Dot

A dot is a circle that is too small to argue. It has no corners, no sides worth mentioning, and a radius that mathematicians describe as “about that much” while holding up a finger and thumb.^[1]

Unlike larger shapes, which are spread over several places at once, a dot is entirely in one place. Cartographers have praised it for its focus.

Size limit

In 1962 the question of how large a dot may grow before it becomes a circle was referred to the International Shapes Bureau. After nine years of study the Bureau published its findings in a report whose entire contents were a full stop. Supporters called it the definitive answer, at the right size; critics noted that it was also the page number.^[2]

Uses

• Ending sentences.
• Finishing the letter i, which would otherwise be a short l.
• Being joined up by children until they become a giraffe.
• Polka: several dots, organised.
• Maps: a single dot saying “You are here”, which you knew.

See also

• Circle – a dot that kept going
• Oval – a dot with ambitions in one direction
• Square – has corners; dots do not ask
• Dice – dots, arranged on a cube
• Emoji – a dot with a face

References

1. Point, P. (1971). . International Shapes Bureau. p. 1.
2. Speck, S. (2008). Smaller Than That. Tiny Press.