The self-linking number of a closed curve in Rn
Abstract
We introduce the self-linking number of a smooth closed curve in Rn with respect to a 3-dimensional vector bundle over the curve, provided that some regularity conditions are satisfied. When n=3, this construction gives the classical self-linking number of a closed embedded curve with non-vanishing curvature. We also look at some interesting particular cases, which correspond to the osculating or the orthogonal vector bundle of the curve.
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