UREM-ULB :
Unité de Recherche sur l’Enseignement des Mathématiques

Erik Demaine, chaire Francqui au titre étranger parlera à la VUB le jeudi 19 février à 16 h, Aula Qd

Origami, Linkages, and Polyhedra : Geometric Folding Algorithms

When : Thursday February 19, 2009, 4PM

Location : Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Aula QD

Abstract : What forms of origami can be designed automatically by a computer ? What shapes can result by folding a piece of paper flat and making one complete straight cut ? What 3D surfaces can be cut open and unfolded into a flat piece of paper without overlap ? When can a robot arm or protein be untangled or folded into a desired configuration ? Geometric folding and unfolding is a branch of discrete and computational geometry that addresses these and many other intriguing questions. I will give a taste of the many discoveries that have been made in the past few years, as well as the several exciting problems that remain unsolved. Folding problems have applications throughout science and engineering, for example, to safer automobiles, space deployment, manufacturing, robotics, computer graphics, and protein folding.

L’auditoire comporte environ 200 places. Il est préférable de réserver auprès de Philippe Cara