[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Q: error in Mathematica Book formulae for surface area of ellipsoid?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg14329] Q: error in Mathematica Book formulae for surface area of ellipsoid?
• From: wacb at aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (wacb)
• Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 01:21:41 -0400
• Organization: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I've not been successful calculating the surface area of an ellipsoid,
based on formulae given in the 3rd edition of the Mathematica Book (pg.
938). I have tried to verify that these formulae give value that
correspond to a sphere and spheroids (both oblate and prolate). The
values I get do not correspond to those I derive using other texts. For
example, Mathematica calculates a value for a sphere of only 2 Pi.

I believe the error is due to an incomplete definition for theta: the
expression given in the book has a trailing "/", which suggests to me
that something is missing. Can anyone confirm this error or give a
corrected expression?

Thanks.

Bill Christens-Barry