December 2012 15
The Magnificent Seven Learn the unbreakable seven laws that let you turn a sheet of paper into a work of art
The seven Huzita-Justin Axioms are the only known way to fold a piece of paper using lines and points as “landmarks� for folding. The Italian-Japanese scientist and mathematician Humiaki Huzita formulated the first of six of the axioms, while Jacques Justin stated the final member of the group. The seven axioms constitute the foundation for any origami model and have been proven mathematically over the years as being the complete set of ways to fold paper. Axiom 1: One can fold a line connecting two points.
Axiom 2: One can fold a line that sets one point on another point.
Axiom 3: One can fold one line onto another line.
Axiom 4: One can fold a line perpendicular to another line while passing through a point.
Axiom 5: One can fold a point onto a line while passing through a second point.
Axiom 6: One can fold one point onto one line and another point onto another line.
Axiom 7: One can fold a line perpendicular to another line while placing a point onto a third line.