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Essay2:ConstructingRegularPolygons
byShawnD.Broderick
Regularpolygonsareclosedplanefiguresconsitingofedgesofequallengthandverticesofequalsize.Thesimplestregularpolygonistheequilateraltriangle,
whichconsistsofthreeedgesofequallengthandthreeanglesbetweeneachpairofedgestobe60degrees.Threeedgesisthesmallestnumberofedgesto
constructapolygonbecausetwoedgesformsanangleandoneedgeisasegment.Polygonsareclosedfigures.Theregularpolygonoffouredgesisthesquare.
Fiveedgesmakeupthepentagon,andsix,thehexagon.
WewillinvestigatehowtoconstructregularpolygonsusingcompassandstraightedgeversusadynamicgeometryprogramlikeGeometer'sSketchpad.
Wefirstlookattheconstructionofanequilateraltrianglewithstraightedgeandcompass.Itisthesimplestregularpolygonintheplane.Itconsistsofthreesides.

1.WebeginbydrawinganarbitrarypointA.

2.WethenopenourcompasstoafixeddistanceandmakeasmallmarktotherightofourpointA.ThisiswhereourpointBwilleventuallybe.
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3.Withoutliftingthecompasspointfromthepaper,wemovethepencilendupandtowardthemiddleandmakeanothermark.ThiswillbewherepointCwill
eventuallygo.

4.WenowlabelourpointBanywhereonthemark.(Whycanwemarkitanywhereonthelineandstillmaintainacertainlength?)

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5.NowplacethepointofthecompassonpointBandmakeamarkupandtothemiddlecrossingtheplacewherepointCwillgo.

6.MarktheintersectionaspointC.

7.Usingthestraightedge,drawthefirstsideofthetrianglefromAtoB.
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8.Again,usingthestraightedge,drawthesecondsideofthetrianglefromBtoC.

9.Drawthefinalside.Wearenowfinishedwiththeconstructionoftheequilateraltriangle.

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EquilateralTriangle

WewillnowcomparethisprocesstotheprocessonemightusetoconstructanequilateraltriangleinGSP:

1.Webeginbydrawinganarbitrarilylongsegment.Thiswillbeoneofthesidesofourtriangle.

2.WewilllabelthepointsAfortheleftpointandBfortherightpoint.

3.WenowconstructacircleusingpointBasthecenterandpointAastheedge.

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4.Next,wemakeanothercircleusingpointAasthecenterandpointBastheedge.

5.WeconstructtheirintersectionandlabelitpointC.

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6.WeconstructsegmentAC.

7.WeconstructsegmentBC.

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8.Ifwehideourcircles,wenowhaveourequilateraltriangle.

Questions:
1.Whydotheseconstructionswork?
2.Whatmakesthisanequilateraltriangleineithermedia?
3.Doweloseorgainanythingifweteachstudentshowtodotheseusingonemedia,theother,orboth?
Answers:
1(andpartof2).Inclasswediscussedthattheseequilateraltrianglesworkedbecausethetwocirclesthatareconstructed,ormarksfromtwocircles,wewillsee
thatthesegmentsofthetriangleareradiiofthecircles.Ifthecirclesarethesamesize,thentheradiithesamesizeandtheirpositionissuchthattheymeetat
threepoints(centersofcirclesandtheirintersection).Hereisadiagramthatmighthelp:

Westartedwithonecircleandconstructedtworadii.Thenwereflectedthecircleacrossthelinetohavetwocircles.

Wewillselectonecircleandmergeitwiththeothertoshowhowtheradiiformanequilateraltriangle.

Aswegetcloserwecanseethattheradiiwillformthetriangle.

