Dihedral symmetry in three dimensions

This article deals with three infinite sequences of point groups in three dimensions which have a symmetry group that as abstract group is a dihedral group Dih_n ( n ≥ 2 ).

See also point groups in two dimensions.

Chiral:

• D_n (22n) of order 2n – dihedral symmetry (abstract group D_n)

Achiral:

• D_nh (*22n) of order 4n – prismatic symmetry (abstract group D_n × C₂)
• D_nd (or D_nv) (2*n) of order 4n – antiprismatic symmetry (abstract group D_2n)

For a given n, all three have n-fold rotational symmetry about one axis (rotation by an angle of 360°/n does not change the object), and 2-fold about a perpendicular axis, hence about n of those. For n = ∞ they correspond to three frieze groups. Schönflies notation is used, and, in parentheses, Orbifold notation. The term horizontal (h) is used with respect to a vertical axis of rotation.

In 2D the symmetry group D_n includes reflections in lines. When the 2D plane is embedded horizontally in a 3D space, such a reflection can either be viewed as the restriction to that plane of a reflection in a vertical plane, or as the restriction to the plane of a rotation about the reflection line, by 180°. In 3D the two operations are distinguished: the group D_n contains rotations only, not reflections. The other group is pyramidal symmetry C_nv of the same order.

With reflection symmetry with respect to a plane perpendicular to the n-fold rotation axis we have D_nh (*22n).

D_nd (or D_nv) has vertical mirror planes between the horizontal rotation axes, not through them. As a result the vertical axis is a 2n-fold rotoreflection axis.

D_nh is the symmetry group for a regular n-sided prisms and also for a regular n-sided bipyramid. D_nd is the symmetry group for a regular n-sided antiprism, and also for a regular n-sided trapezohedron. D_n is the symmetry group of a partially rotated prism.

n = 1 is not included because the three symmetries are equal to other ones:

• D₁ and C₂: group of order 2 with a single 180° rotation
• D_1h and C_2v: group of order 4 with a reflection in a plane and a 180° rotation through a line in that plane
• D_1d and C_2h: group of order 4 with a reflection in a plane and a 180° rotation through a line perpendicular to that plane

For n = 2 there is not one main axes and two additional axes, but there are three equivalent ones.

• D₂ (222) of order 4 is one of the three symmetry group types with the Klein four-group as abstract group. It has three perpendicular 2-fold rotation axes. It is the symmetry group of a cuboid with an S written on two opposite faces, in the same orientation.
• D_2h (*222) of order 8 is the symmetry group of a cuboid
• D_2d (2*2) of order 8 is the symmetry group of e.g.:
  • a square cuboid with a diagonal drawn on one square face, and a perpendicular diagonal on the other one
  • a regular tetrahedron scaled in the direction of a line connecting the midpoints of two opposite edges (D_2d is a subgroup of T_d, by scaling we reduce the symmetry).

Subgroups

For D_nh

• C_nh
• C_nv
• D_n

For D_nd

• S_2n
• C_nv
• D_n

D_nd is also subgroup of D_2nh.

See also cyclic symmetries

Examples

D_nh (*22n):

prisms

D_5h (*225):

Pentagrammic prism

Pentagrammic antiprism

D_4d (2*4):

Snub square antiprism

D_5d (2*5):

Pentagonal antiprism

Pentagrammic crossed-antiprism

pentagonal trapezohedron

D_17d (*22(17)):

Heptadecagonal antiprism

See also

• List of spherical symmetry groups
• Point groups in three dimensions
• Cyclic symmetries