Editing 24-cell (section)

=== Constructions ===
Triangles and squares come together uniquely in the 24-cell to generate, as interior features,{{Efn|Interior features are not considered elements of the polytope. For example, the center of a 24-cell is a noteworthy feature (as are its long radii), but these interior features do not count as elements in [[#Configuration|its configuration matrix]], which counts only elementary features (which are not interior to any other feature including the polytope itself). Interior features are not rendered in most of the diagrams and illustrations in this article (they are normally invisible). In illustrations showing interior features, we always draw interior edges as dashed lines, to distinguish them from elementary edges.|name=interior features|group=}} all of the triangle-faced and square-faced regular convex polytopes in the first four dimensions (with caveats for the [[5-cell]] and the [[600-cell]]).{{Efn|The 600-cell is larger than the 24-cell, and contains the 24-cell as an interior feature.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=153|loc=8.5. Gosset's construction for {3,3,5}|ps=: "In fact, the vertices of {3,3,5}, each taken 5 times, are the vertices of 25 {3,4,3}'s."}} The regular 5-cell is not found in the interior of any convex regular 4-polytope except the [[120-cell]],{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=304|loc=Table VI(iv) II={5,3,3}|ps=: Faceting {5,3,3}[120𝛼<sub>4</sub>]{3,3,5} of the 120-cell reveals 120 regular 5-cells.}} though every convex 4-polytope can be [[#Characteristic orthoscheme|deconstructed into irregular 5-cells.]]|name=|group=}} Consequently, there are numerous ways to construct or deconstruct the 24-cell.

==== Reciprocal constructions from 8-cell and 16-cell ====
The 8 integer vertices (±1, 0, 0, 0) are the vertices of a regular [[16-cell]], and the 16 half-integer vertices (±{{sfrac|1|2}}, ±{{sfrac|1|2}}, ±{{sfrac|1|2}}, ±{{sfrac|1|2}}) are the vertices of its dual, the [[tesseract]] (8-cell).{{Sfn|Egan|2021|loc=animation of a rotating 24-cell|ps=: {{color|red}} half-integer vertices (tesseract), {{Font colour|fg=yellow|bg=black|text=yellow}} and {{color|black}} integer vertices (16-cell).}} The tesseract gives Gosset's construction{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=150|loc=Gosset}} of the 24-cell, equivalent to cutting a tesseract into 8 [[cubic pyramid]]s, and then attaching them to the facets of a second tesseract. The analogous construction in 3-space gives the [[rhombic dodecahedron]] which, however, is not regular.{{Efn|[[File:R1-cube.gif|thumb|150px|Construction of a [[rhombic dodecahedron]] from a cube.]]This animation shows the construction of a [[rhombic dodecahedron]] from a cube, by inverting the center-to-face pyramids of a cube. Gosset's construction of a 24-cell from a tesseract is the 4-dimensional analogue of this process, inverting the center-to-cell pyramids of an 8-cell (tesseract).{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=150|loc=Gosset}}|name=rhombic dodecahedron from a cube}} The 16-cell gives the reciprocal construction of the 24-cell, Cesaro's construction,{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=148|loc=§8.2. Cesaro's construction for {3, 4, 3}.}} equivalent to rectifying a 16-cell (truncating its corners at the mid-edges, as described [[#Squares|above]]). The analogous construction in 3-space gives the [[cuboctahedron]] (dual of the rhombic dodecahedron) which, however, is not regular. The tesseract and the 16-cell are the only regular 4-polytopes in the 24-cell.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=302|loc=Table VI(ii) II={3,4,3}, Result column}}

We can further divide the 16 half-integer vertices into two groups: those whose coordinates contain an even number of minus (−) signs and those with an odd number. Each of these groups of 8 vertices also define a regular 16-cell. This shows that the vertices of the 24-cell can be grouped into three disjoint sets of eight with each set defining a regular 16-cell, and with the complement defining the dual tesseract.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|pp=149-150|loc=§8.22. see illustrations Fig. 8.2<small>A</small> and Fig 8.2<small>B</small>|p=|ps=}} This also shows that the symmetries of the 16-cell form a subgroup of index 3 of the symmetry group of the 24-cell.

