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Re: Plotting a hyperbolic paraboloid (saddle)

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg78938] Re: [mg78914] Plotting a hyperbolic paraboloid (saddle)
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:03:54 -0400 (EDT)
  • Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
  • References: <200707120927.FAA08598@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu

You need to know two things:

(1) the equation z=f(x,y) of a hyperbolic paraboloid (try Googling that 
-- probably the first hit you'll get is to MathWorld); and

(2) how to plot a real-valued function f(x,y) of two real variables in 
Mathematica.

If you're using Mathematica 6, open the Documentation Center, go to the 
section "Visualization and Graphics", click the link "Function 
Visualization" there, and inspect the list of functions you'll see on 
the guide page that opens; it should be obvious from the descriptions 
(and even the names, perhaps) which one to use, and if you click that 
name, it will give you a page about that function with lots of examples 
(including, as an example of using a mesh, a hyperbolic paraboloid!).

If you're using Mathematica 5.2, open the Help Browser and in the list 
in the first panel on the first tab (Built-in Functions), click 
"Graphics and Sound".  In the list that now appears in the second panel 
you'll see an obviously relevant item, "3D Plots". Click that link.  In 
the third panel you'll see a list of three functions.  Try the first of 
those.  Open the "Further Examples" at the bottom of the page about that 
function.


William S. wrote:
> Does anyone know how to plot a hyperbolic paraboloid? 
> 
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305


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