Ribbons: Their Geometry and Topology

Abstract

Ribbons may be used for the modeling of DNAs and proteins. The topology of a ribbon can be described by the link Lk, while its geometry is represented by the writhe Wr and the twist Tw. These three quantities are numerical integrals and are related by a single formula from knot theory. This article discusses the meanings of these three quantities, offers an approach for calculating their numerical values, and provides some examples.

Keywords:

• Ribbon model
• link
• writhe
• twist
• Gauss Integral
• supercoiling