nLab Kirby calculus

Contents

Context

Manifolds and cobordisms

Knot theory

Contents

Idea

What is called Kirby calculus is a way of identifying/classifying 3-manifolds in terms of Dehn surgery along framed links in the 3-sphere.

References

The original article:

  • Rob Kirby, A Calculus for Framed Links in S 3S^3. Inventiones Mathematicae 45 (1978) 35–56 [dml:142535]

See also:

On 4-manifolds and Kirby calculus:

Last revised on November 3, 2025 at 04:57:34. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.