Polyhedra and symmetries

Prof. B. Artmann: Practically tested handicraft instructions for the regular polyhedra

Templates will be handed out and discussed. In the lecturer's experience, such hand-made models offer pupils and students much more satisfaction and a sense of achievement than assembling finished plastic parts.

Prof. M. Rösler: The symmetry groups of the Platonic solids

Why are there exactly 5 regular polyhedra? How can they be described and characterized on the basis of their symmetries? We take you into this fascinating terrain, where simple concepts of group theory can be learned and practiced.

Prof. B. Artmann: The history of regular polyhedra from antiquity to the present, with an outlook into the fourth dimension.

Program

09.30 - 09.45Welcome
09.45 - 10.45Practically tested handicraft instructions for regular polyhedra (Prof. Dr. B. Artmann, Göttingen)
10.45 - 11.15Coffee break
11.15 - 12.15The symmetry groups of the Platonic solids (Prof. Dr. M. Rösler)
12.15 - 13.30Lunch break
13.30 - 14.30The symmetry groups of the Platonic solids (Prof. Dr. M. Rösler)
14.30 - 15.00Coffee break
15.00 - 16.00The history of regular polyhedra from antiquity to the present, with an outlook into the fourth dimension (Prof. Dr. B. Artmann, Göttingen)
16.00 - 16.30Discussion and closing remarks