Asthecircleshavemergedandnowsharearadii,whichformsthebase,wecanseethatbecausealltheradiiareequal,iftheyoverlaptoformthebaseandthe
othertwoconnectatthetop,wemusthaveanequilateraltriangle.
Restof2.WehaveseenwhatmakesanequilateraltriangleinGSP,butwithrespecttothepencilandpaperconstruction,weseethattheyarethesame,but
insteadofusingcirclestoshowthecongruenceoftheradii,thecompass(whoseopennessremainsconstant)isusedtocreateradiithatarecongruent.
3.WemightlosealittlewiththepencilandpaperconstructionbecausethecirclesarefullyillustratedinGSPandwithpencilandpaperweonlyseearcsof
circlesandtheuniformdistancecreatedbythecompassishidden.However,Ifeelthatbothtypesofconstructionsarebeneficialinordertohaveamore
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completelyformedideaofconstructionsforthestudents.
Let'stakealookathowtoconstructasquare.Againwestartwiththeconstructionbycompassandstraightedge:

1.WemarkapointA,setourcompasstoacertainlength,andmakeamark.Weneedtokeepthislength,sodon'tloseit.

2.Welabelapointonthemarkofthecompass,B.

3.WethendrawastraightlinethroughpointAandpointB.

4.UsingthecompassatthecurrentsettingmakeamarktotheleftofpointAandtotherightofpointB.

5.Ifwewanttomakeasquare,weneedtoconstructperpendicularlinesextendingupfrompointsAandB.So,inordertodothis,weneedtoextendthecompass
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fromourarbitrarylengthjustalittle.Wethenplacethepointontheveryleftintersectionandmakeanarcasillustratedabove.Thenweplacethepointofthe
compassonpointBandmakeanotherarcaroundpointAsotheyintersectasillustrated.RepeatthisprocesstomakesimilararcsaroundpointB.Startwiththe
pointofthecompassonpointAandmakeanmakethearcaroundB.Thenplacethepointofthecompassontherightmostintersectionandmakeanarc
connectingwiththeother,enclosingpointB.

6.First,maketwomarksabovepointsAandBusingtheoriginalarbitrarylengthofcompass.Thesewillsignifytheheightofsquare.Itwillbeexactlythesame
lengthasitisfromAtoB,thereforeitwillbeasquare.Nextweneedtofindoutthepositionofwherethevertexofthesquarewouldbe.Thisiswhywemade
arcs.Usingthestraightedge,drawalinefromAupthroughthetwoarcsaroundAandintersectitwiththemarkfromabove.Theillustrationshowshowthis
couldnowlook.

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7.WenowfinishtheconstructionbydrawingtheperpendicularlineupfromBtothemarkandlabelthatintersectionpointC.Finally,weconnectpointDand
pointCtofinishthesquare.

Square
WenowillustratehowonemayconstructasquareusingGSP:

1.Constructasegmentofarbitrarylength.

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2.ConstructacircleusingAasthecenterandBastheedge.AtthetopofthecirclewenowhavemarkedadistancetheisthesamedistanceasitisfromAtoB.

3.So,wenowconstructaperpendicularlinethroughAtothesegmentAB.TheintersectionofthislinethroughthetopofthecirclewelabelaspointD.

4.WenowconstructaperpendicularlinethroughpointDtothelineAD.

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5.Nextweconstructanotherperpendicularline,thistimethroughpointBtothelineAB.

6.Welabelthispoint,C.

7.Ifwehidetheobjectsthathavehelpeduswithourconstruction,wehaveaconstructedsquareABCD.

Comment:
Itseemsthatthereasonthisworksissimilartotheexplanationfortheequilateraltriangle.Herearesomesketches:

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Herewehavethesametypeofconstructionaswiththetriangle.Nowourradiiareperpendicular,andthesamelength.Thisissimilartotheattributesofasquare.

Wenowselecttwopointsononecircleandmergeitwiththeother.

Oncetheyaremerged,wecanseethesquare.Wejustconnectthetoppointsandwewillhaveoursquare.
Wenowturnourattentiontotheconstructionofapentagonusingcompassandstraightedge.Ihadnoideahowtodothisatfirst,soIneededtousetheInternet.
Therearemanydifferentwaystoconstructapentagon.Thefocusforthisessayistoshowawaytodoitanddiscusswhytheapproachworks.Whatisthe
mathematicsbehindit?

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1.Thepentagonisconstructedfromacircle.Eachoftheverticeswillintersectwiththeedgeofthecircle.So,wefirstconstructthecirclewiththecompass.Next,
wedrawalinedownthecenterofthecircle,dividingitinhalf.

