0

In the hyperbolic plane, let a circle of radius r be given. If we want to circumscribe a regular polygon with n sides around this circle (i.e., if we want the sides of the polygon to be tangents of the circle), how large must n be?

  • welcome to MSE, when you ask a question, the community will answer and then you have to select one of the answers as "right answer" if it helps you with your problem, if there is more than one answer who helps you, you can do a "upvote" at the left side of the answer, remember add what have you tried to solve the problem or where you get stuck, or details about the space where are you working. – L F May 10 '15 at 17:28

1 Answers1

0

You can have a curvilinear equilateral triangle, square, pentagon &c $\dots$ just as in Euclidean geometry when the number of polygon side goes to infinity the area of circumscribed polygon approaches $ \pi r^2.$

Please try working on this as a starting point. At least for surfaces of constant Gauss curvature and constant geodesic curvature I believe that

if $n$ is the number of sides of a regular polygon on a surface of constant negative Gauss curvature $ -K $ and constant geodesic curvature $1/r$

$$ \sqrt{ -K} = k $$ then,

$$ \sinh ( k n r )/( k n) \rightarrow r, n \rightarrow \infty.$$

Narasimham
  • 40,495