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Chamfer (geometry)
Geometric operation which truncates the edges of polyhedra

In geometry, a chamfer is a topological operation that modifies a polyhedron by reducing its faces and adding a new face between each pair of adjacent faces, moving the vertices inward. Unlike expansion, which moves faces outward but keeps original vertices, chamfering creates a new hexagonal face in place of each original edge. Represented by "c" in Conway polyhedron notation, chamfering transforms a polyhedron with e edges into one with 2e new vertices, 3e new edges, and e new hexagonal faces, effectively creating a more complex shape while preserving the polyhedron’s original vertices.

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Chamfered Platonic solids

Chamfers of five Platonic solids are described in detail below. Each is shown in an equilateral version where all edges have the same length, and in a canonical version where all edges touch the same midsphere. The shown dual polyhedra are dual to the canonical versions.

SeedPlatonicsolid {3,3}{4,3}{3,4}{5,3}{3,5}
ChamferedPlatonicsolid(equilateralform)

Chamfered tetrahedron

Chamfered tetrahedron
(equilateral form)
Conway notationcT
Goldberg polyhedronGPIII(2,0) = {3+,3}2,0
Faces4 congruent equilateral triangles6 congruent equilateral* hexagons
Edges24 (2 types:triangle-hexagon,hexagon-hexagon)
Vertices16 (2 types)
Vertex configuration(12) 3.6.6(4) 6.6.6
Symmetry groupTetrahedral (Td)
Dual polyhedronAlternate-triakis tetratetrahedron
Propertiesconvex, equilateral*
Net
*for a certain chamfering/truncating depth

The chamfered tetrahedron or alternate truncated cube is a convex polyhedron constructed:

For a certain depth of chamfering/truncation, all (final) edges of the cT have the same length; then, the hexagons are equilateral, but not regular.

The dual of the chamfered tetrahedron is the alternate-triakis tetratetrahedron.

The cT is the Goldberg polyhedron GPIII(2,0) or {3+,3}2,0, containing triangular and hexagonal faces.

Tetrahedral chamfers and their duals
chamfered tetrahedron(canonical form)rhombic hexahedronchamfered tetrahedron(canonical form)
alternate-triakis tetratetrahedrontetratetrahedronalternate-triakis tetratetrahedron

Chamfered cube

Chamfered cube
(equilateral form)
Conway notationcC = t4daC
Goldberg polyhedronGPIV(2,0) = {4+,3}2,0
Faces6 congruent squares12 congruent equilateral* hexagons
Edges48 (2 types:square-hexagon,hexagon-hexagon)
Vertices32 (2 types)
Vertex configuration(24) 4.6.6(8) 6.6.6
SymmetryOh, [4,3], (*432)Th, [4,3+], (3*2)
Dual polyhedronTetrakis cuboctahedron
Propertiesconvex, equilateral*
Net (3 zones are shown by 3 colors for their hexagons — each square is in 2 zones —.)
*for a certain chamfering depth

The chamfered cube is constructed as a chamfer of a cube: the squares are reduced in size and new faces, hexagons, are added in place of all the original edges. The cC is a convex polyhedron with 32 vertices, 48 edges, and 18 faces: 6 congruent (and regular) squares, and 12 congruent flattened hexagons.For a certain depth of chamfering, all (final) edges of the chamfered cube have the same length; then, the hexagons are equilateral, but not regular. They are congruent alternately truncated rhombi, have 2 internal angles of cos − 1 ⁡ ( − 1 3 ) ≈ 109.47 ∘ {\displaystyle \cos ^{-1}(-{\frac {1}{3}})\approx 109.47^{\circ }} and 4 internal angles of π − 1 2 cos − 1 ⁡ ( − 1 3 ) ≈ 125.26 ∘ , {\displaystyle \pi -{\frac {1}{2}}\cos ^{-1}(-{\frac {1}{3}})\approx 125.26^{\circ },} while a regular hexagon would have all 120 ∘ {\displaystyle 120^{\circ }} internal angles.

The cC is also inaccurately called a truncated rhombic dodecahedron, although that name rather suggests a rhombicuboctahedron. The cC can more accurately be called a tetratruncated rhombic dodecahedron, because only the (6) order-4 vertices of the rhombic dodecahedron are truncated.

The dual of the chamfered cube is the tetrakis cuboctahedron.

Because all the faces of the cC have an even number of sides and are centrally symmetric, it is a zonohedron:

The chamfered cube is also the Goldberg polyhedron GPIV(2,0) or {4+,3}2,0, containing square and hexagonal faces.

The cC is the Minkowski sum of a rhombic dodecahedron and a cube of edge length 1 when the eight order-3 vertices of the rhombic dodecahedron are at ( ± 1 , ± 1 , ± 1 ) {\displaystyle (\pm 1,\pm 1,\pm 1)} and its six order-4 vertices are at the permutations of ( ± 3 , 0 , 0 ) . {\displaystyle (\pm {\sqrt {3}},0,0).}

A topological equivalent to the chamfered cube, but with pyritohedral symmetry and rectangular faces, can be constructed by chamfering the axial edges of a pyritohedron. This occurs in pyrite crystals.

