The term "wedge" has a number of different meanings in mathematics.
It is sometimes used as another name for the caret symbol.
The term also refers to the notation (
) used to indicate logical AND.
In solid geometry, ungulae like the conical wedge, cylindrical wedge, and spherical wedge are commonly known as wedges.
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However, when the term is used by itself in solid geometry, "wedge" refers a right triangular prism turned so that it rests on one of its lateral rectangular faces (left figure). Harris and Stocker (1998) define a more general type of oblique wedge in which the top edge is symmetrically shortened, causing the end triangles to slant obliquely (right figure). The removal of six identical and oppositely-oriented oblique wedges from a cube gives the endododecahedron.
For an oblique wedge of base lengths 
and 
,
top edge length 
,
and height 
(right figure), the volume
of the wedge is
 |  | ![int_0^h[a-(a-c)z/h]b(h-z)/hdz](/images/equations/Wedge/Inline8.svg) |
(1)
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(2)
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In the case of a right wedge 
,
this simplifies to
 |
(3)
|
The geometric centroid is located at a height
![z^_=(<z>)/V=(int_0^h[a-(a-c)z/h]b(h-z)/hzdz)/V=((a+c)h)/(2(2a+c))](/images/equations/Wedge/NumberedEquation2.svg) |
(4)
|
above the base, which simplifies to 
for a right wedge 
.