==== Diminishings ====
We can [[Faceting|facet]] the 24-cell by cutting{{Efn|We can cut a vertex off a polygon with a 0-dimensional cutting instrument (like the point of a knife, or the head of a zipper) by sweeping it along a 1-dimensional line, exposing a new edge. We can cut a vertex off a polyhedron with a 1-dimensional cutting edge (like a knife) by sweeping it through a 2-dimensional face plane, exposing a new face. We can cut a vertex off a polychoron (a 4-polytope) with a 2-dimensional cutting plane (like a snowplow), by sweeping it through a 3-dimensional cell volume, exposing a new cell. Notice that as within the new edge length of the polygon or the new face area of the polyhedron, every point within the new cell volume is now exposed on the surface of the polychoron.}} through interior cells bounded by vertex chords to remove vertices, exposing the [[Facet (geometry)|facets]] of interior 4-polytopes [[Inscribed figure|inscribed]] in the 24-cell. One can cut a 24-cell through any planar hexagon of 6 vertices, any planar rectangle of 4 vertices, or any triangle of 3 vertices. The great circle central planes ([[#Geodesics|above]]) are only some of those planes. Here we shall expose some of the others: the face planes{{Efn|Each cell face plane intersects with the other face planes of its kind to which it is not completely orthogonal or parallel at their characteristic vertex chord edge. Adjacent face planes of orthogonally-faced cells (such as cubes) intersect at an edge since they are not completely orthogonal.{{Efn|name=how planes intersect}} Although their dihedral angle is 90 degrees in the boundary 3-space, they lie in the same hyperplane{{Efn|name=hyperplanes}} (they are coincident rather than perpendicular in the fourth dimension); thus they intersect in a line, as non-parallel planes do in any 3-space.|name=how face planes intersect}} of interior polytopes.{{Efn|The only planes through exactly 6 vertices of the 24-cell (not counting the central vertex) are the '''16 hexagonal great circles'''. There are no planes through exactly 5 vertices. There are several kinds of planes through exactly 4 vertices: the 18 {{sqrt|2}} square great circles, the '''72 {{sqrt|1}} square (tesseract) faces''', and 144 {{sqrt|1}} by {{sqrt|2}} rectangles. The planes through exactly 3 vertices are the 96 {{sqrt|2}} equilateral triangle (16-cell) faces, and the '''96 {{sqrt|1}} equilateral triangle (24-cell) faces'''. There are an infinite number of central planes through exactly two vertices (great circle [[digon]]s); 16 are distinguished, as each is [[completely orthogonal]] to one of the 16 hexagonal great circles. '''Only the polygons composed of 24-cell {{radic|1}} edges are visible''' in the projections and rotating animations illustrating this article; the others contain invisible interior chords.{{Efn|name=interior features}}|name=planes through vertices|group=}}

===== 8-cell =====
Starting with a complete 24-cell, remove 8 orthogonal vertices (4 opposite pairs on 4 perpendicular axes), and the 8 edges which radiate from each, by cutting through 8 cubic cells bounded by {{sqrt|1}} edges to remove 8 [[cubic pyramid]]s whose [[Apex (geometry)|apexes]] are the vertices to be removed. This removes 4 edges from each hexagonal great circle (retaining just one opposite pair of edges), so no continuous hexagonal great circles remain. Now 3 perpendicular edges meet and form the corner of a cube at each of the 16 remaining vertices,{{Efn|The 24-cell's cubical vertex figure{{Efn|name=full size vertex figure}} has been truncated to a tetrahedral vertex figure (see [[#Relationships among interior polytopes|Kepler's drawing]]). The vertex cube has vanished, and now there are only 4 corners of the vertex figure where before there were 8. Four tesseract edges converge from the tetrahedron vertices and meet at its center, where they do not cross (since the tetrahedron does not have opposing vertices).|name=|group=}} and the 32 remaining edges divide the surface into 24 square faces and 8 cubic cells: a [[tesseract]]. There are three ways you can do this (choose a set of 8 orthogonal vertices out of 24), so there are three such tesseracts inscribed in the 24-cell.{{Efn|name=three 8-cells}} They overlap with each other, but most of their element sets are disjoint: they share some vertex count, but no edge length, face area, or cell volume.{{Efn|name=vertex-bonded octahedra}} They do share 4-content, their common core.{{Efn||name=common core|group=}}

