HEDRAWEB

Ortwin Schenker named this shape the gingerbread man.  It  can only tile one way but hides a secret or two. This is one from hundreds of computer generated polygons supplied by Bob Nungester and Bram Cohen.  The shapes are all based on the Spectre, i.e., side lengths of one or two units and with similar angles.  I pulled out a couple of other tiles (below, far right) that coincidentally make up the top and lower half of the gingerbread man.  Both display mirror symmetry and can tessellate in various ways.   I later named them 'yin' and 'yang' These two polygons tile in similar ways.  There are six combinations of central cores (rotations of two or more tiles pivoting around a central point) for each.  First we have yin: And next we have yang: Interesting periodic patterns can be created easily by combining zigzag motifs. Also, more chaotic patterns can evolve from periodic strips. Below is a patch of yin with a yang void. And anothe...