2.Weneedtoconstructanotherlinedividingthelefthalfofthecircleinhalf.Inthefigure,wehavedonethisbybisectingthe180degreeanglethatgoesdown
themiddleofthecircle.Todothis,wesetthecompasstoacertainopeningpoint.Weplacethepointofthecompassonthecenterofthecircleandmakeamark
onbothoftheraysthatarbitrarydistanceout.Wethenplacethepointofthecompassonthemarkswemadeandmakeanothermarkintheareawherethe
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bisectionoftheanglewillgo.ThecreatesanXwhoseintersectioniswheretherayofthecircleneedstogo.Drawtheanglebisectorwiththestraightedge.

3.Thenextobjectiveistoconstructthemidpointofthesegmentwejustdrew.Inordertodothis,weopenthecompasstoanarbitrarydistancethatisjustlonger
thantheapproximatemidpointofthesegment.Weplacethepointofthecompassonthecenterofthecircleandmakeamarkofanarcaspictured.Thenwekeep
thecompassmeasurementasisandplacethecompasspointontheintersectionofthesegmentandtheedgeofthecircleandmakeasimilarmark.Ifthecompass
isopenfarenough,thenthearcsshouldintersectasshown.Ifthesenewintersectionsareconnected,theintersectionofthebothsegmentsisthemidpointofthe
segment.

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4.Next,connectthemidpointofthesegmentwefoundtowardthetopofthecircleandtotheintersectionofthedividinglineandtheedgeofthecircle.Ournext
goalistobisecttheangleformedbythesegmentfromthecentertotheedgeandthemidpointtotheedgeasshowninthepicture.Weusethesamemethodsasin
thebeginning.Weopenthecompasstoanarbitrarylength,whichislessthanthelengthoftheanglesegments.Placingthepointofthecompassatthevertexof
theangle,wemaketomarksontheanglesegments.Thenweclosethecompasssomeandplacethepointofthecompassonthemarkswemadeandmakenew
markstowardsthecenteroftheangle.Thesemarksshouldintersectattheanglebisector.Drawnthelineoftheanglebisectorfromthevertexoftheanglethrough
theXandtothelinethatpartitionsthecircleintwoequalparts.(Actually,asshowninthenextfigure,youneedtoextendtheanglebisectorpastthevertical
line.)

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5.Thenextobjectiveistoconstructaparallellinetothehorizontalsegmentatthepointofintersectionoftheverticalsegmentandtheanglebisector.Thisisdone
byplacingthepointofthecompassatthevertexofthebisectedangleandmarkingofftheanglewithanarcasshown.Wheretheanglebisectorintersectsthe
verticalsegment,placethepointofthecompassandmakeanotherarcasbefore.Thenweopenthecompassjustenoughtogofromanglesegmenttoangle
segmentatthemarkyoumade.Thenmakeanothermarkdownfromthearcyoumakeaboveandthisintersectionisthepointwheretheparallellinecanbedrawn
throughtheintersectionoftheanglebisectorandtheverticalline.Goaheadanddoso.

6.Connecttheintersectionofthenewsegmentandtheedgeofthecircletothetopintersectionoftheverticallineandtheedgeofthecircleandwehave
constructedthefirstsideofourpentagon.

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7.Wenowneedtorepeatthiswholeprocessinordertoconstructthreemoresides.Wecanconnectthefourthsidetothefifthwithoutmakingaconstruction.
However,wemakeoneanywayinordertocheckthatthefigurewasconstructedcorrectly.Nowwejustneedtodecideonaplacetostart.Sinceweconstructed
thesidestartingatthetopandslantingdownleft,wemakeoursegmentthatgoesthroughthecenterofthecirclestartingatthelastpointwejustconstructed.

8.Werepeatthisprocessanothertime.

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9.Werepeatthisprocessagain.

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10.Wenowfinishbyconstructingthefinalside,eventhoughitisnotnecessary.WenowhaveourpentagonABCDE.

