LOCUS 33

Section - 3 PAIR OF STRAIGHT LINES

Consider two lines

L1 y m1x c1 0

L2 y m2 x c2 0

What do you think will L1L2 0 represent ? It is obvious that any point lying on L1 and L2 will satisfy L1L2 0,
and thus L1L2 0 represents the set of points constituting both the lines, i.e.,

L1 L2 0 represents the pair of straight lines given by L1 0 and L2 0

For example, consider the equation y 2 x2 0. What does this represent ? We have

y2 x2 0 ...(1)

(y x)( y x) 0

(1) represents the pair of straight lines x y and x y 0.

x=y

x The pair of lines given

2 2
by y - x = 0

x+y=0

Fig - 28

There is nothing special about considering a pair. We can similarly define the joint equation of n straight lines
Li y mi x ci 0 (i 1, 2..., n) as

L1L2 ...Ln 0

( y m1 x c1 )( y m2 x c2 )...( y mn x cn ) 0 ...(2)

Any point lying on any of these n straight lines will satisfy (2), and thus (2) represents the set of all points constituting
the n lines, i.e. (2) represents the joint equation of the n straight lines.
What is relevant to us at this stage is only a pair of straight lines and it is on a pair of lines that we now focus our
attention.
LOCUS 34

PAIR OF LINES PASSING THROUGH THE ORIGIN

We first consider a special (and simple)case. Both the lines in our pair pass through the origin. Thus, their equations
can be written as

L1 : y m1 x 0

L2 : y m2 x 0

y
L2

L1
2
Pair of lines passing through
the origin with slopes
O m1 = tan 1
1
x
m2 = tan 2

Fig - 29

The joint equation of this pair is :

L1L2 0

( y m1 x )( y m2 x ) 0

y2 m1m2 x 2 (m1 m2 ) xy 0 ...(3)

(3) suggests that the general equation of a pair of straight lines passing through the origin is

ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 ...(4)

(4) is a homogenous equation of degree 2, implying that the degree of each term is 2.
It should now be apparent that any homogenous equation of degree 2 will represent two straight lines passing
through the origin (well soon see that the two straight lines might be imaginary; the meaning of this will become
clear in a subsequent example).
Generalising, any nth degree homogenous equation of the form

a0 x n a1 x n 1 y a2 x n 2 y 2 ... an y n 0 ...(5)

represents n straight lines (real or imaginary) passing through the origin. To obtain the slopes of these n lines, we
y
divide by x n in (5) and substitute m:
x

an m n an 1 m n 1
... a0 0

The n values of m gives us the slopes of the n lines.

LOCUS 35

Example 16

Find the straight lines represented by

(a) y 2 5 xy 6 x 2 0

(b) 3 y 2 10 xy 3x 2 0

(c) y 2 xy x 2 0
Solution: Note that the homogenous nature of these equations tells us that the lines will pass through the origin.

(a) y 2 5 xy 6 x 2 0
We either factorize this equation straightaway :

( y 2 x )( y 3 x ) 0
so that the lines are

y 2 x and y 3x
OR,

y
we divide it by x 2 and substitute m to obtain :
x

m 2 5m 6 0

m 2, 3

y
2, 3
x

y 2 x or y 3x

Both alternatives are entirely equivalent.

(b) 3 y 2 10 xy 3x 2 0

y
3m 2 10 m 3 0 m
x

1
m 3,
3

x
y 3 x, y
3
LOCUS 36

(c) y2 xy x 2 0
y
m2 m 1 0 Again, m
x

This has no real roots and thus physically, no lines will exist with the joint equation y 2 xy x 2 0.
We sometimes say that this equation represents imaginary lines.
Note that in the entire plane, only (0, 0) satisfies this equation.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Consider now that weve been given the equation of a pair of straight lines passing through the origin as :

ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 ...(1)
We wish to determine the angle between these two lines. Let m1 and m2 be the slopes of these two lines. By
y
dividing(1) by x2 and substituting m, we have
x
bm 2 2hm a 0
This quadratic in m will have its roots as m1 and m2. Thus,
2h a
m1 m2 ; m1m2 ...(2)
b b
The angle between the two lines, say , is given by

m1 m2
tan
1 m1m2

(m1 m2 )2 4m1m2
1 m1m2

2 h 2 ab
(Using (2))
a b
As a consequence of this formula, we see that the lines represented by (1), are :

Parallel (in fact coincident since both pass through the origin) if h 2 ab
Perpendicular if a b 0

