Customer Reviews

Flexagons Inside Out

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Flexagons are hinged polygons made of paper or some other easily bent substance that displays different faces when they are flexed. While geometric figures have been around for thousands of years, the first recorded use of the flexagon was the hexaflexagon, invented by Arthur H. Stone at Princeton in 1939. The name was derived from the hexagonal shape of the pieces and the fact that it flexes. Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman was one of the first people to work with flexagons and the diagrams he created to describe them were later modified into his famous Feynman diagrams that represent events in subatomic physics.
There is a mathematical theory of flexagons, but in this book, the focus is on the description of the many species of flexagons that can be constructed. Diagrams that can be copied, cut and then folded into the appropriate shape are very numerous. Detailed instructions using a sequential notation are also included, which I found a necessity. I did not try to construct all of the flexagons, which would have taken weeks, but those that I did build were really cool. It is fascinating to fold the paper, move it around and then see what appears. The results are not always what you expect. In some cases, you can use rigid paper, but for most of them, it is better to use very flexible paper, as it is often necessary to bend the edges to get the desired shape.
No previous knowledge of mathematics or geometry is necessary, although if you are unaccustomed to mathematical notation, the instructions may be a bit difficult at first. I plan on showing the book to the leader of my daughter's girls scout troop, as these structures are ideal activities for children. Easy to do, yet mind-stretching, flexagons can keep you busy for hours and then suddenly show you an unexpected result.

given in this book for constructing the flexagons. They are minimal at best. I have had this problem with origami books, too. So, I recommend a prospective buyer look at the book before buying to make sure he or she can understand the directions; what is the value of the book if you can't actually construct the flexagons and play with them?