Topology affects the crumpling of growing elastic sheets

Physics World reports that a team at Hebrew University of Jerusalem has identified a new mechanism governing how elastic sheets crumple as they grow. Eran Sharon and colleagues discovered that the dimpled patterns in these materials arise from topological properties—mathematical principles about shape—rather than the geometric incompatibilities previously thought responsible. In their experiments, they grew a hollow elastic sphere by adding material and observed unexpected creasing despite the sheet satisfying all established mechanical compatibility conditions. When they cut the sphere along a meridian, the crumpling instantly vanished, proving the effect stems from topology rather than geometry. The finding could deepen our understanding of how complex shapes emerge in nature and enable new synthetic materials engineered with built-in mechanical properties.

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