Published by the Applied Probability Trust

© Applied Probability Trust 2013

12

The Mathematics of Origami

SUDHARAKA PALAMAKUMBURA
Origami is a widespread art form gaining popularity among mathe-
maticians for its remarkable ability to perform geometric constructions.
This article provides a brief introduction to the mathematical aspects
of origami and shows how origami can be used to perform two well-
known constructions, angle trisection and doubling the cube, which are
impossible to solve using only the compass and the straight edge.

Introduction
Origami is the art of creating sculptures through paper folding. The word ‘origami’ is derived
from two Japanese words: ‘Oru’, which means ‘fold’, and ‘Kami’, which means ‘paper’. As
the name implies, in origami the folding of paper is used to create designs. Cutting and gluing
papers are not considered origami techniques. It is believed that origami started around 105
AD with the invention of paper. Although the exact place where origami was born is subject to
much debate, it is believed to have begun in Korea, China, or Japan (see reference 1).
Origami began as a form of art and inspires both young and old due to the vast number of
design possibilities that it opens (for some examples, see http://www.langorigami.com). In some
countries, origami is part of the culture; in Japan newly wedded couples and newborn babies
are presented with a thousand origami paper cranes to symbolize long life and happiness, while
in China the burning of particular origami models is a tradition at funerals (see reference 2).
In the late nineteenth century there was a spur of interest in studying the mathematical
aspects of origami. In 1893 T. Sundara Row published a book named Geometric Exercises in
Paper Folding (reference 3) which illustrates the geometrical aspects of origami. Since then,
considerable efforts have been made in order to mathematize origami. In 1985 a Japanese
mathematician named Humiaki Huzita presented a set of six axioms which determine what is
constructible through origami folds. Later, in 2001, Koshiro Hatori added one more axiom
to the collection (see reference 1). The seven axioms are widely known as the Huzita–Hatori
axioms. One of the pioneers of modern origami, Robert J. Lang, recently proved that this
system of axioms is complete (reference 4), i.e. every single fold in origami corresponds to one
of the seven axioms.

Huzita–Hatori axioms
It is traditional practice to use square paper in origami. Hence, in this article paper refers to
square paper hereafter. A line in origami is a crease made by a paper fold or the boundary of
the paper. Initially, a paper consists of four lines: its boundaries. A point is the intersection of
two lines. The Huzita–Hatori axioms define what can be constructed via a single fold in terms
of lines and points and are illustrated in figure 1.
(A1) Given two points, one can fold a crease line through them.
(A2) Given two points, one can fold a crease along their perpendicular bisector, folding one
point on top of the other.
 13

( A1) ( A2) ( A3)

( A4) ( A5) ( A6) ( A7)

Figure 1 Huzita–Hatori axioms, dashed lines represent creases and solid lines represent existing lines.

(A3) Given two lines, one can fold their bisector crease, folding one line on top of the other.

(A4) Given a point and line, one can crease through the point perpendicular to the line, folding
the line onto itself.

(A5) Given two points and a line, one can fold a crease through one point that maps the other
point onto the line.

(A6) Given two points and two lines, one can fold a crease that simultaneously maps one point
to one line and the other point to the other line.

(A7) Given one point and two lines, one can fold a crease perpendicular to one line so that the
point maps to the other line.

The power of origami

One of the interesting aspects of origami is its ability to go beyond traditional compass and
straightedge (unmarked ruler) constructions. Angle trisection and doubling the cube are two
major problems which haunted mathematicians for over 2000 years. In 1837 the French
mathematician Pierre Laurent Wantzel proved that both of these constructions are impossible
using only the straightedge and compass (reference 5). However, both constructions can be
carried out using origami folds.

Trisecting an angle

Trisecting an angle is the problem of dividing a given angle into three equal parts using the
compass and straightedge. In 1980 Hishashi Abe discovered an elegant method for trisecting
a given angle using origami folds (reference 1). Figure 2 illustrates Abe’s trisection method.
The given angle is marked in the figure as θ. Note that all the folds in this construction agree
with the Huzita–Hatori axioms.

1. The first fold (figure 2(a)) finds the bisector crease ab corresponding to the two boundaries
of the paper. This is in accordance with (A3).
 14

a b a b

c d
θ θ
(a) (b)
f

a b b a b
c

c d d c d
e

θ/3
e e
(c) (d) (e)

Figure 2 Abe’s method to trisect an angle. Dashed lines represent creases and solid lines represent
existing lines.

2. Similarly, the second fold (figure 2(b)) finds the bisector crease cd corresponding to the
lower boundary and ab. This is also in accordance with (A3).

3. The third fold (figure 2(c) and (d)) is by (A6) and folds e onto cd and a onto ef ; c
maps to c
.

4. The last two folds (figure 2(e)) are by (A1) and find the lines ec
and ee
.

To see how Abe’s method trisects an angle, we need to consider the crease pattern of the method
(figure 3). The crease hg maps the three points a, c, and e to a
, c
, and e
, respectively.
Therefore,
hei ≡ he
i =⇒ ∠aee
= ∠a
e
e, (1)

ae = a
e
, (2)

a

a b
c

c e
d
i
α
e g

Figure 3 Crease pattern of Abe’s construction for trisecting an angle.

