A ruled surface of degree 4

Degree 4 ruled: Tangent surface: Other:  

Static figure:
 
    This figure shows a portion of a degree 4 ruled surface. It can be view as a modification of the tangent surface of a twisted cubic. Specifically, each line on the surface is a secant line of the twisted cubic -- rather than a tangent line. Each color change that occurs along a smooth part of the surface -- whether from blue to yellow, from green to pink, or from red to purple -- occurs along a straight line that lies on the surface. Two smooth sheets of the surface cross along the twisted cubic curve.

    For discussion of the relationship between this surface and the tangent surface of the twisted cubic, please click the equation link on the left side of the page.

  Viewing suggestion:
 
    If your browser is java-enabled, it is recommended to visit one of the other links to view the interactive figure.
 
   You can view those figures from different directions by dragging them with the mouse.
 


Updates completed on June 9, 2010.

Prof. Joel Roberts
School of Mathematics
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
USA

Office: 531 Vincent Hall
Phone: (612) 626-9135
Dept. FAX: (612) 626-2017
e-mail: roberts@math.umn.edu
http://www.math.umn.edu/~roberts