# Triangle A [[triangle]] is a [[polygon]] made up of three [[Vertex|vertices]] and three [[Edge|edges]], also referred to as tri (*pl. tris*), and the simplest polygonal primitive. Triangles play a fundamental role in 3D software and computer graphics for several reasons: <br> - ==Simplicity== Triangles are the simplest polygon that can represent a surface - any polygon can be broken down into triangles. <br> - ==Planarity== No matter how it is arranged, a triangle is always planar, meaning its vertices always lie on the same plane. This eliminates the potential issues of non-planar surfaces that can occur with polygons having more than three vertices. <br> - ==Efficiency== Triangles are mathematically easy to manipulate, which is why they are optimal to represent approximations of more complex surfaces. <br>