Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 27, 2026

Rotunda (geometry)

In geometry, a rotunda is any member of a family of cyclic-symmetric polyhedra. They are similar to a cupola but, instead of alternating squares and triangles, they alternate pentagons and triangles around an axis. The pentagonal rotunda is a Johnson solid.

Last revised
Jul 27, 2026
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Source
Set of rotundas
Faces1 n-gon
1 2n-gon
n pentagons
2n triangles
Edges7n
Vertices4n
Symmetry groupCnv, [n], (*nn), order 2n
Rotation groupCn, [n]+, (nn), order n
Propertiesconvex

In geometry, a rotunda is any member of a family of cyclic-symmetric polyhedra. They are similar to a cupola but, instead of alternating squares and triangles, they alternate pentagons and triangles around an axis. The pentagonal rotunda is a Johnson solid.

Other forms can be generated with dihedral symmetry and distorted equilateral pentagons.

Examples

Rotundas
3 4 5 6 7 8

triangular rotunda

square rotunda

pentagonal rotunda

hexagonal rotunda

heptagonal rotunda

octagonal rotunda

Star-rotunda

Star-rotundas
5 7 9 11

Pentagrammic rotunda

Heptagrammic rotunda

Enneagrammic rotunda

Hendecagrammic rotunda
See also

See also

References

References

  • Norman W. Johnson, "Convex Solids with Regular Faces", Canadian Journal of Mathematics, 18, 1966, pages 169–200. Contains the original enumeration of the 92 solids and the conjecture that there are no others.
  • Victor A. Zalgaller (1969). Convex Polyhedra with Regular Faces. Consultants Bureau. No ISBN. The first proof that there are only 92 Johnson solids.