Schläfli symbol

Definitions

A notation that recursively encodes certain properties of a specified regular polytope or tessellation.

Equivalents

Examples

“1995, Unnamed translator, E. B. Vinberg, Polynomial Group, article in M. Hazewinkel (editor), Encyclopaedia of Mathematics, Volume 4: Monge–Ampère Equation — Rings and Algebras, 2013, International Edition, page 481, The three-dimensional regular polytopes (Platonic solids) have⟳ the following Schläfli symbols: the tetrahedron — {3, 3}, the cube — {4, 3}, the octahedron — {3, 4} — the dodecahedron — {5, 3}, and the icosahedron — {3, 5}.”

“For the regular tiling of squares the Schläfli symbol is {4,4}, indicating that there are four squares surrounding each vertex. And for the regular tiling of hexagons the Schläfli symbol is {6,3}, indicating that there are three hexagons surrounding each vertex.”

“The 24-cell has has 24 octahedral cells, 24 vertices, 96 triangular faces and 96 edges. Its Schläfli symbol is {3, 4, 3} from which we see⟳ that the vertex figure⟳ is a cube.”

CEFR level