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The term ''complex polygon'' can mean two different things: * In
geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...
, a polygon in the
unitary Unitary may refer to: Mathematics * Unitary divisor * Unitary element * Unitary group * Unitary matrix * Unitary morphism * Unitary operator * Unitary transformation * Unitary representation In mathematics, a unitary representation of a grou ...
plane, which has two complex dimensions. * In
computer graphics Computer graphics deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...
, a
polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
whose boundary is not
simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by Johnn ...
.


Geometry

In
geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...
, a complex polygon is a polygon in the complex Hilbert plane, which has two complex dimensions. A
complex number In mathematics, a complex number is an element of a number system that extends the real numbers with a specific element denoted , called the imaginary unit and satisfying the equation i^= -1; every complex number can be expressed in the fo ...
may be represented in the form (a + ib), where a and b are
real number In mathematics, a real number is a number that can be used to measure a ''continuous'' one-dimensional quantity such as a distance, duration or temperature. Here, ''continuous'' means that values can have arbitrarily small variations. Every ...
s, and i is the square root of -1. Multiples of i such as ib are called ''
imaginary number An imaginary number is a real number multiplied by the imaginary unit , is usually used in engineering contexts where has other meanings (such as electrical current) which is defined by its property . The square of an imaginary number is . F ...
s''. A complex number lies in a
complex plane In mathematics, the complex plane is the plane formed by the complex numbers, with a Cartesian coordinate system such that the -axis, called the real axis, is formed by the real numbers, and the -axis, called the imaginary axis, is formed by the ...
having one real and one imaginary dimension, which may be represented as an Argand diagram. So a single complex dimension comprises two spatial dimensions, but of different kinds - one real and the other imaginary. The
unitary Unitary may refer to: Mathematics * Unitary divisor * Unitary element * Unitary group * Unitary matrix * Unitary morphism * Unitary operator * Unitary transformation * Unitary representation In mathematics, a unitary representation of a grou ...
plane comprises two such complex planes, which are
orthogonal In mathematics, orthogonality is the generalization of the geometric notion of '' perpendicularity''. By extension, orthogonality is also used to refer to the separation of specific features of a system. The term also has specialized meanings in ...
to each other. Thus it has two real dimensions and two imaginary dimensions. A complex polygon is a (complex) two-dimensional (i.e. four spatial dimensions) analogue of a real polygon. As such it is an example of the more general
complex polytope In geometry, a complex polytope is a generalization of a polytope in real space to an analogous structure in a complex Hilbert space, where each real dimension is accompanied by an imaginary one. A complex polytope may be understood as a colle ...
in any number of complex dimensions. In a ''real'' plane, a visible figure can be constructed as the ''real conjugate'' of some complex polygon.


Computer graphics

In computer graphics, a complex polygon is a
polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
which has a boundary comprising discrete circuits, such as a polygon with a hole in it. Self-intersecting polygons are also sometimes included among the complex polygons.Paul Bourke
Polygons and meshes:Surface (polygonal) Simplification
1997. (retrieved May 2016)
Vertices are only counted at the ends of edges, not where edges intersect in space. A formula relating an integral over a bounded region to a closed
line integral In mathematics, a line integral is an integral where the function to be integrated is evaluated along a curve. The terms ''path integral'', ''curve integral'', and ''curvilinear integral'' are also used; '' contour integral'' is used as well, ...
may still apply when the "inside-out" parts of the region are counted negatively. Moving around the polygon, the total amount one "turns" at the vertices can be any integer times 360°, e.g. 720° for a
pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle arou ...
and 0° for an angular "eight".


See also

*
Regular polygon In Euclidean geometry, a regular polygon is a polygon that is direct equiangular (all angles are equal in measure) and equilateral (all sides have the same length). Regular polygons may be either convex, star or skew. In the limit, a sequence ...
*
Convex hull In geometry, the convex hull or convex envelope or convex closure of a shape is the smallest convex set that contains it. The convex hull may be defined either as the intersection of all convex sets containing a given subset of a Euclidean space ...
*
Nonzero-rule In two-dimensional computer graphics, the non-zero winding rule is a means of determining whether a given point falls within an enclosed curve. Unlike the similar even-odd rule, it relies on knowing the direction of stroke for each part of the cu ...
* List of self-intersecting polygons


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Coxeter, H. S. M., ''Regular Complex Polytopes'', Cambridge University Press, 1974.


External links


Introduction to Polygons
Types of polygons {{geometry-stub