Definition:Polygon/Regular/Apothem
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Definition
The apothem of a regular polygon $P$ is defined as the perpendicular distance from the center of $P$ to one of its sides.
In the above, the length of $OM$ is the apothem of the regular polygon.
Also known as
The apothem of a regular polygon is also known as its short radius.
Also see
Linguistic Note
The word apothem is pronounced ap-o-th'm (the last syllable with as little stress as the second).
It comes from Ancient Greek ἀπόθεμα (apóthema), meaning deposit, from:
- ἀπό (apó), meaning off or away
- θέμα (théma), meaning that which is laid down.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothem
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): polygon
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothem
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): polygon
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothem
- 2021: Richard Earl and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (6th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): apothem