Origami Jeanine Meyer MathematicsComputer Science New Media Origami

Origami Jeanine Meyer Mathematics/Computer Science & New Media

Origami • Paper folding – associated mostly with Japan (origami means paper folding in Japanese) but concurrent invention in different parts of the world • China • Spain – hobby, craft, art form – mathematical aspects • mathematics is not just numbers, also patterns and shapes • basic mathematics to current research

Origami • MANY websites – use google – Meyer family origami site: http: //newmedia. purchase. edu/~Jeanine/origami • some examples used to demonstrate/teach Flash • look in my office (NS 3003), mostly by Aviva Meyer • Origami USA has convention in June in NYC • Local clubs – Mt. Kisco

Today • magazine cover box – rectangle not a square • business card frog – rectangle not a square, with spring • water bomb – traditional fold, Chinese • water bomb base ornament – modular example • hungry fish – action figure (need to divide paper into thirds) Directions available on Meyer Family Origami site

Magazine cover box • The 'lip' (fold over) is made using the difference between the width and the height – ¼ * length – ¼ * width –. 25*length –. 25*width • Final dimensions – ½*length by ½*width by ¼*width –. 5 * length by. 5*width by. 25*width –. 50 * length by. 50*width by. 25*width Many boxes, most more sturdy!

Business card frog • Again: rectangle, not a square • Spring comes from stiffness of paper RELATIVE to area (weight? ) • Experiment: make a jumping from different sizes of regular paper. If the paper is small enough, the frog will jump. • Aside: Why does a Barbie doll have a very small waist?

Water bomb • Traditional fold, perhaps from China • Calculate / imagine the surface area of the final model. • Try: color outside surfaces of model and then unfold.

Water bomb ornament • Picking 3 sets of 2 of same color helps final assembly in 3 dimensions • Modulars typically have 'pockets' and 'pokes'

Hungry fish • Dividing into thirds: why the 's' method works. It is more than trial-and-error! – Say first guess is wrong by an error e. – Folding over to that point has the effect of halving the error. Folding over again halves the error. The error gets reduced each time, to arrive at a estimate that is fairly accurate.

http: //www. ushistory. org/betsy/flagstar. html

Research • Generalize Betsy Ross method's for 5 pointed star • Given any polygon, is it possible to fold a square into a flat shape, make one cut, and produce the polygon – Answer: yes, done by Eric Demaine

Research • Under investigation: various questions: given a set of lines representing folded lines, is it possible how produce it? How long (how many steps) would it take? • Origami for industry: how to build a telescope to be unfolded in space, how to design something to be unpacked.

Discussion • Questions? • More folding?

Quiz on percentages? • Any questions?