Tangent surface of the twisted cubic

Tangent surface
      of the
twisted cubic
:
Tangent surface
of a rational curve of degree
 4:
Other:
 

View with equal segment lengths:
 
    This figure shows the tangent surface of the twisted cubic. This surface is the union of the tangent lines of the twisted cubic curve. The curve is given parametrically by:

t ---> (x,y,z) = (t, t2, t3),
so that the surface is parametrically by:
 
(t,u) --> (t+u, t2 + 2tu, t3 + 3t2u).

The twisted cubic curve is lightly sketched in dark blue on the surface.

    In the portion shown here, we have   -1 < t < 1,  while the range of u-values varies with  t  in such a way that a tangent line segment of length = 2  is shown for each value of  t.  The midpoint of each tangent line segment is at the point of tangency on the twisted cubic curve.


Return to the first view of the tangent surface of the twisted cubic.

Click here to see yet another view of the tangent surface of the twisted cubic.

  Viewing suggestions:
 
    I recommend long diagonal mouse motions. (Upper left to lower right, for instance.)

The Java files used in this page were downloaded from the Geometry Center webpage.
Updates completed on July 14, 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