What is the origin of the word polygon?
The word polygon derives from the Greek adjective polys meaning much or many and gonia meaning corner or angle, though some scholars suggest the root may actually be gony meaning knee.
Common questions about Polygon
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the ancient Greeks first use the pentagram as a polygon?
The pentagram, a non-convex regular polygon, appeared as early as the 7th century B.C. on a krater by Aristophanes found at Caere and now in the Capitoline Museum.
Who made the first known systematic study of non-convex polygons?
Thomas Bradwardine made the first known systematic study of non-convex polygons in the 14th century, expanding the understanding beyond simple shapes to include complex intersections.
What is the sum of the interior angles of a simple n-gon?
The sum of the interior angles of a simple n-gon is 180 times n minus 2 degrees because any simple n-gon can be considered to be made up of n minus 2 triangles, each of which has an angle sum of 180 degrees.
Where can regular hexagons be found in nature?
Regular hexagons occur when the cooling of lava forms areas of tightly packed columns of basalt, which may be seen at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, or at the Devil's Postpile in California.
Which philosophers used the chiliagon to explore the limits of human imagination?
Philosophers including René Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and David Hume used the chiliagon, a polygon with 1000 sides, as an example in discussions to explore the limits of human imagination and the nature of mathematical concepts.