A famous problem of antiquity is to divide a given angle into three equal parts using just a compass and a straightedge. People tried very hard to solve this problem, until it was eventually proven that you can't. A compass and a straightedge just aren't enough to trisect any given angle.

Surprisingly, however, you can trisect an angle using origami. Just a few folds on a piece of paper and you're done. See this article on Wild Maths to find out how.

Wild Maths encourages students to explore maths beyond the classroom and is designed to nurture mathematical creativity. The site is aimed at 7 to 16 year-olds, but open to all. It provides games, investigations, stories and spaces to explore, where discoveries are to be made. Some have starting points, some a big question and others offer you a free space to investigate.

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