Mathematicians solve old problem that may have new applications

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Images: The top image is a traditional helicoid. The bottom one has a hole in it that would become a handle if the shape were completely untwisted into a flat surface. (Courtesy of Indiana University)
Images: The top image is a traditional helicoid. The bottom one has a hole in it that would become a handle if the shape were completely untwisted into a flat surface. (Courtesy of Indiana University)

A twisted soap bubble with a handle? If you find that hard to visualize, it's understandable. Experts had thought for more than 200 years that such a structure was not even mathematically possible. But no longer.


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