braid A collection of lines or strings that are plaited together and whose ends are attached to two parallel straight lines. Braid theory was pioneered by the Austrian mathematician Emil Artin (1898-1962) and is related to knot theory. It also has other applications, for instance if we consider the way the roots of a polynomial move as one of the polynomial's coefficients changes, this motion can be thought of as a braid. Related category MATHEMATICS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) |