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The five Platonic solids and their connection to root systems
Snapshots of modern mathematics from Oberwolfach
The five Platonic solids and their connection to root systems
Platonic solids have fascinated humans for thousands of years. In ancient times, they were associated with the elements fire, air, water, earth, and aether. These solids are completely symmetrical three-dimensional polyhedra. In this snapshot, it is first explained that there can only be five such polyhedra in the threedimensional space. For this purpose, so-called Schläfli symbols and Coxeter graphs are introduced. More precisely, the (linear) Coxeter graphs correspond to the (linear) Schläfli symbols that, in turn, correspond exactly to the regular convex polyhedra. Through this one-to-one relationship, it is possible to classify the regular convex polytopes in any dimension by exploiting the classification of Coxeter graphs.
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Mathematical subjects
Algebra and Number Theory
Geometry and Topology
Connections to other fields
Computer Science
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DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
10.14760/SNAP-2025-004-EN
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Mathematical subjects
Algebra and Number Theory
Analysis
Didactics and Education
Discrete Mathematics and Foundations
Geometry and Topology
Numerics and Scientific Computing
Probability Theory and Statistics
Connections to other fields
Chemistry and Earth Science
Computer Science
Engineering and Technology
Finance
Humanities and Social Sciences
Life Science
Physics
Reflections on Mathematics