Week 1

ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CONIC SECTIONS

Conic Sections
Conic

3
A line lying entirely
on the cone is
called a generator
of the cone, and all
generators of a
cone pass through
its vertex .
A conic section is the intersection of a plane and
a right circular cone with two nappes.

5
Types of Conic Sections

A degenerate conic is either a point, a circle, a line

or two intersecting lines.

A non-degenerate conic is either a parabola, an ellipse

or a hyperbola
Non-degenerate Conic Sections

If the cutting
plane is
parallel to one
and only one
generator, the
curve of
intersection is
called a
parabola.

7
Non-degenerate Conic Sections
If the cutting plane is not
parallel to any generator; that
is, it cuts all generators, the
curve of intersection is called
an ellipse.

8
Non-degenerate Conic Sections

If the cutting
plane is
parallel to two
generators,
the curve of
intersection is
a hyperbola.

9
Circles
Degenerate Conic Sections

A circle is
formed when
the plane is
parallel to the
circular cone.
Circle
 A circle is a locus of points (set of points) that is
equidistant from a fixed point called center. The
distance between the center and any point in the
circle is called radius.

Center

Radius
Circle

The standard form of the equation of a circle

whose center is on the point (h,k) and the given
length of the radius is r is

( x  h)  ( y  k )  r
2 2 2
Circle
Examples:
Given the standard form of a circle, determine the
center and the length of the radius. Then, sketch a
graph.
a. x  y  16
2 2
b. ( x  2) 2  ( y  3) 2  4

c. ( x  4)  ( y  1)  25
2 2
d . ( x  3)  y  1
2 2
Circle
a. x 2  y 2  16

Solutions:
First step, rewrite the given equation to the standard form
of a circle.
x  y  16   x  0   y  0  42
2 2 2 2

Next, determine the value of h, k, and r.

h0 k 0 r4
So, the center of the circle is (h, k )  (0, 0) ,
and the length of the radius is r  4 units.
Circle

Graph:
4

4
-4

-4
Circle

b.( x  2) 2  ( y  3) 2  4
Solution:
Write in standard form.

( x  2) 2  ( y  3) 2  4  ( x  2) 2  ( y  3) 2  22

Then, the value of h, k, and r are as follows

h2 k 3 r2
So, the center of the circle is ( h, k )  (2,3) ,
with radius of length r  2 units.
Circle

Graph:

2
Circle
c. ( x  4) 2  ( y  1) 2  25
Solution:
Standard Form:
( x  4) 2  ( y  1) 2  25  ( x  (4)) 2  ( y  1) 2  52
h  4 k 1 r  5

Center: (4,1)
Radius: 5 units
Circle

Graph:

-4
Circle
d . ( x  3) 2  y 2  1
Solution:

Standard Form:
( x  3)  y  1
2 2
 ( x  (3))  ( y  0)  1
2 2 2

h  3, k  0, r  1

Center: ( 3, 0)
Radius: 1unit
Circle

Graph

-3
Properties of Non-degenerate
Conic Sections
Non-degenerate Conic Sections
A non-degenerate conic is
a set of points P on the Directrix

plane such that the ratio

of the distance of P from P2
a fixed point (called P1
focus) to the distance of
P from a fixed line not
through the fixed point Focus

(called the directrix) is a

constant. 24
 25

The constant ratio is called the eccentricity of

the conic, which we will denote by e.
Let P be a point on a
conic with focus at F
and let Q be the
projection of P on the
directrix.
Then, FP  e QP .
 26

The line through a focus and

perpendicular to a directrix Directrix
of a conic is called the
principal axis of the conic.

A point of intersection of
the conic and its principal Principal Axis
axis is called a vertex of the
conic. Focus

vertex
 27

Given the eccentricity e of a conic

section, the conic is
 parabola if e=1 ;
 ellipse if 0 < e < 1 ;

 hyperbola if e > 1 .
Parabolas
Parabola

A parabola is the set of all points on the plane

which are equidistant from a fixed point and
a fixed line.
 y-axis
5
y
Directrix 4

P  x, y 
3
Q Axis of Symmetry
2 (Principal Axis)

1 Focus

x-axis
-2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1 F
Vertex -2

-3
PF  PQ
-4

-5
The line segment joining
two points on a parabola Axis of symmetry

which passes through the

focus of the parabola and
perpendicular to its axis
of symmetry is called the 2a 2a
latus rectum of the
F
parabola.

Note: The length of the latus rectum is equal to 4a .

