A hands-on approach to art, math, and community
Yongquan “YQ” Lu is perfectly at home surrounded by sheets of paper. For him, these rectangles represent endless possibilities for math-based art, ranging from exquisite, three-dimensional origami forms created without a single cut, to intricate, multicolored geometric designs assembled with laser-cut paper strips. Lu, a double major in mathematics and electrical engineering and in computer science, is an independent thinker who enjoys following his own path. During his time at MIT, this has meant combining his two loves, math and paper art, in increasingly interesting ways, while staying committed to community outreach. Lu, who grew up in Singapore, was interested in math and paper art from an early age. During high school, he took six weeks during the school year to attend Canada/USA Mathcamp, where he was surrounded by students, counselors, and teachers who shared his excitement for math. The experience motivated Lu to apply to MIT, but before college he was required...