Gheramy Guzman

Introduction
You align the paper and make the last crease. You are finally done folding your origami
loggerhead sea turtle after two hours of quiet solitude. Now you have yet another origami piece
to place onto your shelf which was already chockfull of various origami models. You stand back
to look at all the models youve made feeling especially proud of your latest accomplishment.
Various methods of Origami have been applied to various areas of study. As people find
more uses for it, it becomes more relevant today. People all around the world including my
parents and other family drive cars and crashes can occur very suddenly. It is important that
airbags deploy quickly but safely and origami has helps to do just that. Origami even has some
medical uses with self-deployable stent grafts. For me, origami has been an interest of mine since
I learned about it in second grade. I also love math because the way numbers work is really
fascinating to me. The fact that origami and mathematics are related is just perfect.
What I Knew
I knew origami involves mathematics which helps to find certain points on the paper,
trisect angles, solve equations of various degrees and more. I also knew some of the various
design methods that are used to create origami bases. I was also quite familiar with the origami
notations that are used to indicate how the model should be folded. Other than that, I did not
know much more about origami in detail. To learn more, I explored why math works with
origami. I also wanted to know the parallels between mathematics in origami and normal
mathematics. I was also curious about other ways of folding and designing and how the major
design methods compare to each other. My overall research question for these was: How

Gheramy Guzman
effectively do mathematics and origami work together? Eventually, my research of the various
information I wanted to know led me to the answer for this question.
My Research
To start my research, I began to look for why mathematics works with origami. I
remembered reading something that described how origami bases are always two colorable. I
remembered that two colorablility is related to graph theory so I decided to begin there. I found a
website that described graph theory in large detail. There I found interesting problems and
puzzles related to graph theory which were fun to solve. Eventually, I looked for more and found
the Wolfram website. It described to me what graphs were and the various kinds of graphs. When
I was done on that website, I decided to look around on Robert Lang's origami website. I found a
detailed write-up on how to find specific points on a piece of paper using the seven origami
axioms. I also found a glossary that defined various origami terminology, some of which I did
not originally know.
Next, I began my research of the parallels of the mathematics used in origami to normal
mathematics. Looking for sites that have information on this topic was quite tough. At first, I
didn't know how to start because the topic seemed pretty specific. To get moving with my
research, I used Google to search origami axioms. This led to many results, but while
skimming over the various websites, I found one site that really helped. The website was very
informative and had what I was searching for except for the fact that it didn't didn't describe the
seventh axiom. To look for a source that included the seventh axiom, I googled origami
parallels to math. It came up with lots of search results about parallel lines, but one source had
exactly what I was looking for. I found the parallel to normal mathematics for the seventh axiom.

Gheramy Guzman
To begin my research for my third question, I researched if there could possibly be any
more origami axioms. When I found that the answer was no in one of Robert Langs papers, I got
the idea to research about origami design. This led me to my origami design book written by
Robert Lang that I had received a long time ago. It was full of information of the origami design
process and of the mathematics behind each design method. I knew there was a second book
which Robert Lang wrote that I had not been able to buy yet. I searched it up in Google Books
and read about the new design method which was hex pleating. As I was reading, I remembered
seeing origami models of vases and such, so afterwards I decided to research curved-crease
origami. I came across a website by Erik Demaine, another famous origamist. The website was
about the history of curved-crease origami which I found to be very interesting.
For my last research question, I compared the two major origami design methods. This
was fairly easy to do because all I really needed to research was in the origami design book. I
studied each method of design in the book to try to decide which two might be the commonly
used methods. I also looked through an origami forum to see how people designed their origami
models to help me decide. I looked at the two methods in the book and began comparing them. I
thought it was fun to go back to read and refresh myself in detail of the various design methods.
I eventually ended up deciding not to do the interview with Robert Lang that I hoped to
do. The reason for this was because I thought I needed a good to go approval from my teacher
after turning in my final revised letter of request. I waited and eventually I realized that I could
have sent it all this time. Though, by the time I realized it, the ISearch papers were due soon and
I did not know how long it would take for Robert Lang to reply.

Gheramy Guzman
The Results
With the information I have gathered, I have concluded that origami and math are a very
effective pair. Math plays an important part because it helps to design flat foldable origami bases
and it is parallel to the Huzita-Justin axioms.
Origami is related to graph theory. Graph theory is the study of graphs which are a
collection of points which are also called nodes and vertices and lines which are also called
graph edges and arcs1. The lines in graphs don't connect all the points, but only certain
ones. Crease patterns are the pattern of folds left behind when an origami model is unfolded2. In
many crease patterns, there are various vertices that are connected to each other by creases. This
shows that crease patterns are essentially graphs. Also, in graph theory, there are problems that
involve finding the least amount of colors needed to color a graph without any of the same colors
touching each other3. Crease patterns that lead to flat foldable bases are always colorable in only
two colors. This means that when designing an origami base, one must make sure the crease
pattern is two colorable.
In origami there are the seven Huzita-Justin axioms. These axioms all correspond to
various geometric postulates and to solving equations of various degrees. The first axiom
describes that a line can be folded through two points. The second axiom describes that a line can
be made by folding two points onto each other. The third axiom describes that a line can be made
by folding two lines onto each other. The fourth axiom describes that given a line and a point, a
line can be folded through the point and perpendicular to the original line2. These first four
axioms all solve first degree equations. Respectively, they find the equation of a line, construct
the perpendicular line to the line that would connect the points, construct the bisector of the
angle the two lines would make, and construct a perpendicular. The fifth axiom is folding a point

