Open Collections will undergo maintenance on Thursday, July 24th, 2025. The site will not be available from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM PST and performance may be impacted from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST.

BIRS Workshop Lecture Videos

Banff International Research Station Logo

BIRS Workshop Lecture Videos

The Math Behind the Pop-up Spinner O'Rourke, Joseph

Description

Pop-up books and cards have been around since the 18th century, and recently have seen a surge in popularity through the elaborate designs of pop-up masters like Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. But the most stunning and elegant pop-up effect I have encountered is the Pop-Up Spinner card invented by an anonymous Japanese student. How it functions turns out to depend on a geometric theorem concerning linkages proven in an undergraduate thesis. I will explain the connection and prove the theorem.

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International