Tetrahedron classes based on edge lengths (Q372492)

The authors describe 25 equivalence classes of tetrahedrons aiming to generalize in a meaningful way the well-known classification of triangles into equilateral, isoscele and scalene to tetrahedrons. For this purpose they develop some new concepts to compare tetrahedrons with each other: they define a bijection between two tetrahedrons, called a e-metry, which permutes vertices but preserves equal edge lengths. An e-metry of a tetrahedron onto itself is called a permetry and the induced bijection on the edge lengths a longometry. Permetries include symmetries. Two tetrahedrons are then called equivalent iff there exists a e-metry between them. Two equivalent tetrahedrons have isomorphic groups of longometries and permetries which serve as invariants of these equivalence classes, called e-classes.NEWLINENEWLINEThey also develop an algorithm how to canonically describe the relational properties of an arbitrary tetrahedron such that it can be easily decided to which e-class it belongs. A representative tetrahedron of each class is described.NEWLINENEWLINEThe authors consider a subdivision of every e-class into so-called o-classes: two elements are in the same o-class if the longometry preserves the order of the edge lengths. Further classifications, called p- and q-classes, are also introduced which represent a coarser classification than the e-classes.NEWLINENEWLINEThey shortly discuss the possibilities to generalize the concepts either to polyhedrons or to higher dimensions.