Tomahawk (geometric shape)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A standard tomahawk.

A tomahawk trisecting an angle. The handle forms one trisector and the blue line shown forms the other.

The tomahawk is a "tool" in geometry consisting, in essence, of a semi-circle and two line segments. The basic shape is constructible with compass and straightedge. It is possible to trisect an angle with the tomahawk. This does not contradict the usual theorem stating that an arbitrary angle cannot be trisected by compass and straightedge, as translating the constructed tomahawk into the required position is not a Euclidean construction.

[edit] External links

• MathWorld/Wolfram contains other references
• Jim Loy "cheating using other tools"
• Angle Trisection Problem: Trisect An Angle With a Tomahawk at ArticlesForEducators.com