Conway polyhedron notation

Short description: Method of describing higher-order polyhedra

This example chart shows how 11 new forms can be derived from the cube using 3 operations. The new polyhedra are shown as maps on the surface of the cube so the topological changes are more apparent. Vertices are marked in all forms with circles.

In geometry and topology, Conway polyhedron notation, invented by John Horton Conway and promoted by George W. Hart, is used to describe polyhedra based on a seed polyhedron modified by various prefix operations.

Conway and Hart extended the idea of using operators, like truncation as defined by Kepler, to build related polyhedra of the same symmetry. For example, tC represents a truncated cube, and taC, parsed as t(aC), is (topologically) a truncated cuboctahedron. The simplest operator dual swaps vertex and face elements; e.g., a dual cube is an octahedron: dC = O. Applied in a series, these operators allow many higher order polyhedra to be generated. Conway defined the operators a (ambo), b (bevel), d (dual), e (expand), g (gyro), j (join), k (kis), m (meta), o (ortho), s (snub), and t (truncate), while Hart added r (reflect) and p (propellor). Later implementations named further operators, sometimes referred to as "extended" operators. Conway's basic operations are sufficient to generate the Archimedean and Catalan solids from the Platonic solids. Some basic operations can be made as composites of others: for instance, ambo applied twice is the expand operation (aa = e), while a truncation after ambo produces bevel (ta = b).

Polyhedra can be studied topologically, in terms of how their vertices, edges, and faces connect together, or geometrically, in terms of the placement of those elements in space. Different implementations of these operators may create polyhedra that are geometrically different but topologically equivalent. These topologically equivalent polyhedra can be thought of as one of many embeddings of a polyhedral graph on the sphere. Unless otherwise specified, in this article (and in the literature on Conway operators in general) topology is the primary concern. Polyhedra with genus 0 (i.e. topologically equivalent to a sphere) are often put into canonical form to avoid ambiguity.

Operators

In Conway's notation, operations on polyhedra are applied like functions, from right to left. For example, a cuboctahedron is an ambo cube, i.e. $a(C)=aC$, and a truncated cuboctahedron is $t(a(C))=t(aC)=taC$. Repeated application of an operator can be denoted with an exponent: j² = o. In general, Conway operators are not commutative.

Individual operators can be visualized in terms of fundamental domains (or chambers), as below. Each right triangle is a fundamental domain. Each white chamber is a rotated version of the others, and so is each colored chamber. For achiral operators, the colored chambers are a reflection of the white chambers, and all are transitive. In group terms, achiral operators correspond to dihedral groups D_n where n is the number of sides of a face, while chiral operators correspond to cyclic groups C_n lacking the reflective symmetry of the dihedral groups. Achiral and chiral operators are also called local symmetry-preserving operations (LSP) and local operations that preserve orientation-preserving symmetries (LOPSP), respectively. LSPs should be understood as local operations that preserve symmetry, not operations that preserve local symmetry. Again, these are symmetries in a topological sense, not a geometric sense: the exact angles and edge lengths may differ.

Fundamental domains of faces with $n$ sides

3 (Triangle)	4 (Square)	5 (Pentagon)	6 (Hexagon)
183x183px	170x170px	220x220px	250x250px
The fundamental domains for polyhedron groups. The groups are $D_3,D_4,D_5,D_6$ for achiral polyhedra, and $C_3,C_4,C_5,C_6$ for chiral polyhedra.

Hart introduced the reflection operator r, that gives the mirror image of the polyhedron. This is not strictly a LOPSP, since it does not preserve orientation: it reverses it, by exchanging white and red chambers. r has no effect on achiral polyhedra aside from orientation, and rr = S returns the original polyhedron. An overline can be used to indicate the other chiral form of an operator: s = rsr.

An operation is irreducible if it cannot be expressed as a composition of operators aside from d and r. The majority of Conway's original operators are irreducible: the exceptions are e, b, o, and m.

