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arXiv · 2511.19461

Taffy, Trees, and Tangles

Neil J. Calkin·Eliza Gallagher·Ben Gobler
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Abstract

We study the relationship between three combinatorial objects -- a taffy pulling machine, the Calkin-Wilf tree of all fractions, and Conway's rational tangles. After introducing these objects, we develop a taffy analogue for Conway's characterization of rational tangles, and we give a direct geometric connection between rational tangles and taffy pulls.

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Neil J. Calkin, Eliza Gallagher, Ben Gobler. 2025-11-21. Taffy, Trees, and Tangles. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19461

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