2025/03/20 by Thomas A. Witten, Witten, Thomas A., Anna Movsheva +1
Engineering · #Advanced Materials and Mechanics #Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization #FOS: Physical sciences #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Structural Analysis and Optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2503.16701
openalex publication_date 2025/03/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The principles behind the sharp, singular structures in a crumpled sheet are well understood. Here we discuss more general ways of exploiting such sharp structures to control the shape of a sheet by deforming or forcing it elsewhere. Often, the induced shape leads to further sharp structures -- ``sub-singularities". Though weaker and softer than the primary singularities, they nevertheless provide robust ways of shaping a sheet. In simple cases we understand the reason for these and their strength. This paper surveys a broad range of other sub-structure phenomena and reports recent progress in understanding some of them.