The Science Life Math

An enduring Möbius strip mystery has finally been solved

A mathematician’s journey to prove how short the loops can be had some twists and turns

An illustration of a green Möbius strip, a loop of paper with a half-twist in it.

A Möbius strip (one shown) is a loop of paper with a half-twist in it. A mathematician has now proven the shortest possible Möbius strip for a given width.

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By Emily Conover

Any attempt to better understand Möbius strips is bound to run into some kinks.