398]
AND SEXTIC SURFACE CONNECTED THEREWITH.
89
It may be mentioned that we have identically
ae — 4bd + 3c 2 = 0,
af — 3be -f- 2cd = 0,
ag - 9ce + 8d 2 = 0,
bg - 3cf + 2de = 0,
bf — 4ce + 3d 2 = 0,
and moreover
ag — 6bf + loce — 10d 2
= -6(bf- 4ce + 3d 2 ), = + 6(/ 3 -27/ 2 ),
so that the equation of the developable may be written in the form
or in the more simple form
ag — 6bf + 15ce - 10d 2 = 0,
bf — 4ee + 3d 2 = 0,
each of which puts in evidence the nodal curve on the surface.
The nodal and cuspidal curves meet in the points
a bed
b c d e ’
being, as it is easy to show, a system of four points. The four points in question
form a tetrahedron, the equations of the faces of which may be taken to be x = 0,
y = 0, z = 0, w = 0; and the equation of the surface may be expressed in this system
of quadriplanar coordinates.
We introduce these coordinates ab initio, by taking the quartic function of t to be
(a, b, c, d, e$t, l) 4 = x(t + a) 4 + y {t + /3) 4 + z (t + y) 4 + w(t + 8)\
that is, by writing
a — x-\- y + z + w,
b = ax + /3y + yz + 8w,
c = o?x + (3 2 y + 7 2 z + B' 2 w,
d = a?x + ¡3 s y + y 3 z + B 3 w,
e = a*x -f /3 4 <y + 7 A z + 8%.
Observe that (ti, t 2 , t 3 , i 4 ) being any constant quantities, we thence have
e - dSij + cltj, - UZtMi + atdMi
= x (a - ¿0 (a - 4) (a - 4) ( a - U)
+y(/3-t 1 ) {P-QW-QW-Q
+ z (y - ¿i) (7 - Q (7 — Q (7 — Q
+ w(B — i x ) (8 —1 2 ) (8 —1 3 ) (8 — ¿4),
C. VI.
12