Browsing the stationery store reveals an incredible variety of pop-up cards for every occasion. The designs of the pop-up cards and books are astonishingly complex and include beautiful geometry involving the intersection of circles, cones, and spheres, as well as the movements of mechanisms and other constructions. This geometry can be modeled with algebraic equations, whose solutions explain the dynamics. For example, many pop-up movements are based on the intersection of three spheres, a computational process executed every second for GPS location. The connection of card structure movements with algebra and geometry reveals the abstract mathematical dimension that performs tangible calculations. Starting with the nephroid in the 19th century, the mathematics of pop-up design is now at the frontiers of rigorous origami and algorithmic computational complexity. All topics are accessible to those familiar with high school mathematics, without requiring calculus. The explanations are accompanied by more than 140 images and 20 animations.

Pages: 175, Dimensions: 15.2x15.2cm