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A MEMOIR ON CUBIC SURFACES.
423
127. Writing (a, b, c, dQX, Y) 3 = — d (f\X — Y) (/ 2 X — F) (f s X —Y), the planes are
X=0, [0]
Z =0, [7]
W = 0, [ 8]
f\X - F = 0, [14]
f,X-Y= 0, [25]
f 3 X-Y= 0, [36];
and the lines are
X = 0, F = 0, (0)
/iX — F = 0, Z=0, (1)
/ 2 X — F = 0, Z=0, (2)
/sX — F = 0, Z-0, (3)
/iX — F = 0, W=0, (4)
f,X-Y= 0, F = 0, (5)
/3X — F = 0, F = 0, (6).
128. There is no facultative line; p' = b'= 0, t' = 0; and hence also /3'= 0.
129. Hessian surface. The equation is
X {ZW (cX 4- dY) — 3X (ac - b 2 , ad-be, bd-c^X, F) 2 ] = 0,
so that the Hessian breaks up into the plane X = 0 (axial or common biplane) and
into a cubic surface.
The complete intersection of the Hessian with the cubic surface is made up of
the line X = 0, Y= 0 (the axis) four times; and of a system of four conics, which is
the spinode curve; d = 8.
In fact combining the equations
WXZ+(a, b, c, d$X, F) 3 = 0
and
ZW (cX + dF) — 3X (ac — 6 2 , ad-be, bd-c^X, F) 2 = 0,
these intersect in the axis once, and in a curve of the eighth order which breaks up
into four conics; for we can from the two equations deduce
(a, b, c, dQX, Y) 3 (cX + dY) + 3X-(ac — b 2 , ad —be, bd-d^X, F) 2 = 0,
that is
(4ac — 3b 2 , ad, bd, cd, d 2 $X, F) 4 = 0,
a system of four planes each intersecting the cubic XZW + (a, b, c, dQX, F) 3 = 0 in
the axis and a conic; whence, as above, spinode curve is four conics.
It is easy to see that the tangent planes along any conic on the surface pass
through a point, and form therefore a quadric cone; hence in particular the spinode
torse is made up of the quadric cones which touch the surface along the four conics
respectively.