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Re: Re: A 3D Plot Query

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg94296] Re: [mg94256] Re: [mg94222] A 3D Plot Query
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:44:08 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
  • References: <200812081122.GAA15850@smc.vnet.net> <200812091158.GAA20808@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu

Neither produces what a mathematician might typically draw for students 
(as contrasted with what might appear in a physics or engineering 
publication).

Yes, the axes are there now, but they are not labeled; and trying an 
AxesLabel->{"x","y","z"} option does not actually produce displayed labels!

Moreover, a mathematician, especially when drawing such a figure on the 
blackboard, might not even draw the negative semi-axes, but rather just 
the positive semi-axes -- in other words, as the original poster asked, 
"showing the first octant".

It's long been VERY annoying to me that the default for Plot3D is a 
framed plot, i.e., what suits engineers, physicists, etc., rather than 
what simulates the way mathematicians commonly draw such things.  And 
that it's not easy to reproduce in Mathematica, as a non-default, what 
mathematicians commonly do with paper and pencil or chalk and slate. 
(Anybody else remember slate?)


Curtis Osterhoudt wrote:
> Hi, Sid, 
> 
>     Does the following give you what you want?
>   
> Plot3D[2 - (x^2 + y^2), {x, -2, 2}, {y, -2, 2}, 
>  RegionFunction -> Function[{x, y, z}, x^2 + y^2 <= 2]]
> 
> and/or
> 
> Plot3D[2 - (x^2 + y^2), {x, -5, 5}, {y, -5, 5}, PlotRange -> {-10, 4},
> Boxed -> False,
> AxesOrigin -> {0, 0, 0}]
> 
> 
>    If these work for you, then it's just a matter of Mathematica choosing its clipping range a bit differently than what you'd like. Note that I haven't checked what the Schaum's figure is like; I'm just guessing!
> 
>            Best of luck, 
>                    C.O.
> 
> 
> 
> On Monday 08 December 2008 04:22:43 pcoords29 at gmail.com wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> This may sound silly, but I can't get it to work. (I'm using v 6.0)
>>
>> How do I get my 3D plots look as given in textbooks, ie. with the y-
>> axis pointing to the right, the z-axis up and x-axis pointing out of
>> the paper/screen ( showing the first octant)?  I mean the kind of
>> plots one draws on paper when working out surface integrals  in
>> Calculus classes.
>>
>> If this is of any help, I'd like to get the plot of  the paraboloid
>>
>>  z = 2-(x^2+y^2),  as given in Fig. 10-10  of  Spiegel's Advanced
>> Calculus, Schaum Series.
>>
>> I tried
>>
>>         Plot3D[2 - (x^2 + y^2), {x, -a, a}, {y, -a, a}],
>>
>> with various values of a. Unfortunately, none of them look like the
>> traditional cap-shaped paraboloid.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>>
>> Sid.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 
> 
> 

-- 
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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