The Mathematics of the Pop-Up Tent
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 12:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Ever wrestled with a pop-up tent, trying to flatten it to fit into the bag? Help is at hand, in the form of a mathematical theory to describe the shapes adopted by the types of flexible ring from which these tents are made. “We have found the best way to fold rings,” says Alain Jonas, a materials scientist at the French-speaking Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, who led the research. [More]