The Universe of Conics

The Universe of Conics
Georg Glaeser • Hellmuth Stachel

Boris Odehnal
The Universe of Conics

From the ancient Greeks to
21st century developments
Georg Glaeser Boris Odehnal
Department of Geometry Department of Geometry
University of Applied Arts Vienna University of Applied Arts Vienna
Vienna, Austria Vienna, Austria
Hellmuth Stachel
Institute of Discrete Mathematics and Geometry
Vienna University of Technology
Vienna, Austria
ISBN 978-3-662-45449-7 ISBN 978-3-662-45450-3 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45450-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932392
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Preface
This book attempts to cover the most important properties of conics.
These are the simplest and yet so versatile planar curves, having been
fascinating and useful to mathematicians and other scientists ever since
their first description by the ancient Greeks.
The book has been written for people who love geometry and it is mainly
based on figures and synthetic conclusions rather than on pure analytic
calculations. In many proofs, illustrations help to explain ideas and to
support the argumentation, and in a few cases, the picture can display a
theorem at a glance together with its proof.
Large portions of the book can be understood by undergraduate students.
Some sections, however, require a little more mathematical background
and we hope that they will be a treasure trove even for professional ma-
thematicians and geometers.
4 5 7 6
3 1 8 10
2 9
After a short historical summary (1), we explain the classical definitions

of conics (2). Then, differential geometric properties are discussed (3), in-
cluding the non-trivial fact that the orbits of planets are ellipses. Chapter
4 shows that conics can be planar intersections of surfaces (especially of
quadratic cones). The framework of Projective Geometry is the proper
setting for the study of conics (5 and 6). Still fitting into this context are
polar systems and pencils of conics (7). After that we switch to the affine
properties of conics (8). Chapter 9 deals with special problems. The last
chapter is devoted to conics in various two-dimensional geometries: on
the sphere, in Pseudo-Euclidean planes, and in hyperbolic planes.
vi Preface
When Isaac Newton proved Johannes Kepler’s conjecture that the

paths of the planets are ellipses, he utilized properties of ellipses which
have in the mean-time almost been forgotten. The 23-years-old Carl
Friedrich Gauß gained his reputation by rediscovering the dwarf pla-
net Ceres which had only been observed on a very few occasions. He used
the fact that an ellipse is uniquely determined by a single focal point (the
Sun) and three additional points. Gauß himself considered that this ty-
pe of problem “commended itself to mathematicians by its difficulty and
elegance”. 215 years later, with Ceres still on its elliptic path, NASA’s
Dawn spacecraft has orbited the dwarf planet, sending stunning images
of this icy remnant of our early solar system.
F
C1
C2 C3
A geometrical homage to a famous problem:

Ceres in its icy beauty (©NASA_Dawn). The path of a planet is fully deter-
mined by three locations, due to fact that an ellipse is unambiguously defined
when we know its focal point F and three points C1 , C2 , and C3 .
We wish all readers a pleasant journey into the universe of conics!

Vienna, September 2015
Acknowledgements
We say thanks to Bob Bix, David Brannan, Fritz Manhart, Andreas Rü-
dinger, and Norman Wildberger for assistence, suggestions, and proof
reading.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Euclidean plane 11
2.1 Classical definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2 Tangent lines of conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.3 Mechanisms tracing conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3 Differential Geometry 61
3.1 Conics as orbits of planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3.2 Conics in planar differential geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
3.3 Conics in differential geometry of surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . 120
4 Euclidean 3-space 127

4.1 Planar intersections of cones of revolution . . . . . . . . . . . 128
4.2 Pairs of focal conics, Dupin cyclides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
4.3 Perspective images of conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
4.4 Spatial interpretation of conic constructions . . . . . . . . . . 162
5 Projective Geometry 177

5.1 Projective planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5.2 Perspectivities, projectivities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
5.3 Coordinatization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
5.4 Harmonic quadruples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
6 Projective conics 217

6.1 Steiner’s definition of a conic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
6.2 Pascal, Pappus, Brianchon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
6.3 Equation and parametrization of a conic . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
6.4 There is only one conic in a projective plane . . . . . . . . . . 239
7 Polarities and pencils 259

7.1 Polar system of a conic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
7.2 Definition of a conic according to von Staudt . . . . . . . . . 276
7.3 Pencils of conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
7.4 Desargues’s involution theorem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
7.5 Quadratic Cremona transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
viii Table of Contents
8 Affine Geometry 351

8.1 Conjugate diameters of ellipses and hyperbolas . . . . . . . . 353
8.2 Conics are rational quadratic Bézier curves . . . . . . . . . . . 365
8.3 Conics and number theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
9 Special problems 375

9.1 Conics in triangle geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
9.2 Isoptic curves of conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
9.3 Pedal points on conics, Apollonian hyperbola . . . . . . . . . 402
9.4 Pedal curves of conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
9.5 Poncelet porisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
10 Other geometries 435

10.1 Spherical conics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
10.2 Conics in non-Euclidean planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
References 480
Index 483
1 Introduction
Our Universe is full of conics, even if we cannot always see them – like the
orbits of the planets. It needed very accurate observations to detect (Johannes
Kepler), and a great physicist (Isaac Newton) to prove that.