===== 16-cell =====
Starting with a complete 24-cell, remove the 16 vertices of a tesseract (retaining the 8 vertices you removed above), by cutting through 16 tetrahedral cells bounded by {{sqrt|2}} chords to remove 16 [[tetrahedral pyramid]]s whose apexes are the vertices to be removed. This removes 12 great squares (retaining just one orthogonal set) and all the {{sqrt|1}} edges, exposing {{sqrt|2}} chords as the new edges. Now the remaining 6 great squares cross perpendicularly, 3 at each of 8 remaining vertices,{{Efn|The 24-cell's cubical vertex figure{{Efn|name=full size vertex figure}} has been truncated to an octahedral vertex figure. The vertex cube has vanished, and now there are only 6 corners of the vertex figure where before there were 8. The 6 {{sqrt|2}} chords which formerly converged from cube face centers now converge from octahedron vertices; but just as before, they meet at the center where 3 straight lines cross perpendicularly. The octahedron vertices are located 90° away outside the vanished cube, at the new nearest vertices; before truncation those were 24-cell vertices in the second shell of surrounding vertices.|name=|group=}} and their 24 edges divide the surface into 32 triangular faces and 16 tetrahedral cells: a [[16-cell]]. There are three ways you can do this (remove 1 of 3 sets of tesseract vertices), so there are three such 16-cells inscribed in the 24-cell. They overlap with each other, but all of their element sets are disjoint:{{Efn|name=completely disjoint}} they do not share any vertex count, edge length,{{Efn|name=root 2 chords}} or face area, but they do share cell volume. They also share 4-content, their common core.{{Efn||name=common core|group=}}

==== Tetrahedral constructions ====
The 24-cell can be constructed radially from 96 equilateral triangles of edge length {{sqrt|1}} which meet at the center of the polytope, each contributing two radii and an edge.{{Efn|name=radially equilateral|group=}} They form 96 {{sqrt|1}} tetrahedra (each contributing one 24-cell face), all sharing the 25th central apex vertex. These form 24 octahedral pyramids (half-16-cells) with their apexes at the center.

The 24-cell can be constructed from 96 equilateral triangles of edge length {{sqrt|2}}, where the three vertices of each triangle are  located 90° = <small>{{sfrac|{{pi}}|2}}</small> away from each other on the 3-sphere. They form 48 {{sqrt|2}}-edge tetrahedra (the cells of the [[#16-cell|three 16-cells]]), centered at the 24 mid-edge-radii of the 24-cell.{{Efn|Each of the 72 {{sqrt|2}} chords in the 24-cell is a face diagonal in two distinct cubical cells (of different 8-cells) and an edge of four tetrahedral cells (in just one 16-cell).|name=root 2 chords}}

