Talk:Solomon's knot

Cosimo de Medici tomb slab
Photographs such as File:San Lorenzo, tomba di Cosimo il Vecchio.JPG seem to show that the design is non-interlaced, so that there are mere overlapping ovals which do not form a real Solomon's knot. Therefore I'm removing it from the article for now... AnonMoos (talk) 17:37, 4 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree: it definitely does not show a Solomon's knot. Michael Hardy (talk) 19:32, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

Further improvement
I've improved the article about as well as I can for now without semi-arbitrarily deleting passages. If someone has access to the book, they might be able to do more (it's not in my local university library). AnonMoos (talk) 13:41, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

mosaic
For a classic Roman mosaic "Pelta-swastika", see http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2745/soli1ck1.jpg ; it would be nice to have an equivalent free picture... AnonMoos (talk) 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Comacines
Saw a book in a bookstore claiming that this was a symbol of the Comacines; don't know if I would consider it a reliable source... AnonMoos (talk) 08:08, 20 November 2011 (UTC)


 * See also http://symboldictionary.net/?p=2475 etc. "Comacine knot" turns up some hits on Google... -- AnonMoos (talk) 08:19, 20 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Added simple "see also" link to indicate that there may be a connection... AnonMoos (talk) 12:56, 20 November 2011 (UTC)

"not really a knot"
Despite the name, it is classified as a link, and is not a true knot according to the definitions of mathematical knot theory.

That would be true of just about every knot! Shall we add this line to all the articles? More accurate would be to say that, despite the name, the objects of knot theory are not knots in the conventional sense... --2607:FEA8:86E0:5760:5DB4:D3AC:413B:DBCC (talk) 06:40, 17 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Actually, if there's one cord or loop, then it's a knot (simplest is the Trefoil knot), while if there are multiple loops, then it's a link (simplest is Hopf link). The title of this page is based on WP:COMMONNAME... AnonMoos (talk) 08:50, 17 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Knots in ordinary langauge include mathematical knots, links, single open-ended cords, and multiple open-ended cords. And, even with mathematical knots, ordinary language does not respect knot equivalence. Thus we could 'clarify' most of the article on knots. But that would be backwards. The ordinary use of the word 'knot' is what has priority. --2607:FEA8:86E0:5760:5DB4:D3AC:413B:DBCC (talk) 16:45, 17 June 2021 (UTC)


 * The ordinary use has priority if the word "knot" is used without any context or qualifications. If the word "knot" is used in the correct context or with suitable qualifying words, then the technical meaning of "knot" has priority.  I don't know why you seem to feel an urge to meddle with something that you don't fully understand.  If you want to change the meanings of words, then please discuss this in a suitable location (such as Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Mathematics, since the previous topology-specific project page is apparently gone), rather than nibbling away at this article. AnonMoos (talk) 01:27, 18 June 2021 (UTC)


 * Ok. But I claim that this isn't really a mathematics article. There are lots of non-mathematical knot articles, and I claim that in those articles, it would sound out of place to say "Despite the name, X Y is a Z, and is not a true Y according to the definitions of mathematical Y theory". This claim can possibly also apply to some other values of Y also. Well, I will meddle no further! :-) --2607:FEA8:86E0:5760:5DB4:D3AC:413B:DBCC (talk) 02:45, 18 June 2021 (UTC)

Another occurrence in art
In the 1865 painting "Il Ramoscello" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, she's wearing a Solomon's knot pattern on the outside of her clothes over her left breast... AnonMoos (talk) 19:46, 13 July 2024 (UTC)