- #1
cmos
- 367
- 1
The following is a problem that I’m sure is considered “basic” for mathematicians. I would therefore be gracious if somebody could, at the least, point me in the right direction to some reference. Since I’m not a mathematician, the simpler the better.
In short, my question is: what happens to the number of vertices of an n-sided polygon as n tends to infinity?
Let us consider a regular n-sided polygon. Obviously, the n-gon also has n vertices. The interior angle subtended at the n vertices increases as we increase n. As n tends to infinity, the interior angles each tend to 180°. In this same limit, the n-gon tends to a circle. On one hand, we now have an infinity of vertices. On the other hand, since the interior angle subtended at each vertex is infinitesimally 180°, we actually have no vertices. It thus appears that the number of vertices increases monotonically with n except at infinity where the number of vertices suddenly drops from infinity to zero.
Another way of seeing the above statement is that the circle (which is the limit of the n-gon as n tends to infinity), being a smooth curve, has no vertices.
Am I seeing the problem the right way? Any help would be much appreciated!

In short, my question is: what happens to the number of vertices of an n-sided polygon as n tends to infinity?
Let us consider a regular n-sided polygon. Obviously, the n-gon also has n vertices. The interior angle subtended at the n vertices increases as we increase n. As n tends to infinity, the interior angles each tend to 180°. In this same limit, the n-gon tends to a circle. On one hand, we now have an infinity of vertices. On the other hand, since the interior angle subtended at each vertex is infinitesimally 180°, we actually have no vertices. It thus appears that the number of vertices increases monotonically with n except at infinity where the number of vertices suddenly drops from infinity to zero.
Another way of seeing the above statement is that the circle (which is the limit of the n-gon as n tends to infinity), being a smooth curve, has no vertices.
Am I seeing the problem the right way? Any help would be much appreciated!