When Topology Meets Chemistry A Topological Look at Molecular Chirality [Paperback]

An undergraduate topology text describing knot theory, 3-dimensional manifolds, and embedded graphs, and the role these play in understanding molecular structures.The applications of topological techniques for understanding molecular structures have become increasingly important over the past thirty years. In this topology text, the reader will learn about knot theory, 3-dimensional manifolds, and the topology of embedded graphs, while learning the role these play in understanding molecular structures. There is no specific mathematical or chemical prerequisite; all the relevant background is provided. Reading this fascinating book, undergraduate mathematics students can escape the world of pure abstract theory and enter that of real molecules, while chemists and biologists will find simple and clear but rigorous definitions of mathematical concepts they handle intuitively in their work.The applications of topological techniques for understanding molecular structures have become increasingly important over the past thirty years. In this topology text, the reader will learn about knot theory, 3-dimensional manifolds, and the topology of embedded graphs, while learning the role these play in understanding molecular structures. There is no specific mathematical or chemical prerequisite; all the relevant background is provided. Reading this fascinating book, undergraduate mathematics students can escape the world of pure abstract theory and enter that of real molecules, while chemists and biologists will find simple and clear but rigorous definitions of mathematical concepts they handle intuitively in their work.In this superb topology text, the readers not only learn about knot theory, 3-dimensional manifolds, and the topology of embedded graphs, but also their role in understanding molecular structures. Most results described in the text are motivated by the questions of chemists or molecular biologists, though they often go beyond answering the original question l3¡