Matrix representation

x	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}a& b& c\\ 0& d& 0\\ a^{\prime }& b^{\prime }& c^{\prime }\end{array}\right]={\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$
xd	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}c& b& a\\ 0& d& 0\\ c^{\prime }& b^{\prime }& a^{\prime }\end{array}\right]={\mathbf{𝐌}}_x{\mathbf{𝐌}}_d$
dx	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}{a}^{\prime }& b^{\prime }& c^{\prime }\\ 0& d& 0\\ a& b& c\end{array}\right]={\mathbf{𝐌}}_d{\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$
dxd	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}{c}^{\prime }& b^{\prime }& a^{\prime }\\ 0& d& 0\\ c& b& a\end{array}\right]={\mathbf{𝐌}}_d{\mathbf{𝐌}}_x{\mathbf{𝐌}}_d$

The relationship between the number of vertices, edges, and faces of the seed and the polyhedron created by the operations listed in this article can be expressed as a matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$. When x is the operator, $v,e,f$ are the vertices, edges, and faces of the seed (respectively), and $v^{\prime },e^{\prime },f^{\prime }$ are the vertices, edges, and faces of the result, then

${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x\left[\begin{array}{c}v\\ e\\ f\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{c}{v}^{\prime }\\ e^{\prime }\\ f^{\prime }\end{array}\right]$.

The matrix for the composition of two operators is just the product of the matrixes for the two operators. Distinct operators may have the same matrix, for example, p and l. The edge count of the result is an integer multiple d of that of the seed: this is called the inflation rate, or the edge factor.

The simplest operators, the identity operator S and the dual operator d, have simple matrix forms:

${\mathbf{𝐌}}_S=\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\\ 0& 0& 1\end{array}\right]={\mathbf{𝐈}}_3$, ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_d=\left[\begin{array}{ccc}0& 0& 1\\ 0& 1& 0\\ 1& 0& 0\end{array}\right]$

Two dual operators cancel out; dd = S, and the square of ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_d$ is the identity matrix. When applied to other operators, the dual operator corresponds to horizontal and vertical reflections of the matrix. Operators can be grouped into groups of four (or fewer if some forms are the same) by identifying the operators x, xd (operator of dual), dx (dual of operator), and dxd (conjugate of operator). In this article, only the matrix for x is given, since the others are simple reflections.

Number of operators

The number of LSPs for each inflation rate is $2,2,4,6,6,20,28,58,82,\cdots$ starting with inflation rate 1. However, not all LSPs necessarily produce a polyhedron whose edges and vertices form a 3-connected graph, and as a consequence of Steinitz's theorem do not necessarily produce a convex polyhedron from a convex seed. The number of 3-connected LSPs for each inflation rate is $2,2,4,6,4,20,20,54,64,\cdots$. The number of 3-connected LOPSPs (chiral) for each inflation rate is $0,0,0,0,4,0,10,8,38,\cdots$.

Original operations

Strictly, seed (S), needle (n), and zip (z) were not included by Conway, but they are related to original Conway operations by duality so are included here.

From here on, operations are visualized on cube seeds, drawn on the surface of that cube. Blue faces cross edges of the seed, and pink faces lie over vertices of the seed. There is some flexibility in the exact placement of vertices, especially with chiral operators.

Original Conway operators

Edge factor	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	x	xd	dx	dxd	Notes
1	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\\ 0& 0& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Seed: S	100px Dual: d		100px Seed: dd = S	Dual replaces each face with a vertex, and each vertex with a face.
2	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 1\\ 0& 2& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Join: j		100px Ambo: a		Join creates quadrilateral faces. Ambo creates degree-4 vertices, and is also called rectification, or the medial graph in graph theory.
3	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 1\\ 0& 3& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Kis: k	100px Needle: n	100px Zip: z	100px Truncate: t	Kis raises a pyramid on each face, and is also called akisation, Kleetope, cumulation, accretion, or pyramid-augmentation. Truncate cuts off the polyhedron at its vertices but leaves a portion of the original edges. Zip is also called bitruncation.
4	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 1\\ 0& 4& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Ortho: o = jj		100px Expand: e = aa
5	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 5& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Gyro: g	gd = rgr	sd = rsr	100px Snub: s	Chiral operators. See Snub (geometry). Contrary to Hart, gd is not the same as g: it is its chiral pair.
6	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 1\\ 0& 6& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Meta: m = kj		100px Bevel: b = ta

Seeds

Any polyhedron can serve as a seed, as long as the operations can be executed on it. Common seeds have been assigned a letter. The Platonic solids are represented by the first letter of their name (Tetrahedron, Octahedron, Cube, Icosahedron, Dodecahedron); the prisms (P_n) for n-gonal forms; antiprisms (A_n); cupolae (U_n); anticupolae (V_n); and pyramids (Y_n). Any Johnson solid can be referenced as J_n, for n=1..92.

