| In short, a tessellation is any repeating pattern of
interlocking shapes. Tessellations are also sometimes known as tilings, but
the word "tilings" usually refers to patterns of polygons (i.e., shapes with
straight boundaries), which is a more restrictive category of repeating
patterns. The definition sounds fairly simple, but the ideas involved in designing and understanding tessellations can grow very complex and interesting.
|
|
Translational transformationTranslational means a movement in position. That is, a movement on the plane. So, if we start with the squares...
And then we cut one slice out, and put it on the other side...
Then it will still be a tessellation, covering the entire plane without overlap or extra spaces.
This is called "Translational Transformation"
|
| Translation
Technique This technique involves redrawing a side of a shape and then translating a copy of the new side to every instance of the original side type. For example, in the following example, the side AB is redrawn as a curvy line segment and then copied to the side DC (an instance of the original side type). When the new side is copied to all instances, a new tessellation results. |
 |
| First, side AB is redrawn. Then, a copy (shown in red) of the new side is translated to side DC. Repeating this change for every side equivalent to side AB results in the tessellation shown on the right. |
 |
|
