Unfair geometry

Geometry is rather unfair.


Three-sided polygons are called ''triangles'', regardless of the relative lengths of their sides.  If all three sides are the same length, they're ''equalateral triangles''.  If two are the same length, they're ''isolesces triangles''. If they sides are all different lengths, then they're just ''triangles''.  Or maybe ''irregular triangles''.  But they're still triangles, regardless.

And these appear to be mis-spelled.  But I can't be bothered to look up the correct spelling.


If you have a four-sided shape, and all four sides are the same size **and** the corners are right angles, it's a square.  If all four sides are the same but they're **not** perpendicular, it's a rhombus.  If you have pairs of sides facing each other that are the same length, and the corners are at right angles, it's a rectangle; if the corners aren't right angles, then it's a parallelogram.  You can also get a kite shape if you have a pair of shorties facing a pair of longer ones.  And if you have facing sides that are the same length, and they're connected by a shortie and a longie that are parallel to each other, then it's a trapezoid.  And (from memory) anything else that's four-sided is just a four-sided polygon.


A five-sided polygon is a pentagon.  If all five sides are the same length and connected with the same angle, then it's a ''regular'' pentagon.


Here's my point:  there's favoritism towards four-sides shapes.

-There's sooo many names for the different types of four-sided shapes.

-All three-sided shapes are ''triangles'' -- even the ones with oddball length combinations.

-And five-sided (and above) shapes lack special (colloquial) names.  They're just pentagons, hexagons, sepatagons, octogons...  And we only love them if they're symmetrical.


Total favoritism.


And those are the types of things I think about.  Sometimes.  :)


--GG