The signature of a knot is an invariant that provides a way to distinguish knots by assigning an integer value to them based on the knot's diagram. This value reflects the difference between the number of positive and negative crossings in the diagram, which helps in understanding the knot's properties and relationships to other knots. The signature can be useful for characterizing knots and linking them to their crossing number and bridge number, as it often provides insights into their complexity and structure.
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