Model of the Polar Developable of a Twisted Cubic, by Richard P. Baker, Baker #146 ? (a Ruled Surface)
date: label: date made
content: ca 1906-1935
name: label: maker
content: Baker, Richard P.
notes: label: Description
content: 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.
label: Description
content: The typed part of a paper label on the wooden base reads: “No. 146 (/) POLAR DEVELOPABLE (/) TW.CUBIC” and corresponds to one of four models in the museum collections that Baker listed in a section, “A Study of the Twisted Cubic,” of his 1931 catalog. The other three are MA.211257.023 (No. 139. Surface of binormals), MA.211257.024 (No. 140. Surface of tangents), and MA.211257.025 (No. 141. Rectifying developable). There is no wire curve surviving in model No. 140 (Surface of tangents). The curves in No. 139 (Surface of binormals) and No. 141 (Rectifying developable) are both twisted since neither of them lies in any plane in three space.
label: Description
content: Unlike the wire curves in the Nos. 139 and 141, the wire curve shown in No. 146, Polar developable, appears to lie in a plane so may not be a twisted cubic as shown on its label. Another reason to believe that this model may have been mislabeled is that the polar developable of a twisted cubic would not consist of a set of parallel lines.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: Richard P. Baker, Mathematical Models, Iowa City, 1931, p. 12.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
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.211257.030
label: accession number
content: 211257
label: catalog number
content: 211257.030
objectType: label: Object Name
content: geometric model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: thread (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: copper (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: screwed and threaded. (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 14.9 cm x 25.8 cm x 25.8 cm; 5 7/8 in x 10 5/32 in x 10 5/32 in