8-simplex honeycomb

In eighth-dimensional Euclidean geometry, the 8-simplex honeycomb is a space-filling tessellation (or honeycomb). The tessellation fills space by 8-simplex, rectified 8-simplex, birectified 8-simplex, and trirectified 8-simplex facets. These facet types occur in proportions of 1:1:1:1 respectively in the whole honeycomb.

8-simplex honeycomb
(No image)
Type	Uniform 8-honeycomb
Family	Simplectic honeycomb
Schläfli symbol	{3[9]} = 0[9]
Coxeter diagram
6-face types	{37} , t1{37} t2{37} , t3{37}
6-face types	{36} , t1{36} t2{36} , t3{36}
6-face types	{35} , t1{35} t2{35}
5-face types	{34} , t1{34} t2{34}
4-face types	{33} , t1{33}
Cell types	{3,3} , t1{3,3}
Face types	{3}
Vertex figure	t0,7{37}
Symmetry	${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$×2, [[3[9]]]
Properties	vertex-transitive

A8 lattice

This vertex arrangement is called the A8 lattice or 8-simplex lattice. The 72 vertices of the expanded 8-simplex vertex figure represent the 72 roots of the ${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$ Coxeter group.^[1] It is the 8-dimensional case of a simplectic honeycomb. Around each vertex figure are 510 facets: 9+9 8-simplex, 36+36 rectified 8-simplex, 84+84 birectified 8-simplex, 126+126 trirectified 8-simplex, with the count distribution from the 10th row of Pascal's triangle.

${\displaystyle {\tilde {E}}_{8}}$ contains ${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$ as a subgroup of index 5760.^[2] Both ${\displaystyle {\tilde {E}}_{8}}$ and ${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$ can be seen as affine extensions of ${\displaystyle A_{8}}$ from different nodes:

The A³
₈ lattice is the union of three A₈ lattices, and also identical to the E8 lattice.^[3]

∪ ∪ = .

The A^*
₈ lattice (also called A⁹
₈) is the union of nine A₈ lattices, and has the vertex arrangement of the dual honeycomb to the omnitruncated 8-simplex honeycomb, and therefore the Voronoi cell of this lattice is an omnitruncated 8-simplex

∪ ∪ ∪ ∪ ∪ ∪ ∪ ∪ = dual of .

Related polytopes and honeycombs

This honeycomb is one of 45 unique uniform honeycombs^[4] constructed by the ${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$ Coxeter group. The symmetry can be multiplied by the ring symmetry of the Coxeter diagrams:

A8 honeycombs
Enneagon symmetry	Symmetry	Extended diagram	Extended group	Honeycombs
a1	[3[9]]		${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$
i2	[[3[9]]]		${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$×2	1 2
i6	[3[3[9]]]		${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$×6
r18	[9[3[9]]]		${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$×18	3

Projection by folding

The 8-simplex honeycomb can be projected into the 4-dimensional tesseractic honeycomb by a geometric folding operation that maps two pairs of mirrors into each other, sharing the same vertex arrangement:

${\displaystyle {\tilde {A}}_{8}}$
${\displaystyle {\tilde {C}}_{4}}$

See also

• Regular and uniform honeycombs in 8-space:
  • 8-cubic honeycomb
  • 8-demicubic honeycomb
  • Truncated 8-simplex honeycomb
  • 5₂₁ honeycomb
  • 2₅₁ honeycomb
  • 1₅₂ honeycomb