All of the five Platonic solids can be generated from prismatic generators with zero to two operators:

• Triangular pyramid: Y₃ (A tetrahedron is a special pyramid)
  • T = Y₃
  • O = aT (ambo tetrahedron)
  • C = jT (join tetrahedron)
  • I = sT (snub tetrahedron)
  • D = gT (gyro tetrahedron)
• Triangular antiprism: A₃ (An octahedron is a special antiprism)
  • O = A₃
  • C = dA₃
• Square prism: P₄ (A cube is a special prism)
  • C = P₄
• Pentagonal antiprism: A₅
  • I = k₅A₅ (A special gyroelongated dipyramid)
  • D = t₅dA₅ (A special truncated trapezohedron)

The regular Euclidean tilings can also be used as seeds:

• Q = Quadrille = Square tiling
• H = Hextille = Hexagonal tiling = dΔ
• Δ = Deltille = Triangular tiling = dH

Extended operations

These are operations created after Conway's original set. Note that many more operations exist than have been named; just because an operation is not here does not mean it does not exist (or is not an LSP or LOPSP). In addition, only irreducible operators are included in this list; many others can be created by composing operators together.

Irreducible extended operators

Edge factor	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	x	xd	dx	dxd	Notes
4	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\\ 0& 1& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Chamfer: c	100px cd = du	100px dc = ud	100px Subdivide: u	Chamfer is the join-form of l. See Chamfer (geometry).
5	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 5& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Propeller: p	100px dp = pd		100px dpd = p	Chiral operators. The propeller operator was developed by George Hart.
5	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 5& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Loft: l	100px ld	100px dl	100px dld
6	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 3& 0\\ 0& 6& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Quinto: q	100px qd	100px dq	100px dqd
6	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 6& 0\\ 0& 3& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Join-lace: L0	120x120px L0d	100px dL0	100px dL0d	See below for explanation of join notation.
7	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 7& 0\\ 0& 4& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Lace: L	100px Ld	100px dL	100px dLd
7	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 7& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Stake: K	100px Kd	100px dK	100px dKd
7	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 4& 0\\ 0& 7& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px Whirl: w	wd = dv	100px vd = dw	Volute: v	Chiral operators.
8	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 8& 0\\ 0& 5& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Join-kis-kis: $(kk{)}_0$	100px $(kk{)}_{0}d$	100px $d(kk{)}_0$	100px $d(kk{)}_{0}d$	Sometimes named J. See below for explanation of join notation. The non-join-form, kk, is not irreducible.
10	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 3& 1\\ 0& 10& 0\\ 0& 6& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Cross: X	100px Xd	100px dX	100px dXd

Indexed extended operations

A number of operators can be grouped together by some criteria, or have their behavior modified by an index. These are written as an operator with a subscript: x_n.

Augmentation

Augmentation operations retain original edges. They may be applied to any independent subset of faces, or may be converted into a join-form by removing the original edges. Conway notation supports an optional index to these operators: 0 for the join-form, or 3 or higher for how many sides affected faces have. For example, k₄Y₄=O: taking a square-based pyramid and gluing another pyramid to the square base gives an octahedron.

Augmentation operator	x	80px k	80px l	80px L	80px K	80px (kk)
Corresponding join-form operator	x0	80px k0 = j	80px l0 = c	80px L0	80px K0 = jk	80px (kk)0
Augmentation		Pyramid	Prism	Antiprism

The truncate operator t also has an index form t_n, indicating that only vertices of a certain degree are truncated. It is equivalent to dk_nd.

Some of the extended operators can be created in special cases with k_n and t_n operators. For example, a chamfered cube, cC, can be constructed as t₄daC, as a rhombic dodecahedron, daC or jC, with its degree-4 vertices truncated. A lofted cube, lC is the same as t₄kC. A quinto-dodecahedron, qD can be constructed as t₅daaD or t₅deD or t₅oD, a deltoidal hexecontahedron, deD or oD, with its degree-5 vertices truncated.

Meta/Bevel

Meta adds vertices at the center and along the edges, while bevel adds faces at the center, seed vertices, and along the edges. The index is how many vertices or faces are added along the edges. Meta (in its non-indexed form) is also called cantitruncation or omnitruncation. Note that 0 here does not mean the same as for augmentation operations: it means zero vertices (or faces) are added along the edges.

