Recently, there has been an interest in origami and folding as tools and inspirations for engineers to optimize the volume or dimensions of an object for transport. From parachutes, to airbags, to solar panels, to the James Webb Space Telescope, we see many examples of folding an object to temporarily make it smaller. With this application comes the natural limitation that parts of the object may not be foldable (one would not like to accidentally break the JWST by forcing one of the mirrors to bend for example). In this talk, I'll introduce the mathematical theory of rigid folding and give applications of rigid foldings throughout the engineered world. Come join Dr. Daniel Bossaller from the math department as he discusses the connections between origami and mathematics.

This talk is public and open to all undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and the general public. This talk has no prerequisites; you are invited to come no matter your mathematical background.