Gheramy Guzman
onto a line such that the crease made passes through a certain point2. It is able to solve quadratic
equations4. The crease made by the fifth axiom is tangent to a parabola5. The sixth axiom is to
place two points onto two different lines2. This axiom can solve cubic equations. The crease
created by the sixth axiom is actually tangent to two parabolas, but the slope of the line is what's
used to solve a cubic equation5. The seventh axiom, is similar to the fourth axiom, but instead, a
point is folded onto a line so the crease is perpendicular to another line. When used together,
these axioms can solve problems a straightedge and compass cannot and find specific points on a
sheet of paper2.
Of the seven axioms, the seventh one was only discovered fairly recently. With that in
mind, a question arises: are there anymore axioms or ways to fold? Robert Lang describes a
proof that pertains to counting the various degrees of freedom of a system of equations. His
proof proves that there are no other possible axioms to be found in origami2
Axioms only describe the possible ways of aligning sets of points and lines to each other
to create new lines, but what about folding as in designing? In Robert Lang's book, Origami
Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art, Lang describes many ways to design
origami. The various design methods include ones that enhance the aesthetics of the model and
others that produce a flat origami base which is later shaped to look like the final model. The
design methods described in the book which enhance the model includes splitting points,
grafting, and pattern-grafting. The rest which are used to make the base includes traditional
bases, tiling, circle packing, molecules, tree theory, box pleating, and hybrid bases6. These
methods of designing bases are all very closely related to each other. Recently, there has been a
new way to fold that is described in Lang's second origami design book. It is a process very

Gheramy Guzman
similar to box pleating which uses square symmetry. The method is called hex pleating where
unlike box pleating, it uses hexagonal symmetry7.
Not only are there methods for folding flat origami bases; people have been able to create
origami models that incorporate curved creases. These models do not lie flat while one is in the
process of folding them. The first record of a curved-crease origami model is from a student's
work in 1927-1928. This model was made from a circle sheet of paper with a hole cut out. Pleats
of concentric circles were folded into the paper. The resulting shape was a saddle curve. Other
curved-crease models have modeled pots and other shapes that are difficult to model with only
straight creases8.
In origami, there are many different ways to design an origami base. Origami bases are
often folded flat and are shaped afterwards. The design methods used to create the bases are
made specifically so that the resulting base is folded flat before the shaping process. Each
method is different and all have their pros and cons6. Two of the main design methods include
circle packing and box pleating.
In circle packing, circles of various sizes are used to fill the square. The radius of the
circles will be how long the flap is in the folded base. Circle packing efficiently uses the paper so
the designer gets the largest base possible with the planned set of flaps denoted by each circle.
Though, circle packing can be difficult to do without an application that computes the optimal
packing. Finding a folding sequence for the resulting crease pattern can also be difficult due to
the nature of the computations which occur6.
Box pleating basically uses squares of various sizes to pack a square. The center of the
square to the midpoint of one side is the length of the flap that the square designates. Unlike

Gheramy Guzman
circle packing, due to the four-fold symmetry, the design process of the base can be done on grid
paper. The resulting crease pattern is also easier to fold due to all the points being based on a
grid. Although, due to the nature of the squares, box pleated bases do not use the paper
efficiently. When folding the base, a grid is often folded onto the paper first to help with the
reference points, but it can be aesthetically displeasing in the finished model6.
Though these design methods can be used purely by themselves, a hybrid base can be
made by the joining of the two methods. Not only can the above design methods be joined, but
others too. This way, each of the methods could possibly make up for the other's weakness.
Whats Next?
During the research process, I really enjoyed this topic and would like to continue with it.
I know I was not able to do the interview with Robert Lang, but I would like to do it someday to
ask him questions I still may have. I could also probably expand on the information I have by
doing the interview. I can also continue with this by actually experiencing the origami design
process myself. I could chose various methods of design and attempt to model the same subject
for each one. In a lot of my research I came across various instances of math which included
calculus, geometry, and other math related subjects. I could possibly explore them and get a
better understanding of origami. I could also probably experiment and try to find a new way of
designing origami. Lastly, I think it would be interesting to find various ways of applying
origami to new areas of study.

Gheramy Guzman
References
1. Weisstein EW. Wolfram MathWorld [Internet]. Eric Weisstein; c1999-2015. Graph; [cited
2015 Jan 5]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Graph.html
2. Lang RJ. Robert J. Lang Origami [Internet]. Robert J. Lang; c2004-2015 [modified 2015;
cited 2015 Jan 5]. Available from: http://www.langorigami.com
3. Legner P. Mathigon World of Mathematics [Internet]. Philipp Legner. Graph Theory; [cited
2015 Jan 5]; [about 12 screens]. Available from: http://world.mathigon.org/Graph_Theory
4. Lavoie C. Introduction [Internet]. Christian Lavoie; c2002. Axiomatic Origami or the
Mathematical Backbone of Paper Folding; [cited 2015 Jan 20]; [about 7 screens]. Available
from: http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~athens/cs507/Projects/2002/ChristianLavoie/maths.html
5. Krier JL. University of Texas at Tyler [Internet]. Jaema L. Krier; 2007. Mathematics and
Origami: The Ancient Arts Unite; [cited 2015 Jan 5]; [21 p.]. Available from:
http://math.uttyl.edu/nathan/classes/senior-seminar/JaemaKrier.pdf
6. Lang RJ. Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art. Natick (MA): A
K Peters; c2003.
7. Lang RJ. Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art, Second Edition
[Internet]. Boca Raton (FL): Taylor & Francis Group; c2011 [cited 2015 Jan 20]; [758 p.].
Available from: https://books.google.com/books?
id=lazMBQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Gheramy Guzman
8. Demaine E. [Internet]. Cambridge (MA): Erik Demaine; c2013. History of Curved Origami
Sculpture; 2013 [cited 2015 Jan 20]; [about 6 screens]. Available from:
http://erikdemaine.org/curved/history/