The 24-cell can be constructed directly from its [[#Characteristic orthoscheme|characteristic simplex]] {{CDD|node|3|node|4|node|3|node}}, the [[5-cell#Irregular 5-cells|irregular 5-cell]] which is the [[fundamental region]] of its [[Coxeter group|symmetry group]] [[F4 polytope|F<sub>4</sub>]], by reflection of that 4-[[orthoscheme]] in its own cells (which are 3-orthoschemes).{{Efn|An [[orthoscheme]] is a [[chiral]] irregular [[simplex]] with [[right triangle]] faces that is characteristic of some polytope if it will exactly fill that polytope with the reflections of itself in its own [[facet (geometry)|facet]]s (its ''mirror walls''). Every regular polytope can be dissected radially into instances of its [[Orthoscheme#Characteristic simplex of the general regular polytope|characteristic orthoscheme]] surrounding its center. The characteristic orthoscheme has the shape described by the same [[Coxeter-Dynkin diagram]] as the regular polytope without the ''generating point'' ring.|name=characteristic orthoscheme}}

==== Cubic constructions ====
The 24-cell is not only the 24-octahedral-cell, it is also the 24-cubical-cell, although the cubes are cells of the three 8-cells, not cells of the 24-cell, in which they are not volumetrically disjoint.

The 24-cell can be constructed from 24 cubes of its own edge length (three 8-cells).{{Efn|name=three 8-cells}} Each of the cubes is shared by 2 8-cells, each of the cubes' square faces is shared by 4 cubes (in 2 8-cells), each of the 96 edges is shared by 8 square faces (in 4 cubes in 2 8-cells), and each of the 96 vertices is shared by 16 edges (in 8 square faces in 4 cubes in 2 8-cells).

==== Relationships among interior polytopes ====
The 24-cell, three tesseracts, and three 16-cells are deeply entwined around their common center, and intersect in a common core.{{Efn|A simple way of stating this relationship is that the common core of the {{radic|2}}-radius 4-polytopes is the unit-radius 24-cell. The common core of the 24-cell and its inscribed 8-cells and 16-cells is the unit-radius 24-cell's insphere-inscribed dual 24-cell of edge length and radius {{radic|1/2}}.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1995|p=29|loc=(Paper 3) ''Two aspects of the regular 24-cell in four dimensions''|ps=; "The common content of the 4-cube and the 16-cell is a smaller {3,4,3} whose vertices are the permutations of [(±{{sfrac|1|2}}, ±{{sfrac|1|2}}, 0, 0)]".}} Rectifying any of the three 16-cells reveals this smaller 24-cell, which has a 4-content of only 1/2 (1/4 that of the unit-radius 24-cell). Its vertices lie at the centers of the 24-cell's octahedral cells, which are also the centers of the tesseracts' square faces, and are also the centers of the 16-cells' edges.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=147|loc=§8.1 The simple truncations of the general regular polytope|ps=; "At a point of contact, [elements of a regular polytope and elements of its dual in which it is inscribed in some manner] lie in [[completely orthogonal]] subspaces of the tangent hyperplane to the sphere [of reciprocation], so their only common point is the point of contact itself....{{Efn|name=how planes intersect}} In fact, the [various] radii <sub>0</sub>𝑹, <sub>1</sub>𝑹, <sub>2</sub>𝑹, ... determine the polytopes ... whose vertices are the centers of elements 𝐈𝐈<sub>0</sub>, 𝐈𝐈<sub>1</sub>, 𝐈𝐈<sub>2</sub>, ... of the original polytope."}}|name=common core|group=}} The tesseracts and the 16-cells are rotated 60° isoclinically{{Efn|name=isoclinic 4-dimensional diagonal}} with respect to each other. This means that the corresponding vertices of two tesseracts or two 16-cells are {{radic|3}} (120°) apart.{{Efn|The 24-cell contains 3 distinct 8-cells (tesseracts), rotated 60° isoclinically with respect to each other. The corresponding vertices of two 8-cells are {{radic|3}} (120°) apart. Each 8-cell contains 8 cubical cells, and each cube contains four {{radic|3}} chords (its long diameters). The 8-cells are not completely disjoint (they share vertices),{{Efn|name=completely disjoint}} but each {{radic|3}} chord occurs as a cube long diameter in just one 8-cell. The {{radic|3}} chords joining the corresponding vertices of two 8-cells belong to the third 8-cell as cube diameters.{{Efn|name=nearest isoclinic vertices are {{radic|3}} away in third surrounding shell}}|name=three 8-cells}}

