Geometric Folding Algorithms: Linkages, Origami, Polyhedra
MIT OpenCourseWare presents this advanced course on the mathematics and algorithms behind folding. Lectures cover linkages built from rigid rods and hinges, the reconfiguration of foldable structures, algorithmic origami design, and the unfolding and folding of three-dimensional polyhedra. The course connects these theoretical tools to practical applications in robotics, manufacturing, architecture, and structural biology, showing how folding problems appear in protein structure and deployable mechanisms. Materials include lecture notes, video recordings, and problem sets developed for the MIT class, taught in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. No enrollment or payment is required to access the materials, and no certificate is offered through OpenCourseWare. The course assumes a background in algorithms and computational geometry and moves through open research problems in the field alongside established results, making it suited to students already comfortable with formal proofs and algorithmic analysis.