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2 Setup

Start by downloading either the file KnotTheory.tar.gz (1051Kb) or the file KnotTheory.zip (1132Kb), and unpack either one. This will create a subdirectory KnotTheory/ in your current working directory. This done, no installation is required (though you may wish to check out ``Further Data Files'' below). Start Mathematica and you're ready to go:

In[1]:=	<< KnotTheory`
Loading KnotTheory` (version of September 14, 2005, 13:37:36)...

(Here and below Mathematica system prompts are in blue, human input is in red and Mathematica output is in black).

Let us check that everything is working well:

In[2]:=	Alexander[Knot[6, 2]][t]
Out[2]=	-2 3 2 -3 - t + - + 3 t - t t

In[3]:= ?KnotTheoryVersion
KnotTheoryVersion[] returns the date of the current version of the package KnotTheory`. KnotTheoryVersion[k] returns the kth field in KnotTheoryVersion[].

In[4]:= ?KnotTheoryVersionString
KnotTheoryVersionString[] returns a string containing the date and time of the current version of the package KnotTheory`. It is generated from KnotTheoryVersion[].

In[5]:= ?KnotTheoryWelcomeMessage
KnotTheoryWelcomeMessage[] returns a string containing the welcome message printed when KnotTheory` is first loaded.

Thus on the day this manual page was last changed, we had:

In[6]:=	{KnotTheoryVersion[], KnotTheoryVersionString[]}
Out[6]=	{{2005, 9, 14, 13, 37, 36}, September 14, 2005, 13:37:36}

In[7]:= ?KnotTheoryDirectory
KnotTheoryDirectory[] returns the best guess KnotTheory` has for its location on the host computer. It can be reset by the user.

Thus with my setup,

In[8]:=	KnotTheoryDirectory[]
Out[8]=	./KnotTheory

KnotTheoryDirectory may not work under some operating systems/environments. Please let me know if you encounter any difficulties.

Notes.

• Precomputed Data. KnotTheory` comes with a certain amount of precomputed data which is loaded ``on demand'' just when it is needed. When a precomputed data file is read by KnotTheory`, a notification message is displayed. To prevent these messages from appearing execute the command Off[KnotTheory::loading].

• Further Data Files. To access the Hoste-Thistlethwaite enumeration of knots with 12 to 16 crossings (Section 3), also download either the file DTCodes4Knots12To16.tar.gz (8252Kb) or the file DTCodes4Knots12To16.zip (8244Kb), and unpack either one into the directory KnotTheory/.