What is the Schläfli symbol mathematically denoting the five-pointed star, or pentagram?
Answer
{5/2}
The specific mathematical notation used to classify the common five-pointed star shape, known formally as a pentagram, is the Schläfli symbol {5/2}. This notation is critical because it precisely describes how the star is constructed relative to its underlying five vertices. The '5' indicates that the figure is based on a pentagonal structure (five points), while the '/2' signifies the skip rule: the lines are formed by connecting every second point along the vertices, rather than connecting adjacent points sequentially. This contrasts with the notation for a simple pentagon, which would be {5/1}, representing the sequential connection of vertices.
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