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Find coordinates for a regular heptagon in 3D Euclidean space where all $3$ components $(x,y,z)$ of all $7$ coordinates are elements of the same cubic field, or prove that it can't be done.

Background:

In his paper titled "Golden Fields: A Case for the Heptagon", mathematics professor Peter Steinbach describes the cubic field with basis $(1,\rho,\sigma)$, where $\rho$ and $\sigma$ are as follows:

$$\rho = 2\cos\left(\frac{\pi}7\right) = 1.8019377...$$

$$\sigma = 4\cos^2\left(\frac{\pi}7\right) - 1 = 2.2469796...$$

He describes relationships between the cubic field $\mathbb{Q}(1,\rho,\sigma)$ and the regular heptagon that are quite analogous to relationships between the quadratic field $\mathbb{Q}(\phi)$ and the regular pentagon, where $\phi = \frac{1}{2}(1+\sqrt 5)$ is the golden ratio.

In two dimensions, I believe it's not possible to find coordinates for a regular pentagon using numbers from $\mathbb{Q}(\phi)$, nor from any other quadratic field, but in three dimensions, it becomes possible, by using a tilted rotation axis like $(1,0,\phi)$. This fact is what allows an icosahedron, dodecahedron, and many other polyhedra with icosahedral rotational symmetry to be represented using numbers from $\mathbb{Q}(\phi)$.

Similarly, I think there is no 2D solution for the regular heptagon using numbers from $\mathbb{Q}(1,\rho,\sigma)$ nor from any other cubic field, which leads me to the question of whether it's possible in 3D.

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    $\begingroup$ The title makes it seem the heptagon can be somehow made from that field, and that the author at least knows some connection between the field and the heptagon. Does the author do anything about making it work in 3D? At least it might be good to include in your question some reason for the title, as related to the field considered. $\endgroup$
    – coffeemath
    Commented Jan 19, 2023 at 6:46
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    $\begingroup$ Edited to more clearly mention that Steinbach's paper reveals how $\mathbb{Q}(1,\rho,\sigma)$ relates to the regular heptagon in much the same way that $\mathbb{Q}(\phi)$ relates to the regular pentagon. $\endgroup$
    – Dave
    Commented Jan 19, 2023 at 8:15
  • $\begingroup$ A regular pentagon has coordinates $(\cos(2\pi k/5),\sin(2\pi k/5)$, $k=0,1,2,3,4$, and all those numbers are in ${\bf Q}(\phi)$. Similarly for the regular heptagon. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 25, 2023 at 9:06
  • $\begingroup$ @GerryMyerson: This misses the point. The plane heptagon has coordinates in an algebraic extension of degree 6. The question is if in 3D the coordinate field can be reduced to an extension of order 3 using the Pythagorean theorem to provide the missing extension of order 2 on top of it, similar to getting the length $\sqrt5$ as distance from $(0,0)$ to $(2,1)$. NB that the points of the unit heptagon follow $0=z^6+z^5+...+z+1=z^3(w^3+w^2-2w-2)$ with $w=z+z^{-1}$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 25, 2023 at 12:01
  • $\begingroup$ @Lutz, the numbers $\cos2\pi/7$, $\cos4\pi/7$, and $\cos6\pi/7$ all belong to an extension of the rationals of degree three. I thought that was the point. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 25, 2023 at 21:12

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