Does Origami Use Math?

The answer to the question of whether or not origami uses math seems pretty straightforward at first: after all, origami literally translates to folding paper and there are plenty of examples of origami that involve simple folds.
But beyond these obvious examples, it’s actually very hard to say whether origami uses math or not – because the answer depends on what you mean by math.
So let’s talk about what different kinds of math there are and what they’re used for – and then we can talk about how they relate to origami.
Does Origami Use Math?
Essentially yes, Origami makes a lot of use of mathematics because origami uses many concepts of geometry and this is an important branch of mathematics.
In origami fundamental concepts of angles, lines, planes, shapes, and symmetry are handled, all concepts encompassed in geometry and therefore are part of mathematics.
And although these may be visual concepts, it also requires numerical precision, for example, folding the paper at certain angles requires precision of the angles so that the shape is adequate.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of math’s effects on society, there was a time when we didn’t know that it could be used like this.
The idea for origami came from an ancient Japanese game called Igo (also spelled igo) which is played by placing paper on a grid and folding it into various shapes.
The idea of making paper shape into objects became popular around the 1920s and people soon learned how to make varying numbers of different shapes from just one piece of paper.
This quickly led to math models becoming more complex and interesting as they were made with many pieces of paper, each cutting or folding differently, creating both attractive and functional designs.
Is Learning Origami Hard?
Learning origami is easier than it seems. The designs are simple but interesting, and the general shapes are repetitive. In addition to circles and squares, there are more complex shapes like hexagons and octagons as well as more complicated ones like stars and snowflakes.
Origami is not rocket science, but you don’t have to be a mathematical genius to practice it.
There is a lot of repetition in origami models which cuts down on the learning time considerably. Origami also uses a few mathematical tricks that make it easier to learn so you can impress your friends faster.
What Mathematical Concepts Are Used in Origami?
Origami uses certain concepts from geometry to get the paper in the right shape. The easiest is known as a “kite shape” which is what you see when you have a big square of paper and lift up one of the corners.
The other main concept supports just one single piece of paper and makes what is called a “waterbomb base”. If you make a little loop out of one corner and then tape it down with some more sticky tape, then you can make the rest of the base simply by folding it diagonally.
How Does Origami Help in Learning Mathematics?
Origami is a great way to teach mathematics because it takes concepts that are basic and simple, but once you start to dissect the details, math becomes more difficult.
The idea of math is to take a fairly simple idea and build off of it. Even the concept of folding only gets more complicated when you look at it in detail.
Some interesting things begin to occur when we add dimension (because of course, origami is a two-dimensional art form).
For example, one mathematical operation that occurs a lot in origami (using rational numbers) is when you want to find out how many sheets of paper you need for different shapes.
Say you have a circle. If you have ten sheets of paper and one inch per sheet, then the math says that you can make all those circles with that, which means the circle is “10”, or “10” rational numbers.
If you have a square, then in this case it would be 4 because you can make four different squares with each sheet of paper.
How Is Origami and Geometry Related?
Geometry is the key to origami. Since origami folds to make shapes, it uses geometry to figure out where each fold needs to be and how each piece of paper needs to be angled. Using a few concepts from geometry, we can make many different models from just one piece of paper.
Does Origami Make You Smarter?
Origami does a lot for your brain development. Not only does it look visually appealing, it is also fun to build. And since it takes a lot of concentration to complete each step, the end result is a great mental exercise that improves your creativity and problem-solving skills.
What Skills Do You Need for Origami?
You need to be familiar with a variety of different geometric shapes and have a good working knowledge of basic math. In addition, you will have to have an understanding of how origami models work in order to feel confident enough to make your own designs.
Origami is one of the most interesting types of art out there. You may think that just folding paper into different shapes does not look like much, but that is only because it is a lot like math in the way that it doesn’t look very complex on the surface.
But, once you begin to go deeper and examine how it works, origami can become extremely complicated. This is why it takes such a long time for people outside of Japan to learn origami, but once they do they can start coming up with some truly amazing designs.
References:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/mathematical-origami–92394229831756171/