Model of a Gaussian Surface by Richard P. Baker, Baker #448
date: label: date made
content: ca 1915-1935
name: label: maker
content: Baker, Richard P.
notes: label: Description
content: This geometric model was constructed by Richard P. Baker in about 1930 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 one hundred of his models are in the museum collections.
label: Description
content: The typed part of a paper label on the base of this plaster model reads: No. 448 (/) Gaussian Surface. Model 448 appears on page 21 of Baker’s 1931 catalog of models in the STATISTICS section as “Gaussian surface.” Baker named this model after the 19th-century German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. The surface is related to a statistical function whose graph is commonly referred to as a bell curve. While the bell curve is often referred to as a Gaussian curve, the formal name for a statistical function that produces a bell curve is a normal distribution function.
label: Description
content: Presumably Baker called this model a Gaussian surface because its vertical cross sections are Gaussian curves. The horizontal cross sections are ellipses and the formal name of this type of surface is a bivariate normal distribution surface.
label: Description
content: The term Gaussian surface is most commonly used in connection with electromagnetic fields. That usage is not related to this model.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Iowa, Iowa City
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Mathematical Association of America Objects
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Baker, Richard P.. Mathematical Models
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Frances E. Baker
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.211257.095
label: accession number
content: 211257
label: catalog number
content: 211257.095
objectType: label: Object Name
content: geometric model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plaster (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: beige (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: brown (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: bolted and screwed (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 12.5 cm x 21.1 cm x 10.9 cm; 4 29/32 in x 8 5/16 in x 4 9/32 in