Speaker: Dr. Rachel Quinlan (School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Galway)
Title: "A Periodic Paper Caper"
Abstract: Periodic patterns are visible all around us, in nature and in human artefacts. They have been prominent for millennia in built objects, in tiled floors and walls, in ceramics, in poetry, in music, in textiles, in architecture, in every area of the decorative arts.
Appreciation of repetitive patterns appears to be endemic in human consciousness. The symmetry systems of two-dimensional periodic pattens are classified by the seventeen wallpaper groups. The theme of this talk is the use of origami as a means of exploring the seventeen wallpaper pattern classes, the connections and distinctions between them and the variability within them. The extraordinary material properties of paper, such as its pliability and translucency, provide a perfect medium for a physical exploration of this mathematical vista. We will take a tour of the wallpaper pattern classes, with lots of paper but few written words, and maybe look at some origami techniques along the way.