unequalsides

Unequalsides is a descriptive term in geometry for figures whose side lengths are not all equal. The concept is most often applied to triangles, where it is used to distinguish a triangle with three distinct side lengths from the two other standard types: isosceles (two equal sides) and equilateral (three equal sides). A scalene triangle has sides of lengths a, b, c that are all different, and consequently its interior angles are also all different.

Beyond triangles, the idea extends to polygons with more than three sides. A polygon whose side lengths are not all the same can be described as having unequal sides; in practice, such figures are usually referred to as irregular polygons. Some authors use scalene to describe polygons with no equal sides, but this usage is less universal for polygons other than triangles.

Properties and considerations include that the attribute of unequal sides is independent of a figure’s angles, though the side lengths influence measurements such as area and perimeter and can affect symmetry. A regular polygon has equal side lengths and equal interior angles; a polygon with unequal sides may be irregular and may or may not exhibit symmetry, depending on the arrangement and lengths.

Related concepts include the equilateral and isosceles triangles, and broader notions of regularity and irregularity in polygons. In applications such as design and construction, describing a component as having unequalsides communicates that precise side-length equality is not present, which can influence tolerances and fitting.