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I've read a bit about constructibe polygons, and that a regular n-gon can be constructed with compass and straightedge if and only if trigonomatric functions of 2π/n can be expressed with square roots and basic arithmatic alone.
That is possible if and only if n is the product of distinct Fermat primes and/or a power of 2.
That means if n = 2aF0b0F1b1F2b2F3b3... where a∈N0, Fi are the Fermat primes, and bi∈{0,1}.
If you place an n-gon in a coordinate system and let it be centered at the origin and place one of the vertices at (1,0), the coordinates to every vertex will be on the form (cos(2kπ/n),sin(2kπ/n)) where k is an integer.
If the coordinates to the vertex (cos(2π/n),sin(2π/n)) can be expressed with basic arithmetic and square roots alone, the coordinates to any vertex can.
But if you also allow roots of other degrees, like cubic roots and 5th roots, will the possible values of n be extended? If so, to what?
That is possible if and only if n is the product of distinct Fermat primes and/or a power of 2.
That means if n = 2aF0b0F1b1F2b2F3b3... where a∈N0, Fi are the Fermat primes, and bi∈{0,1}.
If you place an n-gon in a coordinate system and let it be centered at the origin and place one of the vertices at (1,0), the coordinates to every vertex will be on the form (cos(2kπ/n),sin(2kπ/n)) where k is an integer.
If the coordinates to the vertex (cos(2π/n),sin(2π/n)) can be expressed with basic arithmetic and square roots alone, the coordinates to any vertex can.
But if you also allow roots of other degrees, like cubic roots and 5th roots, will the possible values of n be extended? If so, to what?