Twist

The twist of a ribbon measures how much it twists around its axis and is defined as the integral of the incremental twist around the ribbon. Letting Lk be the linking number of the two components of a ribbon, Tw be the twist, and Wr be the Writhe, then

$${\rm Lk}(R)={\rm Tw}(R)+{\rm Wr}(R)$$

(Adams 1994, p. 187).

See also Screw, Writhe

References

Adams, C. C. The Knot Book: An Elementary Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Knots. New York: W. H. Freeman, 1994.