Dodecahedron Image credit: |
A
Platonic solid is a
convex
regular polyhedron. These are the three-dimensional analogs of the convex
regular polygons. There are precisely five such figures (shown on the left). The name of each figure is derived from the number of its faces: respectively 4, 6, 8, 12 and 20. They are unique in that the sides, edges and angles are all
congruent.
Due to their
aesthetic beauty and
symmetry, the Platonic solids have been a favorite subject of
geometers for thousands of years. They are named after the
ancient Greek philosopher
Plato who claimed the
classical elements were constructed from the regular solids.
The Platonic solids have been known since antiquity. The five solids were certainly known to the
ancient Greeks and there is evidence that these figures were known long before then. The
neolithic people of
Scotland constructed stone models of all five solids at least 1000 years before Plato. (
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Dodecahedron Image credit: |
A
Platonic solid is a
convex
regular polyhedron. These are the three-dimensional analogs of the convex
regular polygons. There are precisely five such figures (shown on the left). The name of each figure is derived from the number of its faces: respectively 4, 6, 8, 12 and 20. They are unique in that the sides, edges and angles are all
congruent.
Due to their
aesthetic beauty and
symmetry, the Platonic solids have been a favorite subject of
geometers for thousands of years. They are named after the
ancient Greek philosopher
Plato who claimed the
classical elements were constructed from the regular solids.
The Platonic solids have been known since antiquity. The five solids were certainly known to the
ancient Greeks and there is evidence that these figures were known long before then. The
neolithic people of
Scotland constructed stone models of all five solids at least 1000 years before Plato. (
Full article...)
View all selected articles |