Why is a two sheeted hyperboliod regular but two cone connected at their start point not

differential-geometrygeometryquadrics

Let $x^2-y^2-z^2=1$ be the equation for the two sheeted hyperboliod and $x^2+y^2-z^2=1$ If we say the connected cone is not regular because of the ‘pointy end’ at $z=0$ then if we rearrange the equation for the hyperboliod to $x^2-1=y^2+z^2$ Then at $x=1$ we get similar coordinates as the cones point except it has shifted $1$ in the $x$ direction and somehow this shape is now regular?

So I guess my question is if we say the two attached cones are not a regular surface then why is the two sheet hyperboliod (which is basically the same two cones but ‘pulled apart’) is now somehow regular?

Best Answer

Basically by the same reason why $\sqrt{1+x^2}$ is differentiable, whereas $\sqrt{x^2}(=\lvert x\rvert)$ is not: the surface $x^2=y^2+z^2$ is the union of the surfaces $x=\pm\sqrt{y^2+z^2}$ and you have a problem concerning differentiability when $(x,y,z)=(0,0,0)$. But you have no such problem with the surfaces $x=\pm\sqrt{1+x^2+y^2}$; each one of thm is well-behaved at any point, as far as differentiability is concerned.

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