The importance of this condition must be mentioned; it is very widely used and should be committed to memory.
As an example, the locus given by

3 y 2 8 xy 3 x 2 0 ...(3)
represent two perpendicular straight lines since
a b (3) ( 3) 0
Verify this by the explicit factorization of (3).
LOCUS 37

Example 17

Find the equation of the pair of lines through the origin and perpendicular to the pair of lines ax 2 2hxy by 2 0.
Solution: Let the slopes of the two lines represented by the given equation be m1 and m2. As explained earlier,
m1 and m2 are the roots of the quadratic

bm 2 2hm a 0
so that

2h a
m1 m2 , m1m2 ...(1)
b b

1 1
The slopes of the lines whose joint equation we require will simply be m and m so that their
1 2

equations will be :

1 1
y x, y x
m1 m2

x m1 y 0, x m2 y 0
The required joint equation is

( x m1 y )( x m2 y ) 0

x2 m1m2 y 2 (m1 m2 ) xy 0

a 2 2h
x2 y xy 0 (Using (1))
b b

bx 2 2hxy ay 2 0

Example 18

he equation ax 3 bx 2 y cx 2 dy 3 0 is a third degree homogenous equation and hence represents three straight
lines passing through the origin. Find the condition so that two of these three lines may be perpendicular.

y
Solution: We divide the given equation by x 3 and substitute m to obtain:
x

dm3 cm 2 bm a 0 ...(1)

This has three roots, say m1 , m2 , m3 , corresponding to the three straight lines. Since we want two of
these lines to be perpendicular, we can assume

m1m2 1
LOCUS 38

From (1), we have

a
m1 m2 m3
d

a
m3
d
Substituting this value of m3 back in (1), (since m3 is a root of (1)), we obtain

da 3 ca 2 ba
a 0
d3 d2 d

a2 ac bd d2 0

Example 19

Find the area of the triangle formed by the lines y 2 9 xy 18 x 2 0 and y 9.

Solution: The joint equation can be factorized to obtained

( y 3 x)( y 6 x ) 0
Thus, the three lines forming the sides of the triangle are

y 3 x, y 6 x, y 9

The three intersection points can easily be seen to be

3
(0, 0), (3, 9), ,9
2

Thus, the area of the triangle is

3
0 3
2
1
0 9 9
2
1 1 1

27
sq. units
4

Example 20

The slope of one of the two lines represented by ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 is the square of the other. Prove that

a b 8h 2
6
h ab
LOCUS 39

Solution: Let the two slopes be m and m2; these are the roots of the quadratic

bM 2 2 hM a 0
so that

2h a
m m2 , m3
b b
Cubing the first relation, we have

8h 3
m3 m6 3m3 (m m 2 )
b3

a a2 3a 2h 8h3
b b2 b b b3

ba 2 ab 2 8h 3 6hab

a b 8h 2
6
h ab
_____________________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL EQUATION OF A PAIR OF LINES
Consider the equations of two arbitrary lines L1 and L2:

L1 : l1x m1 y n1 0

L2 : l2 x m2 y n2 0
The joint equation of the two lines is

L1L2 0

(l1 x m1 y n1 )(l2 x m2 y n2 ) 0

(l1l2 ) x 2 (l1m2 m1l2 ) xy (m1m2 ) y 2 (n1l2 n2l1 ) x (n1m2 n2 m1 ) y n1n2 0 ...(1)

(1) suggests that the most general equation to a pair of straight lines has the form

ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0 ...(2)

It might be apparent to you that (2) will not always represent a pair of straight lines. For (2) to indeed represent a
pair of straight lines, it must be able to be factorised into two linear factors; as an exercise for the reader, show that
(2) can be expressed as a product of linear factors if the following condition is satisfied:

abc 2 fgh af 2 bg 2 ch 2 0

a h g
h b f 0
g f c
LOCUS 40

We now re-evaluate the conditions for parallel and perpendicular lines, in the general case :
Let L1 and L2 be two lines with slopes s1 and s2; their equations have already been mentioned above. L1 and L2 are
parallel if

s1 s2

l1 l2
m1 m2

l1m2 l2 m1
2
l1m2 l2 m1 0

2
l1m2 l2 m1 4 l1 l2 m1 m2 ...(3)

From (2), observe that the constraint in (3) can be specified as

4h 2 4 ab

h2 ab : Parallel lines

This is the same condition as the one for the homogenous case.
For L1 and L2 to be perpendicular,

s1 s2 1

l1 l2
1
m1 m2

l1l2 m1m2 0

a b 0 : Perpendicular lines

Again, this condition is the same as the one in the homogenous case.
If fact, you can verify that the angle subtended between the two lines is also given by the same formula as in the
homogenous case, i.e.,

2 h 2 ab
tan
a b

That these formulae in the homogenous and the general case are the same should be obvious since the slope of any
line is independent of the constant term appearing in its equation.

