The homology of manifolds enjoys a remarkable symmetry: Poincare duality. If the manifold is triangulated, then this duality can be established by associating to a s- plex its dual block in the barycentric subdivision. In a manifold, the dual block is a cell, so the chain complex based on the dual blocks computes the homology of the manifold. Poincare duality then serves as a cornerstone of manifold classi cation theory. One reason is that it enables the de nition of a fundamental bordism inva- ant, the signature. Classifying manifolds via the surgery program relies on modifying a manifold by...

This book offers up-to-date original research and survey articles on actively pursued areas of mathematical knot theory and its applications in mathematical physics and cell biology. The contents arise from the Heidelberg Knot Theory Semester of winter 2008-09.

The homology of manifolds enjoys a remarkable symmetry: Poincare duality. If the manifold is triangulated, then this duality can be established by associating to a s- plex its dual block in the barycentric subdivision. In a manifold, the dual block is a cell, so the chain complex based on the dual blocks computes the homology of the manifold. Poincare duality then serves as a cornerstone of manifold classi cation theory. One reason is that it enables the de nition of a fundamental bordism inva- ant, the signature. Classifying manifolds via the surgery program relies on modifying a manifold by...