Thus, if k = 1/ sin , the unwrapped image of C on a plane has polar equation R () = with R (0) = kr (0). Proof.

. Let L denote the line of intersection of the cutting plane and ceiling plane. For any point P on C let P0 denote its projection on C0 . Let d be the distance from P0 to L and r the distance from P0 to V , as depicted in Figure 19. R (0) , 1 + sin(k ) (23)

projected conic C0 V r

ceiling plane directrix P0 d L h cutting plane

P B

conic C
Figure 19. Diagram for proving parts (a), (b), and (c) of Theorem 7. (The ceiling plane intersects the cutting plane along the directrix L of the projected conic.)

We now show that the ratio r /d is tan tan , a constant (independent of P0 ) that we denote by . This will prove (a), (b), and (c). Write the ratio r /d as r r h = , d h d where h is the distance from P to P0 . From Figure 19 we see r / h = tan and h /d = tan , so the foregoing equation becomes r /d = tan tan , as required. This ensures that C0 is a conic with a focus at V and directrix L . To derive (22), use the focus V as origin in the ceiling plane, and let r () denote the distance from V to the point on C0 with polar coordinates (r (), ), where is measured from a line through V parallel to L , as shown in Figure 20. We have shown that C0 is a conic with eccentricity , hence the focal denition of conic gives r () = d . But d = D r () sin , where D is the distance from the focus to the directrix, hence r () = ( D r () sin ), which implies that r () = D /(1 + sin ). When = 0 we get D = r (0), which proves (22), and (23) follows from Theorem 5. May 2007]
UNWRAPPING CURVES FROM CYLINDERS AND CONES

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