 15

and
ee
is common to both aee
and a
ee
. (3)

By (1), (2), and (3),

aee
≡ a
e
e. (4)

Since ce
is the perpendicular bisector of ae , then ae
= ee
and, from (4), ea
= ee
. Since
c is the midpoint of ae and c
is the midpoint of a
e
, it follows that
∠a
ec
= ∠e
ec
= α. (5)

Note that
ec
⊥ a
e
=⇒ ∠ee
c
= 90◦ − α =⇒ ∠ee
g = α.
Since eg = ge
, ∠e
eg = ∠ee
g = α . Therefore, by (5), ∠a
ec
= ∠e
ec
= ∠e
eg = α and
the lines ea
and ee
trisect the angle θ.
Doubling the cube
Doubling the cube is an ancient problem that was proved unsolvable using the compass and
straightedge. Given a cube of volume
√ V and side length a, the problem is whether a cube with
volume 2V and side length a 3 2 can be constructed. The problem can be reduced
√ to dividing
a given line segment ab into two parts, ac and cb, such that ac : cb = 1 : 3 2 . In 1985, Peter
Messer found a method to double the cube through origami (reference 1; see figure 4).
1. The first fold (figure 4(a)) finds the bisector crease ab. This is in accordance with (A3).
2. The point a
is brought onto b (figure 4(b) and (c)). This is an (A2) fold. Here we
find the new point c which is a trisection point of the side pq. The remaining trisection
point d can be obtained by making the bisector crease between pc. Hence, the square
is divided into three equal parts (figure 4(d)).

b b b

a a a

(a) (b) (c)
p p


32
d d d

g
c c e
1

q f q
(d) (e) (f)

Figure 4 Messer’s method of doubling the cube.

 16

a b h

c
d
e

Figure 5 Trisecting the side of the square.

3. Finally, the points e and f are mapped onto the two lines dd
and pq, respectively
(figure 4(e) and (f)). This fold is by√
(A6). The new point g is found, which divides the
side pq by the ratio, gq : pg = 1 : 3 2 .

In the first half of this construction, the paper is divided into three equal parts, as illustrated in
figure 5. Let l be the length of one side of the square. Then ab = bh = l/2. Consider bhj.
By the Pythagorean relation bh2 + hj 2 = j b2 , we have (l/2)2 + hj 2 = j b2 . However,
hj + j b = l; therefore,

2
l 5l 3l
+ (l − j b)2 = j b2 =⇒ jb = , hj = .
2 8 8

Hence, the ratio between the sides of bhj is, hj : bh : j b = 3 : 4 : 5 ( bhj turns out to
be a scalar multiple of a 3 : 4 : 5 right-angled triangle!). Since bhj and abc are similar
triangles,
ac bh ac 4 2l
= =⇒ = =⇒ ac = .
ab hj l/2 3 3
Hence, c is a trisection point. After dividing the paper into three equal
√ parts the remainder of
the construction (see figure 4(e) and (f)) divides pq in the ratio 1 : 3 2 . Figure 6 depicts the
underlying geometry. Let pg = y and gq = x. Considering gqr, we have

l = x tan θ + x sec θ

=⇒ l = x(tan θ + 1 + tan2 θ)



sin θ sin2 θ
=⇒ l=x  + 1+
1 − sin2 θ 1 − sin2 θ

1 + sin θ
=⇒ l=x . (6)
1 − sin θ
Considering gst, we have
y − l/3
sin θ = .
l/3
 17

l
3
y
t s
θ
l l
3 g 3
θ
x
l
3

q r
√
Figure 6 Dividing the side by the ratio 1 :
3
2.

Substituting this result into (6) yields


3y
l=x .
2l − 3y

Since l = x + y , 
3y
x+y =x .
2(x + y) − 3y

Simplification of this expression leads to (x/y)3 = 21 ; therefore,

qg 1
= √
3
.
gp 2

Acknowledgments The author would like to thank and dedicate this article to all the members
of the amazing mathematical forum Math Help Boards (http://www.mathhelpboards.com/
forum/). Their contributions made me look at mathematics from a different perspective.
References
1 E. D. Demaine and J. O’Rourke, Geometric Folding Algorithms: Linkages, Origami, Polyhedra
(Cambridge University Press, 2007).
2 F. Temko, Paper Pandas and Jumping Frogs (China Books, San Francisco, 1998).
3 T. S. Row, Geometric Exercises in Paper Folding (The Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago,
1917).
4 R. J. Lang, Origami and geometric constructions, http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/hja/
hja.php (2010).
5 D. M. Burton, The History of Mathematics: An Introduction (McGraw–Hill, New York, 2006).

Sudharaka Palamakumbura is an undergraduate student at the

University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. His mathematical interests
include cryptography and coding theory. In his spare time, he likes
to ride his bicycle and listen to music.