INTRODUCTION

I have been interested in geometry and polyhedra all my working life, so it was a very natural decision to create a web site on the topic. However, there was not much point in recreating some of the extensive polyhedral web sites that are currently available. For example, Maurice Starck’s excellent Polyhedral World :

                         http://www.ac-noumea.nc/maths/amc/polyhedr/index_.htm

contains enough examples of polyhedra to last a lifetime, and may perhaps appear overwhelming to newcomers to the subject.

My own interest in mathematics has always run side by side with its teaching, hence the word ‘discovering’ in the title. This site is an attempt to encourage students to think about the issues, explore the relationships, and discover the beauty of the polyhedra for themselves. There is no doubt that this is a fascinating and aesthetically beautiful part of geometry, and one which contains some surprises along the way.

I am deeply indebted to Bob Allanson for his generosity in allowing me to use his Java applets. These really enhance the site, and fit its philosophy of exploration and discovery. Bob is also South Australian, and did his B.Sc. (Adelaide) in biochemistry about 1972. He has worked in mining and fishing, is interested in Bushcare, and is currently a landscaper/gardener.  His website address is: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~llan/

The polyhedra in the applets can be moved by placing the cursor on the solid and dragging with the mouse. An alternative is to use the nudge and rotation buttons on the adjacent panel. The central number, which controls the amount of movement, can be changed: type in a new number, and press ‘Enter’ on the keyboard. The button labelled ‘View’ cycles the polyhedron between a 3-dimensional view, a wire frame view, and a shadow view.

Links in this site respond to a click of the mouse. Notice that some links are disabled by moving the cursor after enabling the link.

It is worth noting that a number of commercial software products are available online. With these, one can obtain prepared nets for constructions, investigate relationships between various polyhedra, and scan a given polyhedron from various angles. I encourage you to do an online search.

This site contains a large number of images, particularly in the ‘real life’ sections. If there has been any accidental breach of copyright, please contact the author.

I hope you enjoy this site, and make many happy discoveries. I would appreciate hearing from any reader with comments, corrections or suggestions.

Paul Scott (2005)

mail@paulscott.info    www.paulscott.info