A geometric figure is formed by closing a space with lines.
The concept of figure has several uses. On this occasion, we are going to focus on the idea of figure that is used in geometry .
A geometric figure is constituted from the closure of a space with surfaces or lines . The representation made of a geometric element in space or on a plane is also called a figure.
It is important to highlight that geometric figures constitute the object of study of this branch of mathematics , whose purpose is to analyze the magnitudes and properties of these figures.
What is a geometric figure
It can be said that a geometric figure is a set that has points as elements. The lines that enclose the points represent the limits of said set and separate it from space.
A point , in fact, is a geometric figure in itself. It is a dimensionless element: it has no dimensions. The straight line and the curve , meanwhile, are linear geometric figures since they have a single dimension.
Among two-dimensional (plane) geometric figures we find polygons , such as squares and triangles . On the other hand, the name given to three-dimensional geometric figures is geometric bodies . Polyhedra such as pyramids and prisms are bodies of this type.
Geometric figures appear in multiple areas.
The importance of points
It should be noted that points are fundamental entities of geometry. With one- dimensional geometric figures, two-dimensional geometric figures can be produced while, through various transformations, it is possible to obtain three-dimensional or even more dimensional geometric figures.
For example: a segment is a linear geometric figure formed by a finite number of points. By joining four segments, we can produce a rectangle (a two-dimensional geometric figure).
Applications of geometric figures
Geometric figures have a large number of applications in the real world, despite being an abstract concept in that they emerged from the observation that human beings made of the nature around them.
In other words, we cannot find a cube, a circle or a point on our planet, but with these and other figures we represent parts of real objects in order to understand them more easily.
3D design
And this brings us to one of the most popular uses of the geometric figure as a concept: 3D design . Today, almost all content in the entertainment world is made with the help of digital tools , and three-dimensional animations appear more frequently than the general public perceives. You don't have to be watching the latest Pixar movie to see various three-dimensional models on the big screen, and most of them are created from simple geometric figures.
In a 3D design tool, we generally have at our disposal several geometric figures, such as a plane, a cube and a sphere, which we can use as a basis for the creation of objects of varying complexity, covering a range almost as wide as allow our imagination. Both a chair and a human being, a leafy tree, a colorful meadow and a waterfall start from these figures before reaching the level of realism that we are used to seeing in movies and video games .
Taking a geometric figure as simple as a plane, it is possible to create more faces from its sides and then rotate them and obtain a three-dimensional object; If we repeat these steps and combine them with other types of deformation, in a short time we will obtain results that will hardly reflect the plane from which we started. As a curious fact, in video games, regardless of the graphic complexity of an object, basic geometric figures are usually used to define its limits and prevent it from crossing the stage.