Is it Possible to Parametrize A Skewed Cone?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Karnage1993
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Cone
Karnage1993
Messages
131
Reaction score
1
I would like to parametrize a skewed cone from a given vertex with an elliptical base, however I cannot seem to find the general formula for it. The parametrization given in http://mathworld.wolfram.com/EllipticCone.html produces a cone but not with the right vertex, ie, it is only a cone with an elliptical base, and not a skew cone with an elliptical base. The cone I want to parametrize is the cone on the right hand side in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cone_3d.png , except with an ellipse base and not a circle. Any suggestions?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Karnage1993 said:
I would like to parametrize a skewed cone from a given vertex with an elliptical base, however I cannot seem to find the general formula for it. The parametrization given in http://mathworld.wolfram.com/EllipticCone.html produces a cone but not with the right vertex, ie, it is only a cone with an elliptical base, and not a skew cone with an elliptical base. The cone I want to parametrize is the cone on the right hand side in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cone_3d.png , except with an ellipse base and not a circle. Any suggestions?

Sure. Do you know how to parameterize the ellipse in the xy plane with a single parameter, like ##\theta##? Then let (p,q,r) be the vertex. Parameterize the straight line from (p,q,r) to a point on the bottom ellipse as a function of t. The result will be a parameterization of the cone using those two parameters. Is that enough of a hint?
 
Yes, that works! Although, I had to include the z-component of the ellipse parametrization as 0 in order to make a straight line. Thanks for the help.
 
Karnage1993 said:
Yes, that works! Although, I had to include the z-component of the ellipse parametrization as 0 in order to make a straight line. Thanks for the help.

Yes, an ellipse in the xy plane would have z=0. You're welcome.
 
Back
Top