Euler Characteristic

K-12: Materials at high school level.

In 1750, the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler discovered a remarkable formula involving the number of faces F, edges E, and vertices V of a polyhedron:

He found that V - E + F = 2

Let's check this formula on some of the shapes below.

Tetrahedron

How many vertices ("corners") V do you see? _______

How may edges E do you see? ______

How many faces ("sides") F do you see? ______

Now find V - E + F = ___ - ___ + ___ =

Did the answer come out to 2? ______

Octahedron

How many vertices ("corners") V do you see? _______

How may edges E do you see? ______

How many faces ("sides") F do you see? This may be easier to count in the figure on the right. ______

Now find V - E + F = ___ - ___ + ___ =

Did the answer come out to 2? ______