What math is needed for folding and designing?

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OrigamiasaEnthusiast
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What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by OrigamiasaEnthusiast »

Hello everybody, just wondering what math you guys use for origami, finding reference points, designing, ect. What types of math is need? :-k But I might not be able to do the math :oops: :-({|= But I am just wondering so I might be able to use the math I know(or learn what is needed)
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NeverCeaseToCrease
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by NeverCeaseToCrease »

For box pleating, you don’t need a lot of math other than grid size or whatever, maybe some proportions. For circle packing, there’s a lot of geometry and calculus but treemaker and reference finder softwares will do it for you. The 22.5 method uses some geometry/trigonometry I think but I’m still experimenting with that myself.
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by OrigamiasaEnthusiast »

Thanks!
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by Gerardo »

I've used fractions, some times proportions regarding the Cartesian planar, cross-multiplication, the Pythagorean theorem, and in one or two ocassions things like sine, cosine, tangent, and secant, with which others have helped me out.

I have often created models without thinking in math at all.
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by OrigamiasaEnthusiast »

Thank you. I will explore more into the topics you have all replied to me with.
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by Tankoda »

Geometry usually. I have occasionally used more complicated stuff but it's not necessary unless you're doing something pretty technical. Check out Twists, Tilings, and Tessellations by Robert Lang if you want some origami math.
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by OrigamiasaEnthusiast »

Ok. Thank you.
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by Baltorigamist »

Here is a link to a paper (also by Lang) which explains almost everything you need to know. It goes pretty far in-depth on a few of the concepts in its later pages, but it covers all the geometry aspects very well. (The Crossing Diagonals theorem is invaluable to me, personally.)
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by OrigamiasaEnthusiast »

Thank you! Lang is a great mathematician! All this information is going to be great!
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Re: What math is needed for folding and designing?

Post by origami_8 »

Oh nice, I've got an older version of this paper stored on my PC, but this new version has even more content and a few pages more. Really good stuff, all in one place. Thank you!
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