Parallelogon
A parallelogon is a polygon such that images of the polygon will tile the plane when fitted together along entire sides, without rotation.[1]
A parallelogon must have an even number of sides and opposite sides must be equal in length and parallel (hence the name). A less obvious corollary is that all parallelogons have either four or six sides;[1] a four-sided parallelogon is called a parallelogram. In general a parallelogon has 180-degree rotational symmetry around its center.
The faces of a parallelohedron are parallelogons.
Two polygonal types
Quadrilateral and hexagonal parallelogons each have varied geometric symmetric forms. In general they all have central inversion symmetry, order 2. Every convex parallelogon is a zonogon, but hexagonal parallelogons enable the possibility of nonconvex polygons.
Sides | Examples | Name | Symmetry | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Parallelogram | Z2, order 2 | ||
Rectangle & rhombus | Dih2, order 4 | |||
Square | Dih4, order 8 | |||
6 | Elongated parallelogram | Z2, order 2 | ||
Elongated rhombus | Dih2, order 4 | |||
Regular hexagon | Dih6, order 12 |
Geometric variations
A parallelogram can tile the plane as a distorted square tiling while a hexagonal parallelogon can tile the plane as a distorted regular hexagonal tiling.
1 length | 2 lengths | ||
---|---|---|---|
Right | Skew | Right | Skew |
Square p4m (*442) |
Rhombus cmm (2*22) |
Rectangle pmm (*2222) |
Parallelogram p2 (2222) |
1 length | 2 lengths | 3 lengths | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Regular hexagon p6m (*632) |
Elongated rhombus cmm (2*22) |
Elongated parallelogram p2 (2222) |
References
- Aleksandr Danilovich Alexandrov (2005) [1950]. Convex Polyhedra. Translated by N.S. Dairbekov; S.S. Kutateladze; A.B. Sosinsky. Springer. p. 351. ISBN 3-540-23158-7. ISSN 1439-7382.
- The facts on file: Geometry handbook, Catherine A. Gorini, 2003, ISBN 0-8160-4875-4, p.117
- Grünbaum, Branko; Shephard, G. C. (1987). Tilings and Patterns. New York: W. H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-1193-1. list of 107 isohedral tilings, p.473-481
- Fedorov's Five Parallelohedra