Isohedra with nonconvex faces (Q1281736)

The authors call \(P\) a polyhedron if \(P\) is a bounded three-dimensional solid in ordinary Euclidean space with the following properties: The boundary of \(P\) is the union of a finite number of flat polygonal regions (faces). The interiors of the faces are assumed to be disjoint and their boundaries meet in pairs in line segments (edges), or in a single point, or not at all. The authors demonstrate by simple examples that their set of polyhedra slightly differs from the customary one. A polyhedron is called an isohedron if all its faces are equivalent under symmetries of the polyhedron. Now this note is especially devoted to isohedra with nonconvex faces. For such isohedra \(P\) the results are: (i) \(P\) is nonconvex. (ii) \(P\) is star-shaped. (iii) \(P\) is of genus 0. (iv) The faces of \(P\) are star-shaped pentagons with one concave vertex. (v) \(P\) is combinatorially equivalent to either the pentagonal dodecahedron or to the polar of the snub cube or snub dodecahedron. Many instructive figures illustrate the note. In an appendix then for isohedra with nonconvex faces the coordinates of the vertices are calculated. From these the shape and convexity character of the faces are determined.