Origami and Mathematics

While Origami is often thought of as a hobby and an ancient artform, much if not most of what we know has been developed relatively recently. Sitting at the intersection of physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, biology, and many other fields, there remain many open questions and there are many relatively unknown techniques and subgenres to explore with minimal required background. I will give a brief survey of some math related origami ideas, discuss some of the theory behind origami design, and introduce enough basic techniques and resources to get started, leaving as much time as possible open for exploration, questions, and technical help with folding. Selected topics include fractal origami, origami tessellations, curved origami, flat foldability, n-sided flowers using twist folds, origami software, and more depending on audience interest.