'I knit really crazy things, and this was the first time that I'd really encountered something that was [so] different,' she says.
Matsumoto, an assistant professor of physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology, studies the limits and possibilities of knitted materials to understand how different stitches transform the mechanical properties the stretchiness and support - of everyday fabrics.
In her latest project, funded by the National Science Foundation, Matsumoto and her students are searching for a fundamental equation (such as those that describe gravity or the flow of water) to perfectly describe the properties of knitted fabrics.
Such an equation could be transformative not only for pure mathematics and the study of theoretical knots, but for applied maths in the form of customisable prosthetics, wearable electronics, and new ultra-tough materials. For the astronauts who will one day journey to Mars, for instance, it could mean previously unimaginable spacesuits that protect against the radiation in space.
Knot theory is essential to finding the grand equation of knitting. This type of topology investigates the fundamental traits and limitations of knotted objects. In the case of physical knots, this might take the form of studying how deformations - twists or compressions affect a fabric's elasticity, or how far it can be stretched.
This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Popular Mechanics South Africa.
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This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Popular Mechanics South Africa.
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