Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 3 5F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For a finite triangulation of a surface of the sphere, Euler formula for a sphere iswhere , and count vertices, edges and triangular faces. Since each face has three edges and each edge borders two faces, also .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 3 5F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Let and count the pentagonal and hexagonal faces. Counting incidences of edges with vertices and faces givesThe Euler formula for a sphere also applies to this polygonal decomposition: triangulating a polygon by adding one diagonal increases both and by one, preserving . Substitution givesThus there are exactly 12 pentagons, independently of the number of hexagons.