Meta/Bevel operators

n	Edge factor	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	x	xd	dx	dxd
0	3	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 1\\ 0& 3& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px k = m0	100px n	100px z = b0	100px t
1	6	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 1\\ 0& 6& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px m = m1 = kj		100px b = b1 = ta
2	9	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 9& 0\\ 0& 6& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px m2	100px m2d	100px b2	100px b2d
3	12	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 3& 1\\ 0& 12& 0\\ 0& 8& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px m3	m3d	b3	b3d
n	3n+3	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& n& 1\\ 0& 3n+3& 0\\ 0& 2n+2& 0\end{array}\right]$	mn	mnd	bn	bnd

Medial

Medial is like meta, except it does not add edges from the center to each seed vertex. The index 1 form is identical to Conway's ortho and expand operators: expand is also called cantellation and expansion. Note that o and e have their own indexed forms, described below. Also note that some implementations start indexing at 0 instead of 1.

Medial operators

n	Edge factor	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	x	xd	dx	dxd
1	4	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 1\\ 0& 4& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px M1 = o = jj		100px e = aa
2	7	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 7& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px Medial: M = M2	100px Md	100px dM	100px dMd
n	3n+1	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& n& 1\\ 0& 3n+1& 0\\ 0& 2n& 0\end{array}\right]$	Mn	Mnd	dMn	dMnd

Goldberg-Coxeter

The Goldberg-Coxeter (GC) Conway operators are two infinite families of operators that are an extension of the Goldberg-Coxeter construction. The GC construction can be thought of as taking a triangular section of a triangular lattice, or a square section of a square lattice, and laying that over each face of the polyhedron. This construction can be extended to any face by identifying the chambers of the triangle or square (the "master polygon"). Operators in the triangular family can be used to produce the Goldberg polyhedra and geodesic polyhedra: see List of geodesic polyhedra and Goldberg polyhedra for formulas.

The two families are the triangular GC family, c_a,b and u_a,b, and the quadrilateral GC family, e_a,b and o_a,b. Both the GC families are indexed by two integers $a\ge 1$ and $b\ge 0$. They possess many nice qualities:

• The indexes of the families have a relationship with certain Euclidean domains over the complex numbers: the Eisenstein integers for the triangular GC family, and the Gaussian integers for the quadrilateral GC family.
• Operators in the x and dxd columns within the same family commute with each other.

The operators are divided into three classes (examples are written in terms of c but apply to all 4 operators):

• Class I: $b=0$. Achiral, preserves original edges. Can be written with the zero index suppressed, e.g. c_a,0 = c_a.
• Class II: $a=b$. Also achiral. Can be decomposed as c_a,a = c_ac_1,1
• Class III: All other operators. These are chiral, and c_a,b and c_b,a are the chiral pairs of each other.

Of the original Conway operations, the only ones that do not fall into the GC family are g and s (gyro and snub). Meta and bevel (m and b) can be expressed in terms of one operator from the triangular family and one from the quadrilateral family.

