Editing Dual polyhedron (section)

===Polar reciprocation===
{{See also|Polar reciprocation}}

In [[Euclidean space]], the dual of a polyhedron <math>P</math> is often defined in terms of [[polar reciprocation]] about a sphere. Here, each vertex (pole) is associated with a face plane (polar plane or just polar) so that the ray from the center to the vertex is perpendicular to the plane, and the product of the distances from the center to each is equal to the square of the radius.<ref>{{harvtxt|Cundy|Rollett|1961}}, 3.2 Duality, pp.&nbsp;78–79; {{harvtxt|Wenninger|1983}}, Pages 3-5. (Note, Wenninger's discussion includes nonconvex polyhedra.)</ref>

When the sphere has radius <math>r</math> and is centered at the origin (so that it is defined by the equation <math>x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = r^2</math>), then the polar dual of a convex polyhedron <math>P</math> is defined as
{{Block indent|left=1.6|<math>P^\circ = \{ q~\big|~q \cdot p \leq r^2</math> for all <math>p</math> in <math>P \} ,</math>}}
where <math>q \cdot p</math> denotes the standard [[dot product]] of <math>q</math> and <math>p</math>.

Typically when no sphere is specified in the construction of the dual, then the unit sphere is used, meaning <math>r=1</math> in the above definitions.<ref>{{harvtxt|Barvinok|2002}}, Page 143.</ref>

For each face plane of <math>P</math> described by the linear equation
<math display=block>x_0x + y_0y + z_0z = r^2,</math>
the corresponding vertex of the dual polyhedron <math>P^\circ</math> will have coordinates <math>(x_0,y_0,z_0)</math>. Similarly, each vertex of <math>P</math> corresponds to a face plane of <math>P^\circ</math>, and each edge line of <math>P</math> corresponds to an edge line of <math>P^\circ</math>. The correspondence between the vertices, edges, and faces of <math>P</math> and <math>P^\circ</math> reverses inclusion. For example, if an edge of <math>P</math> contains a vertex, the corresponding edge of <math>P^\circ</math> will be contained in the corresponding face.

For a polyhedron with a [[center of symmetry]], it is common to use a sphere centered on this point, as in the [[Dual uniform polyhedron#Dorman Luke construction|Dorman Luke construction]] (mentioned below). Failing that, for a polyhedron with a circumscribed sphere, inscribed sphere, or midsphere (one with all edges as tangents), this can be used. However, it is possible to reciprocate a polyhedron about any sphere, and the resulting form of the dual will depend on the size and position of the sphere; as the sphere is varied, so too is the dual form. The choice of center for the sphere is sufficient to define the dual up to similarity.

If a polyhedron in [[Euclidean space]] has a face plane, edge line, or vertex lying on the center of the sphere, the corresponding element of its dual will go to infinity. Since Euclidean space never reaches infinity, the projective equivalent, called extended Euclidean space, may be formed by adding the required 'plane at infinity'. Some theorists prefer to stick to Euclidean space and say that there is no dual. Meanwhile, {{harvtxt|Wenninger|1983}} found a way to represent these infinite duals, in a manner suitable for making models (of some finite portion).

The concept of ''duality'' here is closely related to the [[duality (projective geometry)|duality]] in [[projective geometry]], where lines and edges are interchanged. Projective polarity works well enough for convex polyhedra. But for non-convex figures such as star polyhedra, when we seek to rigorously define this form of polyhedral duality in terms of projective polarity, various problems appear.<ref>See for example {{harvtxt|Grünbaum|Shephard|2013}}, and {{harvtxt|Gailiunas|Sharp|2005}}. {{harvtxt|Wenninger|1983}} also discusses some issues on the way to deriving his infinite duals.</ref>
Because of the definitional issues for geometric duality of non-convex polyhedra, {{harvtxt|Grünbaum|2007}} argues that any proper definition of a non-convex polyhedron should include a notion of a dual polyhedron.

====Canonical duals====
[[File:Dual compound 6-8 max.png|thumb|Canonical [[dual compound]] of cuboctahedron (light) and rhombic dodecahedron (dark). Pairs of edges meet on their common [[midsphere]].]]

Any convex polyhedron can be distorted into a [[Canonical polyhedron|canonical form]], in which a unit [[midsphere]] (or intersphere) exists tangent to every edge, and such that the average position of the points of tangency is the center of the sphere. This form is unique up to congruences.

If we reciprocate such a canonical polyhedron about its midsphere, the dual polyhedron will share the same edge-tangency points, and thus will also be canonical. It is the canonical dual, and the two together form a canonical dual compound.<ref>{{harvtxt|Grünbaum|2007}}, Theorem 3.1, p.&nbsp;449.</ref>

====Dorman Luke construction====
For a [[uniform polyhedron]], each face of the dual polyhedron may be derived from the original polyhedron's corresponding [[vertex figure]] by using the [[Uniform dual polyhedron#Dorman Luke construction|Dorman Luke construction]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Cundy|Rollett|1961}}, p.&nbsp; 117; {{harvtxt|Wenninger|1983}}, p.&nbsp;30.</ref>