Whatisalsocurioustome,isthattherearemathematicalbyproductsofconstructingapentagonthatonecanobserve.Theisalargecircleontheoutsideofthe
construction,beforewehideit.Thenthereisalsoalittlecircleinsidethepentagon,ifthearcslocatingthemidpointofthesegmentwerealittlemoreconsistent.
Thereisalsoalittlepentagoninsidethebigone,too.However,isitregular?Isisproportionaltothebigpentagon?Iftheconstructionwasdrawnperfectly,would
thelittlepentagonberegular?Doesthismeanthatthebigpentagonisnotexactlyregular?
WenowshowthissameprocessusingGSP:

1.Weconstructacircleofarbitrarylength.Thenweconstructalinedownthecenterofthecircle.

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2.Next,weconstructaperpendicularlinetotheverticallinethroughthecenterofthecircle.Wemakeasegmentwiththelinewejustcreatedfromthecenterto
theleftedge.Thenweconstructthemidpointofthatsegment.

3.Fromtherewedrawalineconnectingthemidpointtothetopofthecircle.Thiscreatesandangleandnextweconstructtheanglebisector.

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4.Weconstructaparallellinetotheprevioushorizontalline,andtheintersectionofthenewlinewiththeedgeofthecircleisthepointforthecreationofthefirst
sideofourpentagon.Wenowdrawthisside.Thisprocesswillberepeatedwithdifferentcolorsbeginningwiththesidepointwejustconstructed.

5.Wenowrepeatthisprocessforthesecondsidewithmaroon.

6.Werepeatthisprocessagainwithorange.

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7.Werepeatthisprocesswithpinkorfuscia,whateverthatcoloris.Atthispointwecansimplyconnectthelasttwosides,butsinceIwasinterestedinthe
geometrywithin,IrepeatedtheprocessonemoretimetoseeiftheprecisenessofGSPwouldhelp.

8.Itseemsthattherearemanythingshappeninginthemiddleofthisconstruction.However,thepentagonthatIthoughtwouldbedirectlyinsideisnotas
perfectlysituatedasIthought.

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9.Ifwehideallthethinlines,wecanseeourpentagon.

Question:
Whydoesthiswork?
Answer:
Inclasswediscussedtheuseofthegoldenratio.Inthepentagon,

theratioofthelengthofthereddiagonaltothelengthofthesideisequaltoaspecialnumber.

Wewillusethisdemonstrationtoshowhowtheconstructionaboveisapentagon.Wenowmakeacircleofradiusonesidelengthunit:

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Wethenputsomelabelsontofacilitatediscussion:

First,weobservethattriangleABFissimilartotriangleAEB.Becauseofthis,wecanconcludethat:

Then,wehavethefollowingthroughsubstitution:

Whichyields:

Weknowthatphiisthegoldenratio.Thus,wehavethepropositionthattheratioofthelengthofthediagonaloftheregularpentagontothelengthofitssideis
thegoldenratio.Wenowlookatourconstruction:

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Inordertodiscussthereasonthisconstructionisapentagon,weusetheabovelabels.Ourgoalistoprovethattheratioofthediagonalofthepentagon(EF)to
theside(AE)isphi,orthegoldenratio,thenthefigureisprovedtobeapentagon.Theconstructiondepictedaboveisthesameconstructionweused,exceptI
constructedthesegmentEOtofacilitatethecalculationofEF.
IbeginbynotingthatwearegiventhatsegmentAO,BO,andEOare2unitsinlength.SegmentBCandCOareoneunitinlengthbecauseCisthemidpointof
BO.IfAOis2andCOisone,thenACis:

WenowcanfindtheangleACObyusingtrigonometry.Therefore,angleACOis:

Thus,angleDCOishalfofthat,bydefinition,whichis:

SegmentDO/1isequalto:

BecauseweknowthatEOis2,weusethePythagoreanTheoremtofindED.Thus,ED2+DO2=EO2.So,wehave:

Therefore,ED=

Wemultiplythisexpressionby2togetthelengthofEF.So,EF=

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Wearenowhalfwaytoourgoal.Rememberthatwearegoingfortheratioofthelengthofthesideofourfiguretothelengthofthediagonal.Wehavethe
diagonalEF.Wenowseekthelengthofaside,sayAE.OurplanistousethePythagoreanTheoremtofindAE.WewillusetheequationAE2=ED2+AD2.We
knowEDandwecanfindADwiththeexpressionof2DO.Therefore,wesolve:

