Pringles are Hyperbolic Paraboloids

Pringles are hyperbolic paraboloids. What? Come again?

Yes, I am talking about these crispy crunchy potato chips which taste great and give a boost of energy. We love them all, whether it is a Pringles, Lay’s or Frito’s. But it is not only the fantastic taste these munchies have in common; they all come in the same saddle-like shape, or as the mathematicians would say a hyperbolic paraboloids shape.

The hyperbolic paraboloid is a doubly ruled surface shape which resembles a saddle. In a suitable coordinate system, a hyperbolic paraboloid can be represented by the equation:

For c>0, this is a hyperbolic paraboloid that opens down along the x-axis and up along the y-axis (i.e., the parabola in the plane x=0 opens upward and the parabola in the plane y=0 opens downward).

I guess that’s more theory than you might want to know. Therefore, let’s move on to applications and fun facts about hyperbolic paraboloids.

Because a hyperbolic paraboloid is double ruled surface it can be used to construct a saddle roof from straight beams. An example of that is the Ochota railway station in Warszawa, Poland.

According to the Pringles potato-chip company, the shape allows the snack to be securely stacked in a canister to prevent breakage during packaging and transport.

March 14th is National Potato Chip day. A curious day. I wonder when the time will come and we celebrate a national hyperbolic paraboloid day.

Until then look out for algebra tutors helping you to ask your test on paraboloids.