---
_id: '4003'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The writhing number measures the global geometry of a closed space curve or
    knot. We show that this measure is related to the average winding number of its
    Gauss map. Using this relationship, we give an algorithm for computing the writhing
    number for a polygonal knot with n edges in time roughly proportional to n(1.6).
    We also implement a different, simple algorithm and provide experimental evidence
    for its practical efficiency.
acknowledgement: NSF under grants CCR-00-86013 and EIA-9972879, NSF under grant CCR-97-12088.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Pankaj
  full_name: Agarwal, Pankaj
  last_name: Agarwal
- first_name: Herbert
  full_name: Edelsbrunner, Herbert
  id: 3FB178DA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Edelsbrunner
  orcid: 0000-0002-9823-6833
- first_name: Yusu
  full_name: Wang, Yusu
  last_name: Wang
citation:
  ama: 'Agarwal P, Edelsbrunner H, Wang Y. Computing the writhing number of a polygonal
    knot. In: <i>Proceedings of the 13th Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms</i>.
    SIAM; 2002:791-799.'
  apa: 'Agarwal, P., Edelsbrunner, H., &#38; Wang, Y. (2002). Computing the writhing
    number of a polygonal knot. In <i>Proceedings of the 13th annual ACM-SIAM symposium
    on Discrete algorithms</i> (pp. 791–799). San Francisco, CA, USA: SIAM.'
  chicago: Agarwal, Pankaj, Herbert Edelsbrunner, and Yusu Wang. “Computing the Writhing
    Number of a Polygonal Knot.” In <i>Proceedings of the 13th Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium
    on Discrete Algorithms</i>, 791–99. SIAM, 2002.
  ieee: P. Agarwal, H. Edelsbrunner, and Y. Wang, “Computing the writhing number of
    a polygonal knot,” in <i>Proceedings of the 13th annual ACM-SIAM symposium on
    Discrete algorithms</i>, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2002, pp. 791–799.
  ista: 'Agarwal P, Edelsbrunner H, Wang Y. 2002. Computing the writhing number of
    a polygonal knot. Proceedings of the 13th annual ACM-SIAM symposium on Discrete
    algorithms. SODA: Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, 791–799.'
  mla: Agarwal, Pankaj, et al. “Computing the Writhing Number of a Polygonal Knot.”
    <i>Proceedings of the 13th Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms</i>,
    SIAM, 2002, pp. 791–99.
  short: P. Agarwal, H. Edelsbrunner, Y. Wang, in:, Proceedings of the 13th Annual
    ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, SIAM, 2002, pp. 791–799.
conference:
  end_date: 2002-01-08
  location: San Francisco, CA, USA
  name: 'SODA: Symposium on Discrete Algorithms'
  start_date: 2002-01-06
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:06:23Z
date_published: 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-06-07T13:50:04Z
day: '01'
extern: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- url: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/545381.545485
month: '01'
oa_version: None
page: 791 - 799
publication: Proceedings of the 13th annual ACM-SIAM symposium on Discrete algorithms
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - '9780898715132'
publication_status: published
publisher: SIAM
publist_id: '2125'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Computing the writhing number of a polygonal knot
type: conference
user_id: ea97e931-d5af-11eb-85d4-e6957dddbf17
year: '2002'
...