Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Computational Origami and David Huffman

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the everyone-likes-math dept.

geeber writes "Here is an article about David Huffman's work in the mathematics of computational origami at the New York Times (soul sucking registration required). According to the article, computational origami, "also known as technical folding, or origami sekkei, draws on fields that include computational geometry, number theory, coding theory and linear algebra." David Huffman is also the inventor of Huffman coding used in MP3s and was mentioned prieviously here."

9 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Computational Folding by L3on · · Score: 1, Interesting

    If your into folding and you like SETI@Home checkout Stamfords Folding@Home, it's not oragami but instead something alot more useful: understanding protien folding. Check it out here: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/

  2. Impressive... by Mz6 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I wonder if he left behind any How-To's? Most of those were made from a single sheet of paper! I would lvoe to be able to do all of that stuff... very nice....

    So.. who knows how to actually do all of that?

    --
    Hmmm.
  3. papercraft penguin ? by blackest_k · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Click here for a Penguin not as hard as David Huffmans designs but ideal for your linux box

    --
    Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
  4. Re:What I liked best... by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Better yet, does anybody know how he folded those things? They're amazing! It reminds me of the works of Buckminster Fuller, Kenneth Snelson, and Chuck Hoberman in that they have an underlying mathematical model that also exhibits "elegance and simplicity". I love this kind of art.

  5. Re:Mathematical elegance - beauty by bhima · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Scientific American had an excelent article on the art Jackson Pollock: Order in Pollock's Chaos

    --
    Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
  6. Origami Spacecraft by G4from128k · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've always liked the idea of using origami for spacecraft. I can also envision universal constructor machines that convert asteroid materials into flat sheet and robotic systems that then fold long pieces of flat sheet stock into any shape that's needed (such as full size versions of these Star Wars spacecraft).

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
  7. Re:Origami as an Art by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Yeah. Since computers and math could never produce anything beautiful

  8. Hobby -- new theories by Katchina'404 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What I find impressive is that people like Huffman are possibly defining new application fields for mathematics, maybe leading to new theories, all from (originally) a hobby.

    This reminds me of former mathematicians such as Euler and his Konigsberg bridges...

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature
  9. Re:Origami as an Art by Dr.+GeneMachine · · Score: 2, Interesting
    So, demonstrating that our aesthetic perception is intricately linked to mathematical beauty somehow diminishes the value of art? I don't think so.

    I think Huffman himself gave the best comment to this:
    "I don't claim to be an artist. I'm not even sure how to define art," he said. "But I find it natural that the elegant mathematical theorems associated with paper surfaces should lead to visual elegance as well."

    --
    This comment does not exist.