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The tiling

The tiling is a regular filling of the plane, done with a single figure.

The basic figure is the tile:

The fundamental set of tiles is a group of several tiles which allows to do the tiling in 2 directions of translations:


Fundamental set of tiles

The fundamental set of tiles is a group of several tiles which allows to do the tiling in 2 directions of translations.


Tile

The tile is the basic element for a tiling

As a tile is in contact with another, each part of its contour appears twice.


Group of displacement

Each type of tiling is associated to a group of displacement of the plane. This group is made of the displacement allowing to go from one tile to another.

The displacements are:

The groups associated to a different type of tiling are always the results of a finite number of displacements, within which are 2 translations.


Translations

In a translation, you displace the figure without turning it over or upside down.
The translation is represented by an arrow called vector.
The 2 translations associated to each tiling allow to go from one fundamental set of tiles to another.


Rotations

In a rotation, the figure turns around a point called center.
It is also necessary to know the angle of rotation.
The rotations associated to a tiling always have their angles being equal to:

The centers of rotation are always on the contour of the tile:


Central symmetries

A central symmetry is a rotation the angle of which is a 1/2 turn.


Axial symmetries

In an axial symmetry, the figure is turned around an axis.
When a tiling has an axis of symmetry, a part of the contour of the tile is along this axis and cannot be distorted.

The tilings with several directions of angles of symmetry, often have a fixed contour:


Glide reflections

You can get a glide reflection if you compose an axial symmetry with a translation the vector of which is parallel to the axis of symmetry.


Group

A group is a set (let us call it G) with a law of internal composition (if x and y are parts of G , x¤y too) associative (x ¤ y) ¤ z = x ¤ (y ¤ z),We can then write x¤y¤z) as a neutral element exists (e is the neutral element if, for each x, we’ve got x ¤ e = e ¤ x = x) and if each element has an inverse (reciprocal) (for each x , y exists as x ¤ y = y ¤ x = e).

Examples: * the integers (positive or negative) form a group for addition (the neutral element is zero and the opposite (additive inverse) of 5 is -5 * however, positive integers , don’t form a group for addition * the displacements of the plane form a group for composition.


Composition

The composition of two displacements of the plane consists in doing two displacements one after the other.

Example:


The 17 types of tilings

Type nb 1: p1

(asymmetric parallelogramic)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of a single tile:

The group of displacement is generated by only two translations.

The contour of the tile has got 2 parts:


Type nb 2: p2

(symmetric parallelogramic)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 2 tiles:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 4 parts:


Type nb 3: p3

(hexagonal 3-rotative)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 3 tiles and both the vectors form an equilateral triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 4: p4

(square 4-rotative)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 4 tiles, and both the vectors form a half square:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 5: p6

(hexagonal 6-rotative)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 6 tiles, and both the vectors form an equilateral triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 6: pg

(gliding rectangular)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 2 tiles, and both the vectors form a half rectangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 7: pgg

(bi-gliding rectangular)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 4 tiles, and both the vectors form a half rectangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 4 parts:


Type nb 8: pm

(mono-symmetric rectangular)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 2 tiles, and both the vectors form a half rectangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 2 parts:


Type nb 9: cm

(mono-symmetric rhombic)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 2 tiles, and both the vectors form an isosceles triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 10: pmg

(symmetric gliding

rectangular)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 4 tiles, and both the vectors form a half rectangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 11: pmm

(bi-symmetric rectangular)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 4 tiles, and both the vectors form a half rectangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile is a rectangle.


Type nb 12: cmm

(bi-symmetric rhombic)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 4 tiles, and both the vectors form an isosceles triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 3 parts:


Type nb 13: p4g

(gliding 4-rotative square)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 8 tiles, and both the vectors form a half square:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 2 parts:


Type nb 14: p3m1

(tri-symmetric hexagonal)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 6 tiles, and both the vectors form an equilateral triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile is an equilateral triangle.


Type nb 15: p31m

(symmetric 3-rotative hexagonal)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 6 tiles, and both the vectors form an equilateral triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile has got 2 parts:


Type nb 16: p4m

(totally symmetric square)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 8 tiles, and both the vectors form a half square:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile is a right and isosceles triangle (half square).


Type nb 17: p6m

(totally symmetric hexagonal)

The fundamental set of tiles is made of 12 tiles, and both the vectors form an equilateral triangle:

The group of displacement is generated by

The contour of the tile is a right triangle, the angles are 30°, 60° and 90°.