Example 21

Prove that the equation 6 x 2 13 xy 6 y 2 8 x 7 y 2 0 represents a pair of straight lines. Find the point of
intersection and the angle between these two lines.
LOCUS 41

Solution: To show that this equation represents a pair of straight lines, we use the determinant condition mentioned
earlier:
13
6 4
a h g 2
13 7
h b f 6
2 2
g f c
7
4 2
2

49 13 91
6 12 14 13 4 24
4 2 4

3 13
5
2 2
=0
which confirms the stated assertion.
The angle between these two lines is given by

2 h 2 ab
tan
a b
5
12
1 5
tan
12
To find the point of intersection, we must factorise the joint equation to obtain the separate equations
of the lines. This task can be made easy be observing that since the homogenous part of the given
equation is

6 x 2 13 xy 6 y 2 0
which can be factorised as
(2 x 3 y )(3 x 2 y ) 0,
the actual factors of the (original) equation will be of the form

(2 x 3 y ) (3 x 2 y ) 0

Convince yourself about this argument. and can easily be evaluated using comparison of coefficients
to be 2 and 1 respectively. Thus, the two lines are

L1 : 2 x 3 y 2 0

L2 : 3x 2 y 1 0

1 4
so that their point of intersection is, by solving this system of equations, , .
5 5
LOCUS 42

Example 22

Show that the four lines given by the equations

3x 2 8 xy 3 y 2 0

3x 2 8 xy 3 y 2 2x 4 y 1 0
form a square. What is the length of the sides of the square ?

Solution: The first joint equation can be easily factorised to yield

(3 x y )( x 3 y ) 0

3x y 0, x 3y 0 ...(1)
These are perpendicular lines intersecting at the origin. As described in the previous example, the
second joint equation can be factorised as

(3 x y ) (x 3 y ) 0

where and can be determined by the comparison of coefficients :

1, 1
The other two sides are thus

3x y 1 0, x 3 y 1 0 ...(2)
From (1) and (2), it should be evident that the four lines form a square. The length l of the sides of this
square can be evaluated by determining the perpendicular distance between any pair of opposite
sides, say 3 x y 0 and 3 x y 1 0 :

0 ( 1) 1
l
2 2
1 3 10

Example 23

Find the joint equation of the angle bisectors of the lines represented by ax 2 2hxy by 2 0.

Solution: Let the slopes of the two lines represented by ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 be m1 and m2, so that m1 and m2
are the roots of the quadratic

bm 2 2hm a 0
Thus,

2h a
m1 m2 , m1m2
b b
LOCUS 43

It should be obvious that the angle bisectors will also pass through the origin, as shown below:

y
L2

A2 A1

L1

L1 and L2 are the original

2
2 pair of lines while A1 and A2
1 1 are their angle bisectors
x
m1 = tan 1
m2 = tan 2

Fig - 30

From the figure, observe that

1 2 1 2
1 , 2
2 2

2 1 1 2 , 2 2 1 2

tan 2 1 tan 2 2 tan( 1 2 )

tan 1 tan 2

1 tan 1 tan 2

m1 m2
1 m1m2

2h
... (1)
a b

Now, for any point ( x, y ) on the angle bisector A1 (or A2 ),

y y
tan 1
or tan 2
x x

2 xy We have used to
tan 2
x y2
2
represent both 1 and 2

From this relation and (1), we have

x2 y2 xy
a b h
LOCUS 44

This is the joint equation of the angle bisectors; as expected, it is a second degree homogenous
equation.
As a corollary, suppose we are required to find the joint equation of the angle bisectors of the lines
L1 and L2 represented by

ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0

We first find the point of intersection of L1 and L2, say P ( , ). If we now shift our coordinate system
(translation) so that P is the origin (Refer to Appendix - 1), and denote the coordinates in the new
system by ( X , Y ), we will have the joint equation of the angle bisectors of L1 and L2 as

X2 Y2 XY
a b h

But since X x , Y y , the joint equation in the original frame is

(x )2 ( y )2 (x )( y )
a b h
____________________________________________________________________________________

We now discuss a very useful application of the concept of pair of straight lines.