The tesseracts are inscribed in the 24-cell{{Efn|The 24 vertices of the 24-cell, each used twice, are the vertices of three 16-vertex tesseracts.|name=|group=}} such that their vertices and edges are exterior elements of the 24-cell, but their square faces and cubical cells lie inside the 24-cell (they are not elements of the 24-cell). The 16-cells are inscribed in the 24-cell{{Efn|The 24 vertices of the 24-cell, each used once, are the vertices of three 8-vertex 16-cells.{{Efn|name=three basis 16-cells}}|name=|group=}} such that only their vertices are exterior elements of the 24-cell: their edges, triangular faces, and tetrahedral cells lie inside the 24-cell. The interior{{Efn|The edges of the 16-cells are not shown in any of the renderings in this article; if we wanted to show interior edges, they could be drawn as dashed lines. The edges of the inscribed tesseracts are always visible, because they are also edges of the 24-cell.}} 16-cell edges have length {{sqrt|2}}.{{Efn|name=great linking triangles}}[[File:Kepler's tetrahedron in cube.png|thumb|Kepler's drawing of tetrahedra in the cube.{{Sfn|Kepler|1619|p=181}}]]

The 16-cells are also inscribed in the tesseracts: their {{sqrt|2}} edges are the face diagonals of the tesseract, and their 8 vertices occupy every other vertex of the tesseract. Each tesseract has two 16-cells inscribed in it (occupying the opposite vertices and face diagonals), so each 16-cell is inscribed in two of the three 8-cells.{{Sfn|van Ittersum|2020|loc=§4.2|pp=73-79}} This is reminiscent of the way, in 3 dimensions, two opposing regular tetrahedra can be inscribed in a cube, as discovered by Kepler.{{Sfn|Kepler|1619|p=181}} In fact it is the exact dimensional analogy (the [[demihypercube]]s), and the 48 tetrahedral cells are inscribed in the 24 cubical cells in just that way.{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|p=269|loc=§14.32|ps=. "For instance, in the case of <math>\gamma_4[2\beta_4]</math>...."}}{{Efn|name=root 2 chords}}

The 24-cell encloses the three tesseracts within its envelope of octahedral facets, leaving 4-dimensional space in some places between its envelope and each tesseract's envelope of cubes. Each tesseract encloses two of the three 16-cells, leaving 4-dimensional space in some places between its envelope and each 16-cell's envelope of tetrahedra. Thus there are measurable{{Sfn|Coxeter|1973|pp=292-293|loc=Table I(ii): The sixteen regular polytopes {''p,q,r''} in four dimensions|ps=; An invaluable table providing all 20 metrics of each 4-polytope in edge length units. They must be algebraically converted to compare polytopes of unit radius.}} 4-dimensional interstices{{Efn|The 4-dimensional content of the unit edge length tesseract is 1 (by definition). The content of the unit edge length 24-cell is 2, so half its content is inside each tesseract, and half is between their envelopes. Each 16-cell (edge length {{sqrt|2}}) encloses a content of 2/3, leaving 1/3 of an enclosing tesseract between their envelopes.|name=|group=}} between the 24-cell, 8-cell and 16-cell envelopes. The shapes filling these gaps are [[Hyperpyramid|4-pyramids]], alluded to above.{{Efn|Between the 24-cell envelope and the 8-cell envelope, we have the 8 cubic pyramids of Gosset's construction. Between the 8-cell envelope and the 16-cell envelope, we have 16 right [[5-cell#Irregular 5-cell|tetrahedral pyramids]], with their apexes filling the corners of the tesseract.}}

