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Elliptical galaxies, as one of the fundamental types of galaxies, have attracted astronomers due to their intriguing properties. In this review, we explore the intrinsic shape of elliptical galaxies, a field that plays a pivotal role in understanding their formation, evolution, and interactions within the cosmos. Methods for intrinsic shape determination using photometric and kinematic methods are extensively discussed. The use of photometric data and surface brightness profiles to derive the intrinsic shapes of elliptical galaxies is examined and triaxial models are reviewed. Constraining the intrinsic shapes of elliptical galaxies is crucial to understanding their formation histories. Elliptical galaxies are characterized by their ellipsoidal, rather than disk-like, shapes, and understanding the underlying factors and their intrinsic shapes of elliptical galaxies determination provides valuable insights into their formation, evolution, and the broader context of galaxy morphology. One key aspect of studying the intrinsic shape of elliptical galaxies involves the analysis of their axial ratios, which describe the flattening of the galaxy along different axes. The axial ratio is defined as the ratio of the semi-minor axis to the semi-major axis of the ellipse representing the galaxy's cross-section. The intrinsic shape can vary from nearly spherical (axial ratio close to 1) to highly elongated (axial ratio significantly different from 1).
Singh et al. (2024) studied this question.