Triangular

Triangular Goldberg-Coxeter operators

a	b	Class	Edge factor T = a2 + ab + b2	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	Master triangle	x	xd	dx	dxd
1	0	I	1	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\\ 0& 0& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u1 = S	100px d		100px c1 = S
2	0	I	4	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u2 = u	100px dc	100px du	100px c2 = c
3	0	I	9	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 1\\ 0& 9& 0\\ 0& 6& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u3 = nn	100px nk	100px zt	100px c3 = zz
4	0	I	16	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 5& 0\\ 0& 16& 0\\ 0& 10& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u4 = uu	uud = dcc	duu = ccd	c4 = cc
5	0	I	25	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 8& 0\\ 0& 25& 0\\ 0& 16& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u5	u5d = dc5	du5 = c5d	c5
6	0	I	36	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 11& 1\\ 0& 36& 0\\ 0& 24& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u6 = unn	unk	czt	u6 = czz
7	0	I	49	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 16& 0\\ 0& 49& 0\\ 0& 32& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u7 = u2,1u1,2 = vrv	vrvd = dwrw	dvrv = wrwd	c7 = c2,1c1,2 = wrw
8	0	I	64	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 21& 0\\ 0& 64& 0\\ 0& 42& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u8 = u3	u3d = dc3	du3 = c3d	c8 = c3
9	0	I	81	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 26& 1\\ 0& 81& 0\\ 0& 54& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u9 = n4	n3k = kz3	tn3 = z3t	c9 = z4
1	1	II	3	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 1\\ 0& 3& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px u1,1 = n	100px k	100px t	100px c1,1 = z
2	1	III	7	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 7& 0\\ 0& 4& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	v = u2,1	100px vd = dw	dv = wd	100px w = c2,1
3	1	III	13	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 4& 0\\ 0& 13& 0\\ 0& 8& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u3,1	u3,1d = dc3,1	du3,1 = c3,1d	100px c3,1
3	2	III	19	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 6& 0\\ 0& 19& 0\\ 0& 12& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u3,2	u3,2d = dc3,2	du3,2 = c3,2d	100px c3,2
4	3	III	37	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 12& 0\\ 0& 37& 0\\ 0& 24& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u4,3	u4,3d = dc4,3	du4,3 = c4,3d	100px c4,3
5	4	III	61	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 20& 0\\ 0& 61& 0\\ 0& 40& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u5,4	u5,4d = dc5,4	du5,4 = c5,4d	100px c5,4
6	5	III	91	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 30& 0\\ 0& 91& 0\\ 0& 60& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u6,5 = u1,2u1,3	u6,5d = dc6,5	du6,5 = c6,5d	100px c6,5=c1,2c1,3
7	6	III	127	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 42& 0\\ 0& 127& 0\\ 0& 84& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u7,6	u7,6d = dc7,6	du7,6 = c7,6d	100px c7,6
8	7	III	169	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 56& 0\\ 0& 169& 0\\ 0& 112& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u8,7 = u3,12	u8,7d = dc8,7	du8,7 = c8,7d	100px c8,7 = c3,12
9	8	III	217	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 72& 0\\ 0& 217& 0\\ 0& 144& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	u9,8 = u2,1u5,1	u9,8d = dc9,8	du9,8 = c9,8d	100px c9,8 = c2,1c5,1
$a\equiv b$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}3)$		I, II, or III	$T\equiv 0$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}3)$	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& \frac{T}{3}-1& 1\\ 0& T& 0\\ 0& \frac{2}{3}T& 0\end{array}\right]$	...	ua,b	ua,bd = dca,b	dua,b = ca,bd	ca,b
$a\equiv ̸b$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}3)$		I or III	$T\equiv 1$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}3)$	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& \frac{T-1}{3}& 0\\ 0& T& 0\\ 0& 2\frac{T-1}{3}& 1\end{array}\right]$	...	ua,b	ua,bd = dca,b	dua,b = ca,bd	ca,b

By basic number theory, for any values of a and b, $T\equiv ̸2(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}3)$.

Quadrilateral

Quadrilateral Goldberg-Coxeter operators

a	b	Class	Edge factor T = a2 + b2	Matrix ${\mathbf{𝐌}}_x$	Master square	x	xd	dx	dxd
1	0	I	1	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\\ 0& 0& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o1 = S	100px e1 = d		100px o1 = dd = S
2	0	I	4	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 1& 1\\ 0& 4& 0\\ 0& 2& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o2 = o = j2		100px e2 = e = a2
3	0	I	9	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 4& 0\\ 0& 9& 0\\ 0& 4& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o3	100px e3		100px o3
4	0	I	16	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 7& 1\\ 0& 16& 0\\ 0& 8& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o4 = oo = j4		100px e4 = ee = a4
5	0	I	25	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 12& 0\\ 0& 25& 0\\ 0& 12& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o5 = o2,1o1,2 = prp	e5 = e2,1e1,2		100px o5= dprpd
6	0	I	36	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 17& 1\\ 0& 36& 0\\ 0& 18& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o6 = o2o3		e6 = e2e3
7	0	I	49	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 24& 0\\ 0& 49& 0\\ 0& 24& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o7	e7		100px o7
8	0	I	64	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 31& 1\\ 0& 64& 0\\ 0& 32& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o8 = o3 = j6		e8 = e3 = a6
9	0	I	81	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 40& 0\\ 0& 81& 0\\ 0& 40& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o9 = o32	e9 = e32		100px o9
10	0	I	100	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 49& 1\\ 0& 100& 0\\ 0& 50& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o10 = oo2,1o1,2		e10 = ee2,1e1,2
1	1	II	2	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 1\\ 0& 2& 0\\ 0& 1& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o1,1 = j		100px e1,1 = a
2	2	II	8	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 3& 1\\ 0& 8& 0\\ 0& 4& 0\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o2,2 = j3		100px e2,2 = a3
1	2	III	5	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& 2& 0\\ 0& 5& 0\\ 0& 2& 1\end{array}\right]$	100px	100px o1,2 = p	100px e1,2 = dp = pd		100px p
$a\equiv b$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}2)$		I, II, or III	T even	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& \frac{T}{2}-1& 1\\ 0& T& 0\\ 0& \frac{T}{2}& 0\end{array}\right]$	...	oa,b		ea,b
$a\equiv ̸b$$(\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{d}2)$		I or III	T odd	$\left[\begin{array}{ccc}1& \frac{T-1}{2}& 0\\ 0& T& 0\\ 0& \frac{T-1}{2}& 1\end{array}\right]$	...	oa,b	ea,b		oa,b