Consider a second degree curve S ( x, y ) with the equation

S ( x, y ) ax 2 2 hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0
and a straight line
L px qy r 0
intersecting S 0 in A and B. Let O be the origin.
What is the joint equation of OA and OB ?
y

What is the joint

equation of the pair
of straight lines
A OA and OB?

x
O
L=0
S(x, y ) = 0

Fig - 31
LOCUS 45

The insight that we use here is that since both OA and OB pass through the origin, their joint equation will be
homogenous. We now construct a homogenous equation and show that both A and B satisfy it; that equation is
then guaranteed to jointly represent OA and OB.

First of all, observe that since A and B satisfy the equation of L, i.e. px qy r 0, they will also satisfy the
relation

px qy
1 : Both A and B will satisfy this relation.
r

Now, we homogenize the equation of the second degree curve S ( x, y) using the relation above; consider this
equation :
2
2 2 px qy px qy px qy
ax 2hxy by 2 gx 2 fy c 0 ...(1)
r r r

Can you understand why weve done this? The equation we obtain above is a second degree homogenous equation,
and so it must represent two straight lines passing through the origin. Which two straight lines? Since A and B
px qy
satisfy the equation of the original curve as well as the relation 1, A and B both satisfy the homogenized
r
equation in (1).
What does this imply ? That (1) is the joint equation of OA and OB!
Go over this discussion again if you find this confusing. You must fully understand the described technique which
will find very wide usage in subsequent chapters.

Example 24

Find the joint equation of the straight lines passing through the origin O and the points of intersection of the line
3 x 4 y 5 0 and the curve 2 x 2 3 y 2 5.
Solution: One approach is of course to explicitly determine the two points of intersection, say A and B, writing
the equations of OA and OB, thereby obtaining the required joint equation. You are urged to do this as
an exercise.
However, well use the homogenizing technique just described :
y

A We wish to determine
x the joint equation of
O OA and OB
2 2
2x + 3y = 5

Fig - 32
LOCUS 46

The required equation can be obtained by first writing the line as

3x 4 y
1
5

and then using this relation to homogenize the equation of the curve :

2
2 2 3x 4 y
2x 3y 5
5

10 x 2 15 y 2 9 x 2 16 y 2 24 xy

x 2 24 xy y 2 0

This is the required joint equation of OA and OB.

Example 25

Find the value of m, if the lines joining the origin O to the points of intersection A, B of y 1 mx and x 2 y2 1
are perpendicular.
Solution: The joint equation of OA and OB is

x2 y2 ( y mx ) 2

(1 m 2 ) x 2 2mxy 0 ... (1)

The condition for perpendicularity is

a b 0
which when applied to (1) yields

1 m2 0

m 1

This example was more or less trivial and a little knowledge of circles would have enabled you to solve this
question without resorting to the homogenizing approach; however, the fact that this approach is very powerful in
many cases will become apparent in later examples.
LOCUS 47

TRY YOURSELF - II

Q. 1 Find the values(s) of m for which the following equation(s) represents a pair of straight lines:

(a) x 2 xy 2 y 2 3 y 1 0

(b) 4 x 2 10 xy y 2 5 x 10 y 0
Q. 2 Find the angle of intersection of the straight lines given by the equation

3x 2 7 xy 2 y 2 9 x 2 y 12 0

Q. 3 Show that the lines joining the origin to the points common to x 2 hxy y 2 gx fy 0 and
fx gy are at right angles for all values of .

Q. 4 Find the angle between the lines given by x 2 2 pxy y2 0.

x y
Q. 5 Prove that the lines joining the origin to the points of intersection of the line 2 with the curve
h k
( x h) 2 ( y k ) 2 c 2 , are perpendicular if h 2 k2 c2 .
Q. 6 Find the joint equations of the straight lines passing through (1, 1) and parallel to the lines given by
x 2 5 xy 4 y 2 x 2 y 2 0.
Q. 7 Evaluate the point of intersection for the lines represented by the general equation
ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0.

Q. 8 Find the joint equation of the images of the pair of lines ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 in the mirror y 0.

Q. 9 Find the joint equation of the angle bisectors of the lines given by x 2 2 xy sec y2 0.
Q. 10 If the pairs of straight lines

ax 2 2hxy by 2 0

a x2 2h xy b y 2 0
have a line in common, show that
2
ab ab
( ha h a )(h b hb )
2
LOCUS 48

SOLVED EXAMPLES

Example 1

Consider a fixed point O and n fixed straight lines. Through O, a (variable) line is drawn intersecting the fixed lines
in P1 , P2 ....., Pn . On this variable line, a point P is taken such that

n 1 1 1
..... .
OP OP1 OP2 OPn

Find the locus of P.

