Classification of the relative positions between an ellipsoid and an elliptic paraboloid

Abstract: We classify all the relative positions between an ellipsoid and an elliptic paraboloid when the ellipsoid is small in comparison with the paraboloid ({\it small} meaning that the ellipsoid cannot be tangent to the paraboloid at two points simultaneously). This provides an easy way to detect contact between the two surfaces by a direct analysis of the coefficients of a fourth degree polynomial.