In this talk we will introduce some basics about chains (linkages) in the area of computational geometry. A chain is a collection of rigid bars connected at their vertices, which forms a simple path (an open chain) or a simple cycle (a closed chain). A folding of a chain is a certain reconfiguration obtained by moving the vertices. A collection of chains are said to be interlocked if they cannot be separated by foldings. We will present some standard techniques using geometry and knot theory that address the problem of when chains are interlocked. Finally, we will present our recent sollution to the open problem of finding a 2-chain and a k-chain that are interlocked.

Pizza and soda will be served for those attending!