Computer Search for Non-Isomorphic Convex Polyhedra

摘要

To classify the polyhedra, to survey the polyhedral shapes, and to exhaust their variety by orderly enumeration is a naturally attractive problem, noticed by Euler and Jakob Steiner, to which some mathematicians, especially Max Bruckner, devoted considerable work. With the latest high-speed digital computers decades of manual labor can be compressed into hours. This dissertation is concerned with the solution of the enumeration problem on a digital computer. A tri- linear polyhedron is one in which each vertex is incident with exactly three edges. Two polyhedra are isomorphic if a one-toone correspondence can be established between the vertices, edges, and faces of one with those of the other, so that the incidence relations between elements are preserved. Two polyhedra are called equi-surrounded if a one-to-one correspondence can be established between the faces of one and the faces of the other so that each pair of corresponding faces has equivalent surroundings -- i. e. the neighbors of the two faces in question, when taken in cyclic order clockwise, display the same pattern of edge-counts. Isomorphism implies equisurroundedness. A counter-example with 18 faces disproves the converse. However, for polyhedra with up to 17 faces we can apparently equate isomorphism with equisurroundedness.