Examples

See also: List of geodesic polyhedra and Goldberg polyhedra

Archimedean and Catalan solids

Conway's original set of operators can create all of the Archimedean solids and Catalan solids, using the Platonic solids as seeds. (Note that the r operator is not necessary to create both chiral forms.)

• Archimedean
• 
  Truncated tetrahedron
  tT
• 
  Cuboctahedron
  aC = aO = eT
• 
  Truncated cube
  tC
• 
  Truncated octahedron
  tO = bT
• 
  Rhombicuboctahedron
  eC = eO
• 
  truncated cuboctahedron
  bC = bO
• 
  snub cube
  sC = sO
• 
  icosidodecahedron
  aD = aI
• 
  truncated dodecahedron
  tD
• 
  truncated icosahedron
  tI
• 
  rhombicosidodeca­hedron
  eD = eI
• 
  truncated icosidodecahedron
  bD = bI
• 
  snub dodecahedron
  sD = sI

• Catalan
• 
  Triakis tetrahedron
  kT
• 
  Rhombic dodecahedron
  jC = jO = oT
• 
  Triakis octahedron
  kO
• 
  Tetrakis hexahedron
  kC = mT
• 
  Deltoidal icositetrahedron
  oC = oO
• 
  Disdyakis dodecahedron
  mC = mO
• 
  Pentagonal icositetrahedron
  gC = gO
• 
  Rhombic triacontahedron
  jD = jI
• 
  Triakis icosahedron
  kI
• 
  Pentakis dodecahedron
  kD
• 
  Deltoidal hexecontahedron
  oD = oI
• 
  Disdyakis triacontahedron
  mD = mI
• 
  Pentagonal hexecontahedron
  gD = gI

Composite operators

The truncated icosahedron, tI, can be used as a seed to create some more visually-pleasing polyhedra, although these are neither vertex nor face-transitive.

• 
  tI
• 
  atI
• 
  ttI
• 
  ztI = ttD
• 
  etI
• 
  btI
• 
  stI

• Duals
• 
  dtI = nI = kD
• 
  jtI
• 
  ntI = kkD
• 
  ktI
• 
  otI
• 
  mtI
• 
  gtI

On the plane

Each of the convex uniform tilings and their duals can be created by applying Conway operators to the regular tilings Q, H, and Δ.

• 
  Square tiling
  Q = dQ = aQ = eQ
  = jQ = oQ
• 
  Truncated square tiling
  tQ = bQ
• 
  Tetrakis square tiling
  kQ = mQ
• 
  Snub square tiling
  sQ
• 
  Cairo pentagonal tiling
  gQ

• 
  Hexagonal tiling
  H = dΔ = tΔ
• 
  Trihexagonal tiling
  aH = aΔ
• 
  Truncated hexagonal tiling
  tH
• 
  Rhombitrihexagonal tiling
  eH = eΔ
• 
  Truncated trihexagonal tiling
  bH = bΔ
• 
  Snub trihexagonal tiling
  sH = sΔ

• 
  Triangle tiling
  Δ = dH = kH
• 
  Rhombille tiling
  jΔ = jH
• 
  Triakis triangular tiling
  kΔ
• 
  Deltoidal trihexagonal tiling
  oΔ = oH
• 
  Kisrhombille tiling
  mΔ = mH
• 
  Floret pentagonal tiling
  gΔ = gH

On a torus

Conway operators can also be applied to toroidal polyhedra and polyhedra with multiple holes.

• 
  A 1x1 regular square torus, {4,4}_1,0
• 
  A regular 4x4 square torus, {4,4}_4,0
• 
  tQ24×12 projected to torus
• 
  taQ24×12 projected to torus
• 
  actQ24×8 projected to torus
• 
  tH24×12 projected to torus
• 
  taH24×8 projected to torus
• 
  kH24×12 projected to torus

See also

• Symmetrohedron
• Zonohedron
• Schläfli symbol

External links

• polyHédronisme: generates polyhedra in HTML5 canvas, taking Conway notation as input