Symmetry in Tessellations

Three types of mathematical symmetry are commonly found in tessellations. These

are translational symmetry, rotational symmetry, and glide reflection symmetry.
Recall when reading this lesson that tessellations extend to infinity; the diagrams
shown below are finite portions of infinite tessellations.

1. Translational Symmetry
A tessellation possesses translational symmetry if it can be translated by some vector
and remain unchanged. Any tessellation with this property has inifinitely many
different translation vectors due to the infinite extent of tessellations. The tessellation
below has translational symmetry; two possible vectors are shown. Find additional
vectors.

2. Rotational Symmetry
A tessellation possesses rotational symmetry if it can be rotated by some angle about
some point and remain unchanged. A tessellation which can be rotated by 1/n of a full
revolution and remain unchanged is said to posses n-fold rotational symmetry. In the
example below, point A is a point of 3-fold rotational symmetry, while point B is a
point of 2-fold rotational symmetry. Try to identify a point of 6-fold rotational
symmetry.

3. Glide Reflection Symmetry

A tessellation possesses glide reflection symmetry if it can be translated by some
vector and then reflected about that vector and remain unchanged. A special case of
glide rereflection symmetry is simple reflection or mirror symmetry, where the vector
has a value of zero. The example below illustrates glide reflection. Try to find some
lines of simple reflection symmetry for the first tessellation above. Does the second
tessellation above posses glide reflection symmetry?

Tessellation
A pattern of shapes that fit perfectly together!

A Tessellation (or Tiling) is when we cover a surface with a pattern of flat

shapes so that there are no overlaps or gaps.

Examples:

Octagons and Squares

Rectangles

Different Pentagons
Regular Look at a Vertex ...
Tessellations A vertex is just a "corner point".

A regular tessellation is a pattern What shapes meet here?

made by repeating a regular
polygon . Three hexagons meet at this vertex,
and a hexagon has 6 sides.
There are only 3 regular
So this is called
tessellations:
a "6.6.6" tessellation.

For a regular tessellation, the

pattern is identical at each
Triangles
vertex!
3.3.3.3.3.3

Semi-regular
Tessellations
A semi-regular tessellation is made
Squares
of two or more regular
4.4.4.4 polygons. The pattern at each
vertex must be the same!

There are only 8 semi-regular

tessellations:

Hexagons
6.6.6
3.3.3.3.6
 3.12.12

3.3.3.4.4

4.6.12

3.3.4.3.4

4.8.8

3.4.6.4 To name a tessellation, go

around a vertex and write
down how many sides
each polygon has, in order
... like "3.12.12".
And always start at the
polygon with the least
number of sides, so
"3.12.12", not "12.3.12"
3.6.3.6