Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2002), 133.
    7. Brion Toss, The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice (Camden: International Marine, 1998), 54.
    8. Ashley, 309.

    External links


    This article is adapted from “Buntline hitch” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.

  • Running bowline

    Running bowline
    Running bowline
    Category Running
    Origin Ancient
    Related Bowline, noose
    Releasing Non-jamming
    Typical use Fishing out floating objects that have fallen overboard. Tightening the squaresail to the yard in high winds.
    Caveat None.
    ABoK #1117, #2071

    The running bowline is a knot consisting of a bowline looped around its own standing end to create a noose.

    The running bowline is strong and secure. It slides easily and can be undone just as simply.

    1117. The RUNNING BOWLINE KNOT is referred to by name, in A Four Years’ Voyage by G. Roberts (1726), as the “RUNNING BOWLING KNOT.” It is the knot universally used at sea when a NOOSE is called for. According to an old nautical authority it “is used for throwing over anything out of reach, or anything under water.” Any lumber that has dropped overboard or any rigging that has gone adrift is recovered by its means. [1]

    Tying

    Tie a bowline in the end of a line with a small loop, and by appearance one then passes the standing part through the loop to form the noose. However, this method of forming the noose is practicable only for a short piece of line. Alternatively, one can tie the bowline tied directly around the standing part or, having tied the bowline first, one would form a bight in the standing part and pull it through the loop of the bowline.

    References

    1. Ashley, Clifford Warren (1944). The Ashley Book of Knots. New York: Doubleday. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-385-04025-9. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

    External links


    This article is adapted from “Running bowline” on Wikipedia, written by its contributors, and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text on this page is available under the same licence. Source snapshot: Wikipedia via Kiwix, 2026-07-20.