Solution:

P1 P2 P3 Pn A figure illustrating
O ... the situation described

L1 L2 L3 Ln

Fig - 33

Assume the equations of the fixed lines to be

Li ai x bi y ci 0, i 1, 2,.....n

and the coordinates of the fixed point O to be ( h, k ).

Let the slope of the variable line be represented by tan . Thus, the points Pi have the coordinates

Pi (h OPi cos , k OPi sin ) i 1, 2.....n

Since each Pi satisfies Li , we have

ai (h OPi cos ) bi (k OPi sin ) ci 0

( hai kbi ci )
OPi
ai cos bi sin

Assume the coordinates of P (whose locus we wish to determine) to be ( x, y ). Thus, we have

x h OP cos , y k OP sin ...(1)

LOCUS 49

From the relation given in the equation, we have

n 1
NP OPi

n ai cos bi sin
NP hai kbi ci

ai bi
cos sin
hai kbi ci hai kbi ci

These substitutions have

cos sin been doen for convenience

From (1), we have

n ( x h) (y k)
OP OP OP

x y ( h k n) 0

This is the locus of the point P; it is evidently a straight line.

Example 2

Lines are drawn to intersect n concurrent lines at the points A1 , A2 ....., An such that

n
1
constant
i 1 OAi

where O is the point of concurrency. Show that the variable lines all pass through a fixed point.
Solution: Theres no loss of generality in assuming O to be the origin since we are dealing only with lengths which
are invariant with respect to the choice of the coordinate axes.

Ln L2

L1
L A2 Li's are all fixed lines.
A1 L is the variable line

Fig - 34
LOCUS 50

The inclinations of the fixed lines can be assumed to be i so that the points Ai have the coordinates

Ai (OAi cos i , OAi sin i )

Let the variable line have the equation

ax by c 0

Since all the Ai ' s lie on this line, we have

aOAi cos i bOAi sin i c 0

c
OAi ...(1)
a cos i b sin i

According to the condition specified in the question,

n
1
costant = K (say) ...(2)
i 1 OAi

Thus, using (1) in (2), we have

n
a cos i b sin i
=K
i 1 c

n n
cos i sin i
i 1 i 1
a b c 0
K K ...(3)

n n
cos i sin i
i 1 i 1
(3) shows that the variable line L always passes through the fixed point , .
K K

Example 3

Prove that the centroid G of a triangle divides the line joining its circumcentre C and its orthocentre H in the
ratio 1 : 2.
LOCUS 51

Solution: To make our task simpler, we choose a coordinate frame in which the triangles vertices have coordinates
that are easy to work with. One such choice is shown below.

R(b,c)

x
P(-a,0) Q(a,0)

Fig - 35

Now, we find G, C and H :

a a b b
The centroid G(xG , yG ): xG
3 3

0 0 c c
yG
3 3

b c
G ,
3 3

The circumcentre C(xC , yC ) : To find C, we need two perpendicular bisectors ( B).

The B of PQ is

x 0

c
Since the slope of PR is , the equation of the B
b a
of PR is

c b a b a
y x
2 c 2

The two Bs intersect at C:

b2 a2 c 2
C 0,
2c
LOCUS 52

The orthocentre H(x H , y H ) : The altitude from R onto PQ is simply

x b
Let find the altitude from Q onto PR:

b a
y 0 ( x a)
c

The two altitudes intersect at

b2 a 2
H b,
c

The point which divides CH in the ratio 1 : 2 is

b2 a 2 b2 a2 c 2
1 2
1 b 2 0 c 2c b c
, ,
3 3 3 3

which is the same as G. Thus, G divides CH in the ratio 1 : 2.

