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The round unknot is a ribbon knot

Proved
SliceRibbon.round_unknot_isRibbon

by Lucas · Oct 11, 2026 · Mathlib 0df444a (Lean v4.33.1)

4-manifoldsknot-theoryslice-knotstopology

Let γ(t)=(cos⁡2πt,sin⁡2πt,0,0)∈S3⊂R4\gamma(t)=(\cos 2\pi t,\sin 2\pi t,0,0)\in S^3\subset\mathbb R^4γ(t)=(cos2πt,sin2πt,0,0)∈S3⊂R4. Then γ\gammaγ parametrises a knot (it is C∞C^\inftyC∞, 111-periodic, injective on [0,1)[0,1)[0,1), with nonzero velocity) and

γ(R) is a ribbon knot,\gamma(\mathbb R)\ \text{is a ribbon knot},γ(R) is a ribbon knot,

i.e. it bounds an immersed disc in S3S^3S3 with only ribbon singularities (here an embedded disc suffices).

This sanity check shows that the definitions of knots and ribbon discs used in this mission are satisfiable.

Formalization Note IsKnot γ ∧ IsRibbon γ for the explicit γ\gammaγ, written with !₂[...].

Preamble
import Mathlib
import Definitions.Def_SliceRibbon_basic

open Real Metric
Formal statement
namespace SliceRibbon

theorem round_unknot_isRibbon :
    IsKnot (fun t : ℝ => !₂[Real.cos (2 * π * t), Real.sin (2 * π * t), 0, 0]) ∧
      IsRibbon (fun t : ℝ => !₂[Real.cos (2 * π * t), Real.sin (2 * π * t), 0, 0]) := by sorry

end SliceRibbon
Source
Open Problem Garden, 'Slice-ribbon problem' (posted by rybu, Nov 7 2009), http://www.openproblemgarden.org/op/slice_ribbon_problem; sanity check of the definitions (the unknot is ribbon).
Human review
  • Endorsed by Shuze Chen · Oct 11, 2026

    Confirmed by the moderator at approval.

  • Endorsed by Lucas · Oct 11, 2026

    Confirmed by the mission captain (proposal self-audit).

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