The mathematics of taffy pullers

DOI10.1007/S00283-018-9788-4zbMATH Open1432.00038arXiv1608.00152OpenAlexW3106381600WikidataQ59425913 ScholiaQ59425913MaRDI QIDQ1649554FDOQ1649554

Authors: Jean-Luc Thiffeault 

Publication date: 6 July 2018

Published in: The Mathematical Intelligencer (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We describe a number of devices for pulling candy, called taffy pullers,that are related to pseudo-Anosov maps of punctured spheres. Though the mathematical connection has long been known for the two most common taffy puller models, we unearth a rich variety of early designs from the patent literature, and introduce a new one.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.00152

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General applied mathematics (00A69) Kinematics of mechanisms and robots (70B15) Dynamical systems involving homeomorphisms and diffeomorphisms of planes and surfaces (37E30)

Cites Work

• A primer on mapping class groups
• On the geometry and dynamics of diffeomorphisms of surfaces
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Topological fluid mechanics of stirring
• On the minimum dilatation of braids on punctured discs
• A family of pseudo-Anosov braids with small dilatation
• Topology, braids and mixing in fluids
• A design for pseudo-Anosov braids using hypotrochoid curves
• Topological optimization of rod-stirring devices
• The entropy efficiency of point-push mapping classes on the punctured disk
• Complicated dynamics from simple topological hypotheses
• Pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms with quadratic expansion
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• A mixer design for the pigtail braid
• Title not available (Why is that?)

Cited In (3)

• Fractal generation in a two-dimensional active-nematic fluid
• Lyapunov exponents for the random product of two shears
• Topological Entropy of Surface Braids and Maximally Efficient Mixing

Uses Software

• Braidlab

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