Uses

The DaYan Gem 7 is a twisty puzzle in the shape of a chamfered cube. 1

Octahedral chamfers and their duals
chamfered cube(canonical form)rhombic dodecahedronchamfered octahedron(canonical form)
tetrakis cuboctahedroncuboctahedrontriakis cuboctahedron

Chamfered octahedron

Chamfered octahedron
(equilateral form)
Conway notationcO = t3daO
Faces8 congruent equilateral triangles12 congruent equilateral* hexagons
Edges48 (2 types:triangle-hexagon,hexagon-hexagon)
Vertices30 (2 types)
Vertex configuration(24) 3.6.6(6) 6.6.6.6
SymmetryOh, [4,3], (*432)
Dual polyhedronTriakis cuboctahedron
Propertiesconvex, equilateral*
*for a certain truncating depth

The chamfered octahedron is a convex polyhedron constructed by truncating the 8 order-3 vertices of the rhombic dodecahedron. These truncated vertices become congruent equilateral triangles, and the original 12 rhombic faces become congruent flattened hexagons.For a certain depth of truncation, all (final) edges of the cO have the same length; then, the hexagons are equilateral, but not regular.

The chamfered octahedron can also be called a tritruncated rhombic dodecahedron.

The dual of the cO is the triakis cuboctahedron.

Chamfered dodecahedron

Chamfered dodecahedron
(equilateral form)
Conway notationcD = t5daD = dk5aD
Goldberg polyhedronGPV(2,0) = {5+,3}2,0
FullereneC802
Faces12 congruent regular pentagons30 congruent equilateral* hexagons
Edges120 (2 types:pentagon-hexagon,hexagon-hexagon)
Vertices80 (2 types)
Vertex configuration(60) 5.6.6(20) 6.6.6
Symmetry groupIcosahedral (Ih)
Dual polyhedronPentakis icosidodecahedron
Propertiesconvex, equilateral*
*for a certain chamfering depth

Main article: Chamfered dodecahedron

The chamfered dodecahedron is a convex polyhedron with 80 vertices, 120 edges, and 42 faces: 12 congruent regular pentagons and 30 congruent flattened hexagons.It is constructed as a chamfer of a regular dodecahedron. The pentagons are reduced in size and new faces, flattened hexagons, are added in place of all the original edges. For a certain depth of chamfering, all (final) edges of the cD have the same length; then, the hexagons are equilateral, but not regular.

The cD is also inaccurately called a truncated rhombic triacontahedron, although that name rather suggests a rhombicosidodecahedron. The cD can more accurately be called a pentatruncated rhombic triacontahedron, because only the (12) order-5 vertices of the rhombic triacontahedron are truncated.

The dual of the chamfered dodecahedron is the pentakis icosidodecahedron.

The cD is the Goldberg polyhedron GPV(2,0) or {5+,3}2,0, containing pentagonal and hexagonal faces.

Icosahedral chamfers and their duals
chamfered dodecahedron(canonical form)rhombic triacontahedronchamfered icosahedron(canonical form)
pentakis icosidodecahedronicosidodecahedrontriakis icosidodecahedron

Chamfered icosahedron

Chamfered icosahedron
(equilateral form)
Conway notationcI = t3daI
Faces20 congruent equilateral triangles30 congruent equilateral* hexagons
Edges120 (2 types:triangle-hexagon,hexagon-hexagon)
Vertices72 (2 types)
Vertex configuration(24) 3.6.6(12) 6.6.6.6.6
SymmetryIh, [5,3], (*532)
Dual polyhedronTriakis icosidodecahedron
Propertiesconvex, equilateral*
*for a certain truncating depth

The chamfered icosahedron is a convex polyhedron constructed by truncating the 20 order-3 vertices of the rhombic triacontahedron. The hexagonal faces of the cI can be made equilateral, but not regular, with a certain depth of truncation.

The chamfered icosahedron can also be called a tritruncated rhombic triacontahedron.

The dual of the cI is the triakis icosidodecahedron.

Chamfered regular tilings

Chamfered regular and quasiregular tilings
Square tiling, Q{4,4}Triangular tiling, Δ{3,6}Hexagonal tiling, H{6,3}Rhombille, daHdr{6,3}
cQcHcdaH

Relation to Goldberg polyhedra

The chamfer operation applied in series creates progressively larger polyhedra with new faces, hexagonal, replacing the edges of the current one. The chamfer operator transforms GP(m,n) to GP(2m,2n).

A regular polyhedron, GP(1,0), creates a Goldberg polyhedra sequence: GP(1,0), GP(2,0), GP(4,0), GP(8,0), GP(16,0)...

GP(1,0)GP(2,0)GP(4,0)GP(8,0)GP(16,0)...
GPIV{4+,3}CcCccCcccCccccC...
GPV{5+,3}DcDccDcccDccccD...
GPVI{6+,3}HcHccHcccHccccH...

The truncated octahedron or truncated icosahedron, GP(1,1), creates a Goldberg sequence: GP(1,1), GP(2,2), GP(4,4), GP(8,8)...

GP(1,1)GP(2,2)GP(4,4)...
GPIV{4+,3}tOctOcctO...
GPV{5+,3}tIctIcctI...
GPVI{6+,3}ctΔcctΔ...

A truncated tetrakis hexahedron or pentakis dodecahedron, GP(3,0), creates a Goldberg sequence: GP(3,0), GP(6,0), GP(12,0)...

GP(3,0)GP(6,0)GP(12,0)...
GPIV{4+,3}tkCctkCcctkC...
GPV{5+,3}tkDctkDcctkD...
GPVI{6+,3}tkHctkHcctkH...

Chamfered polytopes and honeycombs

Like the expansion operation, chamfer can be applied to any dimension.

For polygons, it triples the number of vertices. Example:

For polychora, new cells are created around the original edges. The cells are prisms, containing two copies of the original face, with pyramids augmented onto the prism sides.[something may be wrong in this passage]

See also

Sources

References

  1. "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Show Museum Item". twistypuzzles.com. Retrieved 2025-02-09. https://twistypuzzles.com/app/museum/museum_showitem.php?pkey=4308

  2. "C80 Isomers". Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-09. https://archive.today/20140812023023/http://www.nanotube.msu.edu/fullerene/fullerene.php?C=80