Model of the Surface of Tangents to a Twisted Cubic by Richard P. Baker, Baker #140 (a Ruled Surface)

This geometric model was constructed by Richard P. Baker in the early twentieth century when he was Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Iowa. Baker believed that models were essential for the teaching of many parts of mathematics and physics, and over 100 of his models are in the museum collections.

When the model was constructed there was probably a copper wire representing a twisted cubic, a smooth curve in three dimensions so that each of the three variables is represented as a polynomial in a fourth variable and each of these polynomials is of degree at most three with at least one of the three a cubic polynomial. Since the blue threads represent the lines that are tangent to that, now missing, curve, the wire representing it probably ran from pieces of wood attached to the wooden base as seen on the left and right sides of the model in image NMAH-DOR2013-18269. That placement would make the twisted cubic have a shape similar to the copper wire seen in MA.211257.023.

Currently not on view