On Regular Polygons

Geometry Level 2

Consider a regular polygon having n n sides.

The distance between the center of the polygon and any vertex is denoted by a a . Let the perimeter of this polygon be P P and its area be A A . Compute the following limit:

L = lim n P A L = \lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{P}{A}

Compute L L when a = 2 a = 2 and enter this result as your answer.

How can this result be interpreted?


The answer is 1.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

7 solutions

Hi Bye
Jul 20, 2019

As n n\to \infty , this polygon becomes closer to a circle. Therefore, P P and A A are the circumference and the area of a circle, respectively. Therefore, we have the answer as 2 π r π r 2 = 2 r = 2 2 = 1 . \frac{2\pi r}{\pi r^2} = \frac{2}{r} = \frac{2}{2} = \boxed{1}.

Karan Chatrath
Jul 20, 2019

The n n sided polygon can be divided into n n isosceles triangles as shown in the figure:

The base of the triangle can be found as such:

A B = 2 ( A C ) = 2 ( B C ) = 2 a sin ( π n ) AB = 2(AC) = 2(BC)=2a\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{n}\right)

From here, the perimeter of the polygon can be found by multiplying A B AB by n n

P = n ( A B ) = 2 n a sin ( π n ) P = n(AB)= 2na\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{n}\right)

The area of the isosceles triangle is:

A n = 2 ( 1 2 ( O C ) ( A C ) ) = 2 ( 1 2 ( a sin ( π n ) ) ( a cos ( π n ) ) ) = 1 2 a 2 sin ( 2 π n ) A_n = 2\left(\frac{1}{2}(OC)(AC)\right) = 2\left(\frac{1}{2}\left(a\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{n}\right)\right)\left(a\cos\left(\frac{\pi}{n}\right)\right)\right) = \frac{1}{2}a^2 \sin\left(\frac{2\pi}{n}\right)

Area of the polygon is:

A = n A n A = nA_n

After simplifying:

P A = 2 a cos ( π n ) \frac{P}{A} = \frac{2}{a\cos\left(\frac{\pi}{n}\right)}

As n n becomes very large, the limit of P / A P/A becomes:

L = 2 a \boxed{L = \frac{2}{a}}

This solution describes a more rigorous approach. The interpretation that the polygon tends to a circle as n n becomes very large is correctly pointed out in other solutions.

This is essentially a very basic expression of rasterization.

Christopher P - 1 year, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

I was not familiar with the term 'rasterization' until I read this comment. Looks like a fun read. Thank you for sharing this.

Karan Chatrath - 1 year, 5 months ago
Gandoff Tan
Dec 1, 2019

L = lim n P A = 2 π a π a 2 = 2 a = 2 2 = 1 \begin{aligned} L&=\lim\limits_{n\rightarrow\infin}\frac{P}{A}\\ &=\frac{2πa}{πa^2}\\ &=\frac2a\\ &=\frac22\\ &=\boxed{1} \end{aligned}

Zahid Hussain
Sep 3, 2019

I am sorry I do not know how to draw so you people can either draw yourself or just imagine.
In order to calculate the area of any regular poygon with n number of sides let's divide it into n triangles by drawing lines from the centre of the plygon O to all the points of the polygon. Length of each of these lines is defined as a. Let's consider one of these triangles AOB with points A and B being the ends of any side of this polygon. This is an isocelese triangle. The angle AOB = 360 ÷ n. Let's draw a line from O to the point P which is centre of the line AB. Triangles AOP and BOP are equal and angle AOP = 360 ÷ 2n. Let's call it Y.
For triangle AOP AP = a × sinY and OP = a × cosY. Thus the area of triangle = a × sinY × a × cosY ÷ 2 and the area of triangle AOB = a × sinY × a × cosY.
Area of the whole polygon
a × sinY × a × cosY × n = A
We know AP = a × sinY thus AB = AP = a × sinY × 2 and the perimeter of the whole polygon is
a × sinY × 2 × n = P
Dividing A into P we get
a × cosY ÷ 2
We can see that as n gets bigger and bigger Y gets smaller and smaller thus for a circle with n as infinity Y is 0 and cos Y = 1 making the expression equal to a ÷ 2 which is exactly the ratio between the area and perimeter of any circle with a radius of a. I hop I have mathematically proven the circle to be the shape with maximum A to P ratio rather than just assuming it.





Zeynab Faghri
Aug 3, 2019

Actually its not smart or true way....any way i assume as n tends to infinity the polygon get closer and closer to circle shape and the ratio of perimeter of circle to its area is equal to 2/a.

Marc Moncada
Jul 29, 2019

na^2sin(180/n)cos(180/n) = A

2na(sin(180/n)) = P

(Lim [n↪inf] (A) = pia^2)

Simon Kaib
Jul 20, 2019

The area and perimeter get closer and closer to that of a circle with n increasing and converges to that of a circle in the limit.

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...