Naked Polyhedra

Polyhedra: the Platonic Solids

The five Platonic Solids are simplest forms of a class of three-dimensional figures called polyhedra. Their startling and elegant numeric properties have enchanted mystics and mathematicians alike throughout history.

First attributed to the Pythagoreans (500 BCE), these five perfect shapes were studied in-depth by Greek philosopher Plato (400 BCE) for whom they are named. Plato believed that these solids represented the shapes of the four elements – earth, fire, air, and water – with the remaining solid symbolizing the cosmos.

Name	Faces	Edges	Vertices
Tetrahedron	4	4	4
Cube	6	12	8
Octahedron	8	12	6
Dodecahedron	12	30	20
Icosahedron	20	30	12

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