An Euler-type volume identity

Abstract

In this paper we present an elementary proof of a congruence by subtraction relation. In order to prove congruence by subtraction, we produce a dissection relating equal sub-polytopes. An immediate consequence of this relation is an Euler-type volume identity in ℝ3 which appeared in the Unsolved Problems section of the December 1996 MAA Monthly.This Euler-type volume identity relates the volumes of subsets of a polytope called wedges that correspond to its faces, edges, and vertices. A wedge consists of the inward normal chords of the polytope emanating from a face, vertex, or edge. This identity is stated in the theorem below.Euler Volume Theorem. For any three dimensional convex polytope PThis identity follows immediately from