Dr. Arun Srinivasa graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1986. He subsequently obtained his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991. He is currently the Holdredge Paul Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He also holds an adjunct professorship at IIT Madras and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

He teaches a wide variety of subjects in the general area of Engineering Mechanics (which is at the intersection of Geometry and Physics). His research work spans deployable structures, smart materials, materials processing and durability and damage of components. He has published over 100 journal articles, 3 books and has an active YouTube channel in Mechanics.

He has won a variety of awards including the Association of Former Students University Distinguished Award for Teaching at Texas A&M University, The Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Education (for his contributions to Mechanics education) and the Worchester Reed Warner Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his outstanding contributions to the permanent literature in Engineering.

The Session - It has long been a tradition that Euclidean geometry should be learnt by using a pencil, ruler and compass. Typically, there was an elaborate and somewhat mysterious procedure for construction (how to bisect an angle, how to draw perpendicular etc.) followed by a complex reasoning process to prove some results. In the 1890s, two Indians from what was then Madras, dared to ask, is this really necessary? They questioned the fundamental approach to geometry and came up with a way to connect geometry with craftsmanship: Doing all geometry by folding a sheet of paper! One of them wrote a book on the subject and it was published by Addison Publishing company and sold at Higginbothams.

Apart from the philosophical aspect of what is the best and most logical way to introduce geometrical concepts, they were also motivated by the fact the children could not afford ruler and compass. Their method allowed geometry to be considered an active science like a chemistry laboratory. The method that they created was eventually picked up by the great German mathematician Felix Klein and popularized in the western world. The book is now available in Amazon Books and is considered a classic (published in the original version). It is somewhat terse and so difficult to follow.

The speaker will talk briefly about the history of these thinkers and why their approach is very useful for the modern world. This is especially relevant since today folding based approaches are being developed to build large lightweight artistic buildings structures with low material wastage. We will then do a participatory exercise to show you how easy and fun it is to discover geometrical theorems by just folding paper and creating shapes. We are hoping that this will encourage more teachers and parents to explore mathematics as an active learning exercise where manipulative craft and geometry can be taught together.

Please bring a few sheets of paper (necessary) pencil, scissors and ruler (optional) and participate.

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