asimetrik

Asimetrik is a term used in several languages to describe the property of lacking symmetry. It is commonly employed in mathematics, science, design, and everyday language to denote objects, patterns, or systems that are not invariant under a symmetry operation.

Etymology and usage vary by language. The word is derived from Greek roots meaning not or without symmetry and has been borrowed into Turkish, Indonesian, and other languages in forms that function as the adjective for “asymmetric” or “asymmetrical.” In these contexts, asimetrik names a qualitative property rather than a specific object.

In geometry and mathematics, an object is considered asymmetric if it has no nontrivial symmetries. Many irregular shapes, such as scalene polygons, lack a line of symmetry and are thus described as asymmetric. More broadly, asymmetry can refer to any departure from symmetry under reflections, rotations, or other transformations.

In biology, asymmetry is common and functional. Left-right asymmetry in vertebrates leads to the placement of organs such as the heart and liver, while other forms of anatomical or functional lateralization contribute to differences between the sides of an organism.

In design, art, and architecture, asymmetrical balance uses unequal elements to achieve visual interest or tension. In physics and chemistry, asymmetry can describe processes or structures that favor one orientation or handedness, such as chiral molecules or parity-violating interactions in particle physics.

See also: symmetry, asymmetry, asymmetric.