Example 4

Find the area of the parallelogram formed by the lines

a1 x b1 y c1 0; a1x b1 y d1 0

a2 x b2 y c2 0; a2 x b2 y d 2 0
Find also the condition for this parallelogram to be a rhombus.
Solution:

a1x + b1y + d1 = 0
d2 = 0
c2 = 0

We need to find the

b2 y +

b2 y +

area of this
parallelogram.
a2 x +

a2 x +

a1x + b1y + c1 = 0
Fig - 36
LOCUS 53

We first consider a little geometry for this parallelogram. Let the parallelogram have sides a and b and
let the perpendicular distances between its opposite sides be p1 and p2:

p1
b

p2

a
Fig - 37

Then, the area A of the parallelogram is

A ab sin ap1 ( p1 b sin )

p2
p1 ( p2 a sin )
sin

p1 p2
...(1)
sin
Thus, the area of the parallelogram can be expressed using the perpendicular distances between its
opposite sides rather than using the length of the sides. This is good for us since we already know how
to evaluate the perpendicular distance between two parallel lines.

c1 d1
p1 ...(2)
a12 b12

c2 d 2
p2 ...(3)
a22 b22

Also,

a1 a2
b1 b2
tan
a1a2
1
b1b2

a1b2 a2b1
a1a2 b1b2
LOCUS 54

so that

a1b2 a2b1
sin ...(4)
(a12 b12 )(a22 b22 )

Using (2), (3) and (4) in (1), we have

(c1 d1 )(c2 d 2 )
A
(a1b2 a2b1 )

Now, the parallelogram is a rhombus if its diagonals are perpendicular, which also means that the
distances between its opposite sides are equal, i.e.

p1 p2

c1 d1 c2 d 2
a12 b12 a22 b22

Example 5

A rod AB of length l slides with its end on the coordinate axes. Let O be the origin. The rectangle OAPB is
completed. Find the locus of the foot of the perpendicular drawn from P onto AB.
Solution:

A P
We need to find the locus
of F as AB slides between
F
the axes
l

x
O B
Fig - 38

In terms of the variable , A and B, and hence P, have coordinates

A (0, l sin ), B (l cos , 0), P (l cos , l sin )

The slope of PF can be observed to be cot so that its equation is

y l sin cot ( x l cos ) ...(1)

LOCUS 55

The equation of AB is

x sec y cosec l ...(2)

The intersection of (1) and (2) gives us the point F ( h, k ) :

h l cos3 , k l sin 3
1/ 3 1/ 3
h k
cos , sin
l l
Eliminating , we have

h2 /3 k 2/3 l2/3
Thus, the locus of F is

x 2/ 3 y 2/ 3 l 2/ 3

Example 6

(a) Consider a line segment AB where A ( x1 , y1 ) and B ( x2 , y2 ). In what ratio does a line
L ax by c 0 divide AB?

Solution: Let the required ratio be :1

B(x2, y2)

A(x1, y1)

L = ax + by + c = 0

Fig - 40
The coordinates of C are (from the internal division formula),
x2 x1 y2 y1
C ,
1 1
Since this lies on L, we have
x2 x1 y2 y1
a b c 0
1 1
(ax2 by2 c) (ax1 by1 c) 0
ax1 by1 c
ax2 by2 c
LOCUS 56

L( x1 , y1 )
L( x2 , y2 )

This is a useful result (as well see from part(b), the next example) and it would be worth memorizing
it.

Example 6

(b) A line intersects BC, CA and AB in ABC at P, Q and R respectively. Show that

BP CQ AR
1
PC QA RB

Solution:
A(x1, y1)

L=0
Q

B C(x3, y3)
(x2, y2) P
R

Fig - 39

Using the result of the last example, we have

AR L ( x1 , y1 )
RB L ( x2 , y 2 ) ...(1)

BP L( x2 , y2 )
PC L( x3 , y3 ) ...(2)

CQ L ( x3 , y3 )
QA L ( x1 , y1 ) ...(3)

From (1), (2) and (3), it should be evident that the assertion stated in the question is valid.

Example 7

The curves

C1 : a1 x 2 2h1 xy b1 y 2 2 g1 x 0

C2 : a2 x 2 2h2 xy b2 y 2 2 g 2 x 0
intersect at two points A and B other than the origin. Find the condition for OA and OB to be perpendicular.
LOCUS 57

Solution: Assume the equation of AB to be y mx c. Thus, using the homogenizing technique, we can write
the joint equation of OA and OB:

y mx
Homogenizing C1: a1 x 2 2h1 xy b1 y 2 2 g1 x 0
c

2mg1 2 2 g1 xy
a1 x 2h1 xy b1 y 2 0
c c

This is the joint equation of OA and OB. OA and OB are

perpendicular if

2mg1
a1 b1 0
c

m a1 b1
c 2 g1 ...(1)

Homogenizing C2: Similarly, we can again evaluate the joint equation of OA

and OB by homogenizing the equation of C2 :

2mg 2 2 2 g 2 xy
a2 x 2h2 xy b2 y 2 0
c c

The perpendicularity condition gives

2mg 2
a2 b2 0
c

m a2 b2
c 2g2 ...(2)

