In folding an irregularly shaped tent, I managed to get the shape of a triangle, which was evenly thick. Unfortunately, the best way to fold a tent is in a rectangle that is evenly thick. How can I fold a triangle into a rectangle without making some parts of it thicker than others?

Folding starting with the obtuse angle is fine, but if you didn't want a fold there at all, then you could still manage it. Take either of the two sides as the base, and fold the opposite corner so it's on the line containing the base. Then fold so the two corners touch.

Then fold the other side twice so the sides line up and all three corners touch. The rectangle's location in the triangle is the same as in the other ones. (The proof is similar but distinct.)

Posted by Gamer on 2007-10-08 20:04:59