17 sided polygon

pookmish

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Sep 22, 2010
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Is it possible to create a 17 sided polygon within a circle using nothing but a strait edge and compass? I am able to do simple polygons such as 3,4,6,8 sided figures and so on.
 
The only regular polygons that can be constructed with a straightedge and

compass are those for where the number of sides is a product of a

power of 2 and of primes of the form \(\displaystyle 2^{2^{n}} + 1\). For example,

a regular polygon with 30 sides can be constructed because 30 is

2*3*5, and 3 is 2 + 1 or \(\displaystyle 2^{2^{0}}\) + 1 and 5 is \(\displaystyle 2^{2} + 1\) or \(\displaystyle 2^{2^{1}}\) + 1. But

9 is 3 * 3, and while 3 is a prime of the right form, the fact that

you have 2 factors of 3 means it won't work. Gauss was the first to

construct a regular polygon with 17 sides, which you can see is

possible because \(\displaystyle 17=2^{2^{2}} + 1\).

I, myself, have not constructed a 17-gon with a straight edge and compass.

Good luck. It's possible, but how difficult I do not know.
 
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