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  "path": "/26/04/tenfold-knottiness",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-24T18:19:12.000Z",
  "site": "https://kottke.org",
  "tags": [
    "this article about the structure of complex knots",
    "On Knots Part III",
    "small multiples",
    "Tufte",
    "damn interesting",
    "are",
    "various",
    "contenders",
    "this archive of the original paper",
    "mathematics",
    "Peter Guthrie Tait",
    "science"
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  "textContent": "While reading this article about the structure of complex knots, I ran across this diagram drawn by scientist Peter Guthrie Tait in 1885 for a paper called On Knots Part III. It’s one of two figures that together show all of the possible variations of knots with 10 crossings. I think the color plus the small multiples activated the Tufte array in my brain; anyway, I love this diagram. (via damn interesting)\n\n(I tried for the better part of an hour to track down a high-resolution copy of Tait’s paper to no avail. There are various contenders, but nothing that includes high-res scans of both knottiness diagrams. I’m curious about this archive of the original paper but not $41 curious. If anyone has access through their institution and wants to send me a PDF, I’d love that.)\n\n**Tags:** mathematics · Peter Guthrie Tait · science",
  "title": "Tenfold Knottiness",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-24T18:19:12.000Z"
}