shape in geometry[edit]

There are several ways to compare the shapes of two objects:

 Congruence: Two objects are congruent if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of rotations,
translations, and/or reflections.
 Similarity: Two objects are similar if one can be transformed into the other by a uniform scaling, together with a
sequence of rotations, translations, and/or reflections.
 Isotopy: Two objects are isotopic if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of deformations that do not
tear the object or put holes in it.
Sometimes, two similar or congruent objects may be regarded as having a different shape if a reflection is required to
transform one into the other. For instance, the letters "b" and "d" are a reflection of each other, and hence they are
congruent and similar, but in some contexts they are not regarded as having the same shape. Sometimes, only the outline
or external boundary of the object is considered to determine its shape. For instance, a hollow sphere may be considered to
have the same shape as a solid sphere. Procrustes analysis is used in many sciences to determine whether or not two
objects have the same shape, or to measure the difference between two shapes. In advanced mathematics, quasi-
isometry can be used as a criterion to state that two shapes are approximately the same.
Simple shapes can often be classified into basic geometric objects su