A polygon is a two-dimensional geometric figure that consists of a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed shape. The line segments are called the sides or edges, and the points where two sides meet are called vertices.
Polygons can be classified based on the number of sides they have. For instance, a triangle has three sides, a rectangle has four, and a pentagon has five. Additionally, polygons can be further categorized into two types: convex and concave. A convex polygon has all its interior angles less than 180 degrees, whereas a concave polygon has at least one interior angle greater than 180 degrees.
Polygons are fundamental in various fields of mathematics and are often used in geometry to study shape properties, area, and perimeter. Understanding polygons is essential for more advanced topics in geometry and various applications in real life, such as architecture and design.