From (1) and (2), the necessary required condition is

a1 b1 a2 b2
g1 g2

Example 8

Find the orthocentre of the triangle formed by the lines ax 2 2hxy by 2 0 and px qy 1.
LOCUS 58
Solution: The two lines given by the joint equation pass through the origin. Assume their slopes to be m1 and m2
so that m1 and m2 are the roots of

bm 2 2hm a 0

2h a
m1 m2 , m1m2 ...(1)
b b

y = m2 x

N y = m1 x

M px +qy = 1
O x

Fig - 41

To evaluate the orthocentre, we need two altitudes. We take one of them to be the one dropped from
O onto MN.

qx py 0 ...(2)

Let us now find the altitude from M onto ON. The coordinates of M are, by solving y m1 x and
px qy 1 simultaneously,

1 m1
M ,
p qm1 p qm1

1
The slope of ON is m2 so that the slope of the altitude through M is ;
m2 thus, its equation is

m1 1 1
y x
p qm1 m2 p qm1

x 1 m1m2
y
m2 m2 ( p qm1 )

1 m1m2
x m2 y ...(3)
p qm1
LOCUS 59

The intersection of (2) and (3) yields the orthocentre ( h, k ) :

p (1 m1m2 )
h
( p qm1 )( p qm2 )

p (1 m1m2 )
2
p pq( m1 m2 ) q 2 m1m2

p (a b )
bp 2hpq aq 2
2

q
k .h (from (1))
p

q( a b)
bp 2hpq aq 2
2

Thus, the orthocentre has the coordinates

p (a b) q ( a b)
,
bp 2hpq aq bp 2hpq aq 2
2 2 2

Example 9

Show that the equation

( x 3 3 xy 2 ) y3 3x2 y 0
represents three straight lines equally inclined to one another.

Solution: Observe that since the equation is homogenous, it will represent three straight lines passing through the
origin. Let the slopes of the three lines be m1 , m2 and m3 .

Thus m1 , m2 and m3 are the roots of the equation

y
(1 3m 2 ) m3 3m 0 where m
x

3m m3
1 3m 2
LOCUS 60

y
Since m tan , where is the inclination of the line, we have
x

3 tan tan 3
tan 3
1 3 tan 2

tan 3
1
3 n tan
1
n tan
3
Since there are three lines corresponding to the joint equation, well have three corresponding angles
of inclination

tan 1 1 2 1
1 , 2 tan , 3 tan
3 3 3
The angles of inclination show that the three lines are equally inclined to one another.

y
L2
L3

3
3

3
2
L1
3

1
x

Fig - 42 v

Example 10

Show that all the chords of the curve 3x 2 y2 2x 4 y 0 which subtend a right angle at the origin pass through
a fixed point. Find that point.
LOCUS 61

Solution: Let y mx c be a chord of the curve which subtends a right angle at the origin. The joint equation
of the lines joining the origin to points of intersection of y mx c and the curve is

y mx
3x 2 y2 (4 y 2 x) 0
c

This represents two perpendicular lines if

Coeff. of x 2 Coeff. of y 2 0

2m 4
3 1 0
c c

c m 2 0
( 2) m(1) c ...(1)

(1) shows that y mx c always passes through the fixed point (2, 1).
LOCUS 62

ASSIGNMENT
[ LEVEL - I ]

1. Through the origin O, a (variable) line is drawn to cut the lines y m1 x c1 and y m2 x c2 at Q
and R. Let there be a point P on this variable line such that OP is the geometric mean of OQ and OR.
Find the locus of P.
2. Find the condition so that the pair of straight lines joining the origin to the points of intersection of
y mx c and the circle x 2 y2 a 2 may be perpendicular.

3. A line drawn through the origin intersects the lines 2 x y 2 0 and x 2 y 2 0 in A and B. Let
M be the mid-point of AB. Show that the locus of M is 2 x 2 3xy 2 y 2 x 3y 0.

4. Show that the reflection of the line ax by c 0, a b in the line x y 1 0 is the line
bx ay ( a b c ) 0.

5. Find the angle between the straight lines given by ( x 2 y 2 )sin 2 ( x cos y sin )2 .

6. Prove that the lines 2 x 2 6 xy y2 0 are equally inclined to the lines 4 x 2 18 xy y2 0.

7. Let ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0 represent a pair of parallel straight lines. Prove that the

g 2 ac f 2 bc
distance between these lines is d 2 2 .
a( a b) b( a b )

8. If the equation 2hxy 2 gx 2 fy c 0 represents two straight lines, show that they form a rectangle
fg
of area with the coordinate axes.
h2

[ LEVEL - II ]

9. A straight line is such that the algebraic sum of the perpendiculars drawn upon it from any number of
fixed points is zero. Show that it always passes through a fixed point.

