Unlocking the potential for linear and discrete optimisation in knot theory and computational topology (2014-2017)

Computational topology is a young, energetic field that uses computers to solve complex geometric problems, such as whether a loop of string is tangled. Such computations are becoming increasingly important in mathematics, and applications span biology, physics and information sciences; however, many core problems in the field remain intractable for all but the simplest cases. This project unites geometric techniques with powerful methods from operations research, such as linear and discrete optimisation, to build fast, powerful tools that can for the first time systematically solve large topological problems. Theoretically, this project has significant impact on the famous open problem of detecting knottedness in fast polynomial time.