The mathematical process of dividing a circle into equal parts, especially in geometry and number theory.
From Greek 'kyklos' (circle) and 'tomē' (cutting/division). The term emerged in the 19th century to describe the geometric and algebraic problem of dividing circles into regular sections, particularly in the context of constructible polygons.
Cyclotomy connects to some of the most beautiful results in math—it's why we can construct a regular pentagon with compass and straightedge, but never a regular heptagon! Gauss revolutionized this field by discovering exactly which regular polygons are constructible, using tools from abstract algebra.
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