==== Boundary cells ====
Despite the 4-dimensional interstices between 24-cell, 8-cell and 16-cell envelopes, their 3-dimensional volumes overlap. The different envelopes are separated in some places, and in contact in other places (where no 4-pyramid lies between them). Where they are in contact, they merge and share cell volume: they are the same 3-membrane in those places, not two separate but adjacent 3-dimensional layers.{{Efn|Because there are three overlapping tesseracts inscribed in the 24-cell,{{Efn|name=three 8-cells}} each octahedral cell lies ''on'' a cubic cell of one tesseract (in the cubic pyramid based on the cube, but not in the cube's volume), and ''in'' two cubic cells of each of the other two tesseracts (cubic cells which it spans, sharing their volume).{{Efn|name=octahedral diameters}}|name=octahedra both on and in cubes}} Because there are a total of 7 envelopes, there are places where several envelopes come together and merge volume, and also places where envelopes interpenetrate (cross from inside to outside each other).

Some interior features lie within the 3-space of the (outer) boundary envelope of the 24-cell itself: each octahedral cell is bisected by three perpendicular squares (one from each of the tesseracts), and the diagonals of those squares (which cross each other perpendicularly at the center of the octahedron) are 16-cell edges (one from each 16-cell). Each square bisects an octahedron into two square pyramids, and also bonds two adjacent cubic cells of a tesseract together as their common face.{{Efn|Consider the three perpendicular {{sqrt|2}} long diameters of the octahedral cell.{{Sfn|van Ittersum|2020|p=79}} Each of them is an edge of a different 16-cell. Two of them are the face diagonals of the square face between two cubes; each is a {{sqrt|2}} chord that connects two vertices of those 8-cell cubes across a square face, connects two vertices of two 16-cell tetrahedra (inscribed in the cubes), and connects two opposite vertices of a 24-cell octahedron (diagonally across two of the three orthogonal square central sections).{{Efn|name=root 2 chords}} The third perpendicular long diameter of the octahedron does exactly the same (by symmetry); so it also connects two vertices of a pair of cubes across their common square face: but a different pair of cubes, from one of the other tesseracts in the 24-cell.{{Efn|name=vertex-bonded octahedra}}|name=octahedral diameters}}

As we saw [[#Relationships among interior polytopes|above]], 16-cell {{sqrt|2}} tetrahedral cells are inscribed in tesseract {{sqrt|1}} cubic cells, sharing the same volume. 24-cell {{sqrt|1}} octahedral cells overlap their volume with {{sqrt|1}} cubic cells: they are bisected by a square face into two square pyramids,{{sfn|Coxeter|1973|page=150|postscript=: "Thus the 24 cells of the {3, 4, 3} are dipyramids based on the 24 squares of the <math>\gamma_4</math>. (Their centres are the mid-points of the 24 edges of the <math>\beta_4</math>.)"}} the apexes of which also lie at a vertex of a cube.{{Efn|This might appear at first to be angularly impossible, and indeed it would be in a flat space of only three dimensions. If two cubes rest face-to-face in an ordinary 3-dimensional space (e.g. on the surface of a table in an ordinary 3-dimensional room), an octahedron will fit inside them such that four of its six vertices are at the four corners of the square face between the two cubes; but then the other two octahedral vertices will not lie at a cube corner (they will fall within the volume of the two cubes, but not at a cube vertex). In four dimensions, this is no less true! The other two octahedral vertices do ''not'' lie at a corner of the adjacent face-bonded cube in the same tesseract. However, in the 24-cell there is not just one inscribed tesseract (of 8 cubes), there are three overlapping tesseracts (of 8 cubes each). The other two octahedral vertices ''do'' lie at the corner of a cube: but a cube in another (overlapping) tesseract.{{Efn|name=octahedra both on and in cubes}}}} The octahedra share volume not only with the cubes, but with the tetrahedra inscribed in them; thus the 24-cell, tesseracts, and 16-cells all share some boundary volume.{{Efn|name=octahedra both on and in cubes}}