(Math)

Ellipse (h)

Parabola (h)

Hyperbola (h)

Ellipse (v) Definition: A conic section is the intersection of a plane and a cone.

Parabola (v)

Hyperbola (v)

By changing the angle and location of intersection, we can produce a circle, ellipse, parabola or hyperbola; or in the special case when the plane touches the vertex: a point, line or 2 intersecting lines.

Point

Line

Double Line

The General Equation for a Conic Section: Ax2 + Bxy + Cy2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0 The type of section can be found from the sign of: B2 - 4AC If B2 - 4AC is... then the curve is a... <0 =0 >0 ellipse, circle, point or no curve. parabola, 2 parallel lines, 1 line or no curve. hyperbola or 2 intersecting lines.

The Conic Sections. For any of the below with a center (j, k) instead of (0, 0), replace each x term with (x-j) and each y term with (y-k). Circle Equation (horiz. vertex): Equations of Asymptotes: Equation (vert. vertex): Equations of Asymptotes: a = major radius (= 1/2 length major axis) b = minor radius (= 1/2 length minor axis) c = distance center to focus a2 - b2 = c2 sum of distances to each focus is constant x2 + y2 = r2 y2 / a2 + x2 / b2 = 1 4py = x2 x2 + y2 = r2 Ellipse
x2 y2 + =1 a2 b2

Parabola 4px = y2

Hyperbola
x2 y2 =1 a 2 b2

y = (b/a)x y2 / a2 - x2 / b2 = 1 x = (b/a)y a = 1/2 length p = distance major axis from vertex to b = 1/2 length focus (or minor axis directrix) c = distance center to focus c/a p=p distance to focus = distance to directrix c/a a2 + b2 = c2 difference between distances to each foci is constant

Variables:

r = circle radius

Eccentricity: Relation to Focus: Definition: is the locus of all points which meet the condition... Related Topics:

0 p=0 distance to the origin is constant Geometry section on Circles

Types of conics
The three types of conics are the hyperbola, ellipse, and parabola. The circle can be considered as a fourth type (as it was by Apollonius) or as a kind of ellipse. The circle and the ellipse arise when the intersection of cone and plane is a closed curve. The circle is obtained when the cutting plane is parallel to the plane of the generating circle of the cone. If the cutting plane is parallel to exactly one generating line of the cone, then the conic is unbounded and is called a parabola. In the remaining case, the figure is a hyperbola. In this case, the plane will intersect both halves (nappes) of the cone, producing two separate unbounded curves, though often one is ignored.

[edit] Degenerate cases

There are multiple degenerate cases, in which the plane passes through the apex of the cone. The intersection in these cases can be a straight line (when the plane is tangential to the surface of the cone); a point (when the angle between the plane and the axis of the cone is larger than tangential); or a pair of intersecting lines (when the angle is smaller). Where the cone is a cylinder, i.e. with the vertex at infinity, cylindric sections are obtained. Although these yield mostly ellipses (or circles) as usual, a degenerate case of two parallel lines, known as a ribbon, can also be produced, and it is also possible for there to be no intersection at all.[1]

[edit] Eccentricity

Ellipse (e=1/2), parabola (e=1) and hyperbola (e=2) with fixed focus F and directrix.

The four defining conditions above can be combined into one condition that depends on a fixed point F (the focus), a line L (the directrix) not containing F and a nonnegative real number e (the

eccentricity). The corresponding conic section consists of all points whose distance to F equals e times their distance to L. For 0 < e < 1 we obtain an ellipse, for e = 1 a parabola, and for e > 1 a hyperbola. For an ellipse and a hyperbola, two focus-directrix combinations can be taken, each giving the same full ellipse or hyperbola. The distance from the center to the directrix is a / e, where is the semi-major axis of the ellipse, or the distance from the center to the tops of the hyperbola. The distance from the center to a focus is . In the case of a circle, the eccentricity e = 0, and one can imagine the directrix to be infinitely far removed from the center. However, the statement that the circle consists of all points whose distance is e times the distance to L is not useful, because we get zero times infinity. The eccentricity of a conic section is thus a measure of how far it deviates from being circular. For a given , the closer is to 1, the smaller is the semi-minor axis.

[edit] Cartesian coordinates

In the Cartesian coordinate system, the graph of a quadratic equation in two variables is always a conic section, and all conic sections arise in this way. The equation will be of the form
Ax2 + Bxy + Cy2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0 with A, B, C not all zero.

then:

if B2 4AC < 0, the equation represents an ellipse (unless the conic is degenerate, for example x2 + y2 + 10 = 0); o if A = C and B = 0, the equation represents a circle; if B2 4AC = 0, the equation represents a parabola; if B2 4AC > 0, the equation represents a hyperbola;
o

if we also have A + C = 0, the equation represents a rectangular hyperbola.

Note that A and B are just polynomial coefficients, not the lengths of semi-major/minor axis as defined in the following sections. Through change of coordinates these equations can be put in standard forms:

Circle: x2 + y2 = r2 Ellipse: ,

Parabola: y2 = 4ax, x2 = 4ay

Hyperbola:

Rectangular Hyperbola: xy = c2

Such forms will be symmetrical about the x-axis and for the circle, ellipse and hyperbola symmetrical about the y-axis. The rectangular hyperbola however is only symmetrical about the lines y = x and y = x. Therefore its inverse function is exactly the same as its original function.