H. Edelsbrunner and A. Zomorodian, Computing Linking Numbers of a Filtration, Homology, Homotopy and Applications, 5:2 (2003), 19-37.

Abstract:

We develop fast algorithms for computing the linking number of a simplicial complex within a filtration. We give experimental results in applying our work toward the detection of non-trivial tangling in biomolecules, modeled as alpha complexes.

Bibtex: 

@article{ez-clnf-03,
    author = "Edelsbrunner, H. and Zomorodian, A.",
    title = "Computing Linking Numbers in a Filtration",
    journal = "Homology, Homotopy and Applications",
    pages = "19--37",
    volume = 5,
    number = 2,
    year = 2003,
}