WhenwefindAEanduseourcalculatortogetadecimalapproximationwehaveAE=2.35114100917.ThedecimalapproximationforEF=3.80422606518.
ThenEF/AE=1.61803398875.ThedecimalapproximationforthegoldenratioisexactlywhatmyapproximationforEF/AE.Therefore,thisconstructiongivesa
regularpolygon.
Wenowmoveintothesectiononconstructingahexagonwithstraightedgeandcompass:

1.Webeginbyconstructingacircleofarbitrarysize.

2.Wemakeamarkontheedgeofthecircleattherightside.Whilemaintainingtheoriginalarbitrarysizeofthecompass,weplacethepointofthecompasson
thatmarkandmarktheintersectionsofthecircleonthetopandbottom.

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3.Wenowdrawadiameterofthecirclefromthetopintersectionofthecirclesthroughthecenterandcontinuingthroughtheoppositeedgeatthebottomwith
ourstraightedge.

4.Wedothesamefortheoppositeintersection.

5.Wecannowbegintoconstructthesidesofthehexagon.Ourfirstsideisfromtherightpointwemarkedtothetopintersectionofthecircle.

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6.Oursecondsideconnectsthetopintersections.Butwait,whereisourthirdsidegoingtogo?

7.Wemakeourthirdsidebyconstructingthelinethatconnectsthemarksofthecentersofourtwocircles.Ifweextendthatlinethroughtheotherside,wehave
theintersectionontheleftwhichmarksthepointwhereourthirdsidewillterminate.Wecannowconstructthisthirdside.

8.Wedrawthefourthsidebystartingattheintersectionwejustmadeandendatthebottomleftintersection.

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9.Ourfifthsideisconstructedbyconnectingthebottomintersections.

10.Wefinishedconstructingthesidesofthehexagonbyconnectingtheintersectionsfromthebottomrighttotherightmostmark.

11.Wehaveourhexagon!
Hmm...Itlookslikethetopisalittlecrooked...I'mnotsurewhyitendeduplikethat.Againweaskhowdoesthisconstructionproduceahexagon.Doesithaveto
dowithbeingabletoconstructtheinteriororcomplementaryangles?
WeperformthisprocessinGSP:

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1.Wefirstconstructacircleofarbitrarysize.

2.Next,weconstructahorizontallinefromthecenterofthecircleoutthoroughtheedge.

3.Next,weconstructanothercircleusingtheedgeofthefirstasthecenterandthecenterofthefirstastheedge.

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4.Next,weconstructalinethroughthecenterofthefirstcircleandthetopintersectionofbothcircles.

5.Next,weconstructanotherlinethroughthecenterofthefirstcirclethatpassesthroughthebottomintersectionofthecircles.

6.Wearenowreadytodrawoutthesidesofourhexagon.Thefirstsidestartsatthebottomintersectionofbothcirclesandgoestothecenterofthesecondcircle.

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7.Thesecondsidegoesfromthebottomintersectionofthetwocirclestothebottomintersectionofthefirstlinewedrewandthefirstcircle.

8.Thethirdsidegoesfromthebottomintersectionofthefirstcircleandthefirstlinetotheleftintersectionofthehorizontallineandthefirstcircle.

9.Thefourthsidegoesfromtheintersectionofthefirstcircleandthehorizontallinetothetopintersectionofthefirstcircleandthesecondline.

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10.Thefifthsidegoesfromthetopintersectionofthefirstcircleandthesecondlinetothetopintersectionofbothcircles.

11.Thesixthsideconnectsthefifthsidetothefirstside,andwehaveourhexagon.

12.Whenwehidethelinesandlabelthevertices,wehaveacleanpictureofourconstructedhexagon.
Wenowarriveatlookingathowtoconstructaheptagon.Itisimpossibletoconstructaperfectlyregularheptagonbyusingonlyastraightedgeandcompassas
wehavedonebefore.Somyquestionis,whyisthat?
Becauseofthisimpossibility,Ibelieveitisagoodtimetoendthisessay.

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