Topic for Week 12-13 under the GED0103 syllabus:

Excursions in Modern Mathematics

6th Edition

Formative assessment activity:

Each member of the group shall write his/her own
inquiry question by completing the phrase provided
for in the SCL paper and signed his/her name at the
end of the question.

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 Excursions in Modern
Mathematics
Sixth Edition
Aufmann, R. N., Lockwood, J. S.,
Nation, R. D., & Clegg, D. K.
(2013). Chapter 11: Symmetry. In
Mathematical excursions (6th ed.,
pp. 171-230). Belmont, CA, USA:
Brooks/Cole.

Week 12-13 of the Syllabus

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 Chapter 11
Symmetry

Mirror, Mirror, Off

the Wall

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 Symmetry
Outline/learning Objectives

 To describe the basic rigid motions of the

plane and state their properties.
 To classify the possible symmetries of
any finite two-dimensional shape or
object.
 To classify the possible symmetries of a
border pattern.
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 Symmetry

11.1 Rigid Motions

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 Symmetry- Symmetries of a
Triangle

In terms of symmetry, how do these triangles differ?

Which one is the most symmetric? Least symmetric?
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 Symmetry

Let’s say, for starters, that symmetry is a

property of an object that looks the same to
an observer standing at different vantage
points. Thus, we can think of symmetry as a
property related to an object that can be
moved in such a way that when all the
moving is done, the object looks exactly as it
did before.
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 Symmetry- Rigid Motion

The act of taking an object and moving it from

some starting position to some ending position
without altering its shape or size is called a rigid
motion such as illustrated in (a).

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 Symmetry- Rigid Motion

If the shape is altered, the motion is not rigid

such as illustrated in (b).

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 Symmetry

• Equivalent rigid motions – two rigid motions that

move an object from a starting position A to an
ending position B.
•Basic rigid motions of the plane – every rigid
motion is equivalent to a reflection, a rotation, a
translation, or a glide reflection.

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 Symmetry

• Image – denoted by P and informally means M

moves P to P .
•Fixed point – It may happen that a point P is
moved back to itself under M , in which case we
call P a fixed point of the rigid motion M .

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 Symmetry

11.2 Reflections

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 Symmetry- Reflection

A reflection in the plane is a

rigid motion that moves an
object into a new position
that is a mirror image of the
starting position. In two
dimensions, the “mirror” is a
line called the axis of
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reflection.
 Symmetry- Reflections of a Triangle

The above figure shows three cases of reflection

of a triangle ABC. In all cases the reflected
triangle A´B´C is shown in red. In (a) the axis
of reflection l does not intersect the triangle
ABC.
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 Symmetry- Reflections of a Triangle

In (b) the axis of reflection l cuts through the

triangle ABC – here the points where l
intersects the triangle are fixed points of the
triangle. In (c) the reflected triangle A´B´C falls
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 Symmetry- Reflections of a Triangle

on top of the original triangle ABC. The vertex B

is a fixed point of the triangle, but the vertices
A and C swap positions under the reflection.

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 Symmetry

Useful facts about reflection

 A reflection is completely determined by its
axis l.
 A reflection is completely determined by a
single point-image pair P and P (as long as P
is not a fixed point).
 A reflection is an improper rigid motion.
 If the same reflection is applied twice, every
point ends up exactly where it started.
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 Symmetry

11.3 Rotations

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 Symmetry

A rotation is defined by giving the

rotocenter and the angle of
rotation The figure on the right
illustrates how a clockwise
rotation with rotocenter (the point
O that acts as the center of the
rotation), and the angle of
rotation  (actually the measure
of an angle indicating the amount
of rotation) moves a point P to the
point P .
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 Symmetry- Rotations of a Triangle

The above illustrates three cases of rotation of a

triangle ABC. In all cases the reflected triangle
A´B´C is shown in red. In (a) the rotocenter O
lies outside the triangle ABC.
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 Symmetry- Rotations of a Triangle

In (b) the rotocenter O is at the center of the

triangle ABC. In (c) the 360°rotation moves every
point back to its original position – from the rigid
motion point of view it’s as if the triangle had not
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 Symmetry

Useful facts about rotation

 A 360° rotation is equivalent to the identity
motion.
 A rotation is a proper rigid motion.
 A rotation is completely determined by two point-
image pairs, P, P and Q, Q .

