- #1
MathematicalPhysicist
Gold Member
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I need to show that every isometry in the plane is a composition of at most three reflections.
Now every isometry in the plane is one of the four:
1.translation.
2.rotation.
3.reflection.
4.glide.
now obviously refelction is itself.
now for translation i showed with a picture that we need only two reflections.
for rotation we need something like 3 reflections, and also for glide, which answers another question is it possible for glide to be a composition of just two reflection, i don't think so, but don't see how to show this.
Is any of what i wrote make sense?
thanks in advance.
Now every isometry in the plane is one of the four:
1.translation.
2.rotation.
3.reflection.
4.glide.
now obviously refelction is itself.
now for translation i showed with a picture that we need only two reflections.
for rotation we need something like 3 reflections, and also for glide, which answers another question is it possible for glide to be a composition of just two reflection, i don't think so, but don't see how to show this.
Is any of what i wrote make sense?
thanks in advance.