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Mathematics

Around the Möbius band

Nature Materials volume 6, pages 547–548 (2007)Cite this article

A newly derived set of differential equations provides a numerical solution to the classic question of predicting the shape of a Möbius strip.

To explain the notion of a developable strip it will be useful to arm oneself with a few sheets of plastic overhead transparencies (A4 size is ideal), a ruler, an appropriate pen, a pair of scissors and Sellotape. A narrow rectangular strip of about 3 cm width should be cut from one of the long edges of the transparency, a straight line drawn down the centre of the strip, and a closed band formed by bending (with, for the moment, no twisting) and the ends overlapped and sealed with the Sellotape. When released, the band should adopt a shape in which the centre line is almost exactly circular, with the band itself forming part of the walls of a circular cylinder.

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  1. John H. Maddocks is at the Institut de Mathématiques B, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. john.maddocks@epfl.ch,

    John H. Maddocks

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  1. John H. Maddocks
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Maddocks, J. Around the Möbius band. Nature Mater 6, 547–548 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1960

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