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 Symmetry

Useful facts about rotation (continued)

 A rotation that is not the identity motion has only
one fixed point – the rotocenter O.
 Combining a clockwise rotation with rotocenter O
and angle  with a counterclockwise rotation with
the same rotocenter and angle gives the identity
rigid motion.

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 Symmetry

11.4 Translations

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 Symmetry- Translations of a Triangle

This figure illustrates the

translation of a triangle
ABC. There are three
“different” arrows shown in
the figure but they all have
the same length and
direction, so they describe
the same vector of
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translation v.
 Symmetry

Useful facts about translation

A translation is completely determined by a
single point-image pair P and P .
A translation has no fixed points.
A translation is a proper rigid motion.

Combining a translation with vector v and a

translation with vector -v gives the identity rigid
motion.
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 Symmetry

11.5 Glide
Reflections

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 Symmetry

A glide reflection is a compound rigid motion

obtained by combining a translation (the glide)
with a reflection with axis parallel to the
direction of translation. Thus, a glide reflection
is described by two things: the vector of the
translation v and the axis of the reflection l, and
these two must be parallel.

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 Symmetry- Glide Reflection of a
Triangle

This figure illustrates

the result of applying
the glide reflection with
vector v and axis l to
the triangle ABC. In (a)
the translation is
applied first, moving
triangle ABC to the
intermediate position
A*B*C*.
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 Symmetry- Glide Reflection of a
Triangle

The reflection is then

applied to A*B*C*,
giving the final position
A´B´C. If we apply the
reflection first, then the
triangle ABC gets
moved to the
intermediate position
A*B*C* (b) and then
translated to the final
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 Symmetry

Useful facts about glide reflection

 A glide reflection is completely determined by
two point-image pairs, P, P and Q, Q .
 A glide reflection has no fixed points.
 A glide reflection is an improper rigid motion.

 Combining a glide reflection with vector v and

axis l with a glide reflection vector -v and axis
l gives the identity rigid motion.
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 Symmetry

11.6 Symmetry as a
Rigid Motion

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 Symmetry

A symmetry of an object (or

shape) is a rigid motion that
moves the object back onto
itself.

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 Symmetry

For two-dimensional objects in the plane,

there are only four types of rigid motions
and symmetry:
 Reflection symmetry
 Rotation symmetry
 Translation symmetry
 Glide reflection symmetry

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 Symmetry- The Symmetries of a
Square

What are the possible rigid motions that

move the square in (a) back onto itself?
First, there are reflection symmetries.
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries of a
Square

For example, if we use the line l1 in (b) as the

axis of reflection, the square falls back into itself
with points A and B interchanging places and C
and D interchanging places.
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries of a
Square

Are there any other symmetries?

Yes– the square has rotation
symmetries as well as cited in (c).
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries of a
Square

All in all, we have found eight symmetries

for the square in (a). Four of them are
reflections, the other four are rotations.
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries Type Z4

A propeller with symmetry type Z4

(four rotation symmetries, no
reflection symmetries).
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries Type Z2

A propeller with symmetry type Z2

(two rotation symmetries, no
reflection symmetries).
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries Type D1

Objects with symmetry type D1 (one

rotation symmetry plus the identity
symmetries).
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 Symmetry- The Symmetries Type Z1

Objects with symmetry type Z1 (only

symmetry is the identity symmetry).

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 Symmetry

11.7 Patterns

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 Symmetry

We define a pattern as an
infinite “shape” consisting of an
infinitely repeating basic design
called the motif of the pattern.

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 Symmetry

Border patterns are linear

patterns where a basic motif
repeats itself indefinitely in a
linear direction, as in a frieze, a
ribbon, or the border design of a
pot or basket.
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 Symmetry

Kinds of symmetries in border

patterns:
 Translations
 Reflections
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 Symmetry

Kinds of symmetries in border

patterns (continued):
 Rotations
 Glide reflections.
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 Symmetry

Wallpaper patterns are patterns

that fill the plane by repeating a
motif indefinitely along several
(two or more) nonparallel
directions.

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 Symmetry

Kinds of
symmetries in
wallpaper
patterns:
 Translations
 Reflections
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 Symmetry

Kinds of
symmetries in
wallpaper
patterns:
 Rotations
 Glide reflections.
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 Symmetry
Conclusion

 Basic Rigid Motions

 Symmetry
 Patterns

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