Cyclotomy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The mathematical process of dividing a circle into a specified number of equal arcs or sections
2. A geometric operation that partitions a circle into congruent parts by constructing equally spaced points on its circumference
3. The technique of subdividing a circle into equal angular segments, often involving compass and straightedge constructions

Etymology: Cyclotomy is a straightforward construction: "cyclo-", from Greek "kyklos" meaning "circle" or "wheel", joined to "-tomy", from Greek "tomē" meaning "a cutting". Put together, the parts literally describe the cutting of a circle, and the term applies that sense to the division of a circle into equal arcs, most famously in the study of the regular polygons that can be constructed with straightedge and compass. The Greek roots themselves were ordinary words long before any mathematician used them. "Kyklos" gave English "cycle" and "bicycle," while "tomē" appears in "anatomy" and "atom," the latter originally meaning something too small to be cut. The same building blocks were reused for the scientific vocabulary of later centuries, so "cyclotomy" belongs to that family of deliberately assembled technical terms rather than to older popular speech.

Synonyms: circle division