Desmic system


In projective geometry, a desmic system is a set of three tetrahedra in 3-dimensional projective space, such that any two are desmic, (i.e. related such that each edge of one cuts a pair of opposite edges of the other). It was introduced by Stephanos (1879). The three tetrahedra of a desmic system are contained in a pencil of quartic surfaces. The name "desmic" comes from the Greek word δεσμός, meaning band or chain, referring to the pencil of quartics.