10. Let a1 x b1 y c1 0 and a2 x b2 y c2 0 be two lines intersecting at P. Show that

a1a2 b1b2 0 The angle of intersection at P containing the origin is acute.

a1a2 b1b2 0 The angle of intersection at P containing the origin is obtuse.

LOCUS 63

a a a
11. Show that there exists a point equidistant from the four points am1 , , am2 , , am3 ,
m1 m2 m3
a
and , am1m2 m3 .
m1m2 m3

12. The vertices of triangle are ( xi , xi tan i ), i 1, 2,3. The circumcentre of this triangle is the origin and
its orthocentre is ( a, b). Show that
a cos 1 cos 2 cos 3
.
b sin 1 sin 2 sin 3

13. A rectangle PQRS has its side PQ parallel to the line y mx and the vertices P, Q and S lie on the
lines y a , x b and x b respectively. Find the locus of R.
14. For points P ( x1 , y1 ) and Q ( x2 , y2 ), the M-distance d ( P, Q ) is defined as
d ( P, Q ) x1 x2 y1 y2

Let O (0, 0) and A (3, 2). Prove that the set of points in the first quadrant which are
equi-M-distant from O and A, consists of the union of a line segment of finite length and an infinite ray.
Sketch this set.

15. The sides of a triangle are Li x cos i y sin i pi , i 1, 2,3. Prove that the orthocentre of this
triangle satisfies

L1 cos( 2 3 ) L2 cos( 3 1 ) L3 cos( 1 2 ).

16. If ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0 and ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0, each represent

2c
a pair of straight lines, prove that the area of the parallelogram they enclose is .
h 2 ab
17. Find the area of the triangle formed by the lines given by ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0 and
the x-axis.

18. If ax 2 2hxy by 2 2 gx 2 fy c 0 represents two straight lines, prove that the product of the
c
perpendiculars drawn from the origin to these lines is .
( a b) 2 4h 2
19. A line L through the origin meets x y 1 and x y 3 at P and Q respectively. Through P and Q,
two straight lines L1 and L2 are drawn parallel to 2 x y 5 and 3 x y 5 respectively. The lines L1
and L2 intersect in R. As L varies, show that the locus of R is a straight line.

20. Let the sides of a parallelogram be U a, U b, V a and V b , where U lx my n and

V l x m y n . Show that the equation of the diagonal through the intersection points of
U a, V a and U b, V b is given by
U V 1
a a 1 0
b b 1
LOCUS 64

APPENDIX
APP
AP ENDIX
PENDIX
TRANSFORMA TION OF COORDIN
TRANSFORMATION COORDINAATES

Suppose that a person A is flying a kite from the ground while another person B is observing this kite from the top
of a building, as shown below:

y
Y

B (H, K)
X

A
x
(0,0)

Fig - 44

In A's frame of reference, the coordinates of B are ( H , K ). Now suppose that A and B both specify the position
of the kite relative to themselves. It should be evident that the coordinates of the kite in the two reference frames
will be different.

Let the coordinates of the kite be ( x, y ) in A's reference frame and ( X , Y ) in B's reference frame. Then, we have

X x H, Y y K ...(1)
Thus, a translation of the axes implies a corresponding change in the coordinates in the manner specified by (1).
In fact, if the kite traces a path f ( x, y ) 0 in A's reference frame, it will trace the path f ( X H , Y K ) 0 in
B's frame of reference.
LOCUS 65
Translation of axes implies a simple shift in the origin without a change in the relative orientation of the axes. We
now consider the case when the axes is rotated but the origin is the same

Y
A

Fig - 45

Let a point A have the coordinates ( x, y ) in the original frame of reference and ( X , Y ) in the rotated frame of
reference. Verify that the following relations hold true :

x X cos Y sin

y X sin Y cos

We can now combine the case of translation and rotation of axes to determine the most general transformed
coordinates. Let the origin of the axes be shifted to ( h, k ) and the axes be rotated by an anticlockwise angle .
The original coordinates ( x, y ) and the coordinates in the new frame of reference ( X , Y ) will satisfy the relations

- x h X cos Y sin

y k X sin Y cos