Math 331 - March 8, 1999

Dealing with Isometries Synthetically

Midterm Test: Monday, March 22

This is the date for the midterm announced at the beginning of the semester.

Exercises due Wednesday, March 10

  1. Let rho be rotation about the origin by the angle 2 theta, and let sigma be reflection in the y-axis. Find the axes of two other reflections xi and eta such that one has

    rho = sigma \circ xi and rho = eta \circ sigma .

  2. Write translation by the vector (3, -4) as the composition of a reflection with a reflection in a line through the origin.

  3. Explain why every glide reflection may be written as the product of three reflections.

  4. Explain why the composition of any four reflections may always be written as the composition of two reflections.

  5. What type of isometry may result from composing a rotation and a reflection?

  6. When is the composition of a rotation and a reflection simply a reflection?

  7. When is the composition of three reflections simply a reflection?


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