Set 1
Standard Form: ( y  k ) 2  4a( x  h)
Graph: Parabola
opening to the right if a  0
opening to the left if a  0
i. Vertex:  h, k 
ii. Focus:  h  a, k 
iii. Directrix: x  h  a
iv. Axis of symmetry: y  k
v. Endpoints of Latus Rectum: (h+a, k  2a )
Set 2
Standard Form: ( x  h) 2  4a( y  k )
Graph: Parabola
opening upward if a  0
opening downward if a  0
i. Vertex:  h, k 
ii. Focus:  h, k  a 
iii. Directrix: y  k  a
iv. Axis of symmetry: x  h
v. Endpoints of Latus Rectum: (h  2a , k+a)
Properties of a parabola

Directed distance of vertex to focus: a

Directed distance of vertex to directrix: a

Directed distance of focus to one of the

endpoints of latus rectum: 2a
Length is 𝑎 Endpoint of Latus Rectum

Latus Rectum

Focus
Axis of Symmetry
Vertex

Length is 2𝑎

Endpoint of Latus Rectum

Directrix
Line
 36

Example. Determine the vertex, focus, axis of

symmetry, directrix, endpoints of the latus rectum and
give a sketch of the graph of the following parabola;

a. x  4y
2
b. y  12x
2
SOLUTION 37
a. x 2  4y
The given equation is of the form  x  h   4a  y  k 
2

First solve for a.

4a  4
a 1
So the graph of the parabola opens upward since a  1  0.

Transforming the given equation in its standard form, we have

 x  0  4(1)  y  0 
2

So, we have the following values.

h  0, k  0, and a  1
SOLUTION 38
h  0, k  0, and a  1
Using the formulas, then we have the following.

Vertex: (h, k )  (0, 0)

Focus: (h, k  a )  (0, 0  1)  (0,1)

Directrix Line: y  k  a  y  0  1  y  1

Axis of Symmetry: x  h  x  0 or y  axis

Endpoints of Latus Rectum: (h  2a , k  a )  (0  2(1) , 0  1)
 (0  2,1)
 (2,1)  (2,1) and (2,1)
 Axis of Symmetry
Graph:

Endpoints of Focus Endpoints of

Latus Rectum Latus Rectum

Vertex

Directrix Line
 SOLUTION
b. y 2  12 x
The given equation is of the form  y  k   4a  x  h 
2

First solve for a.

4a  12
a  3
So the graph of the parabola opens to the left since a  3  0.

Transforming the given equation in its standard form, we have

 y  0  4(3)  x  0 
2

So, we have the following values.

h  0, k  0, and a  3
 h  0, k  0, and a  3
Using the formulas, then we have the following.

Vertex: (h, k )  (0, 0)

Focus: (h  a, k )  (0  (3), 0)  (3, 0)

Directrix Line: x  h  a  x  0  (3)  x3

Axis of Symmetry: y  k  y  0 or x  axis

Endpoints of Latus Rectum: (h  a, k  2a )  (0  (3), 0  2(3) )
 (3, 0  6)
 (3, 6)
 (3, 6) and (3, 6)
 Endpoints of
Latus Rectum
Graph:
Directrix Line

Focus Vertex
Axis of Symmetry

Endpoints of
Latus Rectum
c.  x  1  16  y  2 
2

Solution:
 x  h  4a  y  k 
2
Determine the standard form.

Solve for a. 4a  16

a  4
Orientation: Opening downward since a  4  0
Write in standard form.  x  1  4( 4)  y  ( 2) 
2

Determine the needed values.

h 1 k  2 a  4
 h 1 k  2 a  4
Use the formulas for the following parts.

Vertex:  h, k   1, 2 
Focus:  h, k  a   1, 2  (4)   1, 6 
Directrix Line: y  k  a  y  2  (4)  y  2  4
 y2
Axis of Symmetry: x  h  x 1
Endpoints of Latus Rectum:
 h  2a , k  a   1  2(4) , 2  (4) 
 1  8, 6    9, 6  and (7, 6)
 Axis of Symmetry
Graph:
Directrix Line

Vertex

Focus
Endpoints of Endpoints of
Latus Rectum Latus Rectum
d. y2  2  x  4

Solution:
y k  4a  x  h 
2
Determine the standard form.
Solve for a. 4a  2
2 1
a  or
4 2
1
Orientation: Opening to the right since a   0
2
1
Write in standard form.  y  0   4   x  ( 4) 
2

2
1
Determine the needed values. h  4 k 0 a
2
 1
h  4 k 0 a
2
Use the formulas for the following parts.

Vertex:  h, k    4, 0   1   7 
Focus:  h  a, k    4  , 0     , 0 
 2   2 

1 9
Directrix Line: x  h  a  x  4   x
2 2
Axis of Symmetry: y  k  y  0

Endpoints of Latus Rectum:

 1 
  2       2 , 0  1    ,1 and   , 1
 7   7
1
h  a, k  2a   4  , 0  7

 2 2   2   2 
Graph:
Directrix
Line

Endpoints of
Latus Rectum

Vertex Focus
Axis of Symmetry

Endpoints of
Latus Rectum
End of Slides