G. Glaeser et al., The Universe of Conics, DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45450-3_1
2 Chapter 1: Introduction
Conics play a substantial role in the whole universe. On a large scale,

the orbits of planets look like conics. Astronomers have recognized this
fact and physicists have proved it. Many older and newer visualizations
clearly show the ellipses as orbits of planets of our solar system with the
Sun as the common focus.
At this point, we should mention the efforts of the ancient Greeks. Among
them, especially Apollonius of Perga (262 BC–190 BC) collected ma-
ny results which were well known at his time. In his famous eight books,
entitled Konika, he showed that all “four types” of conics can be obtained
from the same cone. He even gave the names ellipse, parabola, and hyper-
bola to these curves. The first four books collect many elementary results
which were known at that time.
FIGURE 1.1. A long history and a back and forth between languages: The 5th
book of Apollonius, here in a translation from Arabic into German.
The books five to seven present material which is probably due to Apol-
lonius. Therein, he discussed the problem of normals to a conic and pre-
pared even the construction of the evolute of a conic. However, Apollo-
nius’ books only survived in form of translations: first from Greek into La-
tin, then into Arabian, and back into Latin or other languages once again
(cf. Figure 1.1, https://ia601408.us.archive.org/1/items/4737397/
4737397.pdf). Unfortunately, the eighth book is lost.
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
y
2a √
p2
x0= 3 2
y0 =
a
√
3
22
x
a 2a
p1
FIGURE 1.2. The Delian problem: The volumes of the two cubes on the left
have ratio 2 ∶ 1. How can one construct the scaling factor of the edge length?
The Greeks even used conics as auxiliary curves for the solution of mathe-
matical problems: Menaechmus (380 BC–320 BC), e.g., suggested to
solve the classic “Delian problem” or “cube duplication” by means of pa-
rabolas (cf. Figure 1.2, for more details see p. 283).
Conics have a perfect shape, and with a bit of practice it is easy to judge
whether a curve is a conic or just a “similar curve”. This is why designers
and architects use “true conics” instead of “just some freeform curve” when
they deal with certain shapes.
Curved, but still entirely in a plane

There is only one type of algebraic curve of degree one: the straight line
with an equation of the form
Ax + By + C = 0,
and zero curvature. A conic is an algebraic curve of degree two, described

by the equation
Ax2 + Bxy + Cy 2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0.
1
=S
s S2
S2
S2
S1=
2
=S s
S1
c c c
s
S1
FIGURE 1.3. In the algebraic sense, a conic c always has two points S1 and S2 of
intersection with a given straight line s. Left: two real common points. Middle:
s is a tangent at the point S1 = S2 . Right: The points S1 and S2 of intersection
are complex conjugate. We cannot find them in the real plane. However, we
sometimes indicate a pair of complex conjugate points by a pair of crosses on a
line or curve, just in order to point out that there are two further points though
we cannot see them.
Conics are always planar curves (there is no “true space curve” of degree
two). One says that they have zero torsion. They are of degree 1 two, i.e.,
they have two intersection points with a straight line – counted in the
algebraic sense, where a point of contact counts twice (has multiplicity
two) and complex conjugate solutions are also considered (Figure 1.3).
One possible classification of three types

Depending on the number of real intersection points with the line at infi-
nity, we can distinguish three types of conics: Ellipses (no real intersection
points), parabolas (the line of infinity touches the curve) and hyperbolas
(two real intersection points).
Duality – points become straight lines and vice versa

Conics are also curves of class two which means that, from each point
in the conic’s plane, we have two tangents to the conic (in the algebraic
sense). When the point lies on the conic, the tangents coincide (Figure
1.4). The set of all points, where there are no real tangents to the conic,
can be called the interior of a conic. The points where the tangents are
complex conjugate and perpendicular are called focal points.
1
Sometimes and especially in the older literature the word order is used instead of degree.
However, we prefer the term degree.
t2
T t2 t1= t1 =t2
T
t1 c c c
T
t2 =t1
FIGURE 1.4. In the algebraic sense, a conic c always sends two tangents t1
and t2 through a given point T : For an exterior point T , we find two real
tangents. Middle: At a point T on c, the two tangents coincide (one tangent
with multiplicity two). Right: Through an interior point, there are two complex
conjugate tangents. In order to make clear that there are such tangents, we
sometimes indicate such tangents by dashed lines.
FIGURE 1.5. Dual curves of concis: the set of tangents.
Each theorem about conics that only contains the terms point, straight
line, to touch, and to intersect remains, therefore, true if we interchange
the terms point and straight line (and vice versa) but keep the relation
of being incident. A conic considered as its set of points and tangents is a
self-dual term. The dual of a conic is still a conic, represented as a set of
lines, cf. Figure 1.5. We will explain this in more detail later on.
Ellipses and hyperbolas in nature

As we know, the Universe is “full of ellipses” (hyperbolas also occur some-
times, whereas parabolas are very unlikely), since all planets and comets
have such trajectories (Figure 1.6).
As we mentioned earlier, conics usually appear as orbits, i.e., they are
not directly visible. If we push a stick with endpoint P into the ground
Mercury
Mars
Sun
Venus
Earth
FIGURE 1.6. Ellipses as path curves of the inner planets. This image allows us
to explain why one can see Mercury and Venus only close to the Sun (and thus
around sunset and sunrise): We have two tangents to each of the inner orbits
with comparatively small angle. To the orbit of Mars and all the other planets,
there are no real tangents.
and mark the position of all the shadows P s of P on the planar ground
throughout a day, the set of all shadow points will almost exactly trace a
hyperbola (or likewise an ellipse, if we are close to the poles). Only on two
days of the year (the equinoctials), the conic “degenerates” into a straight
line. The reason for this is the following: During one day, the Earth rotates
only approximately 1○ around the Sun. It fully spins, however, around the
Earth axis during that time. Relatively speaking, the sun rays through a
point P , therefore, form – in a good approximation – a cone of revolution.
The intersection of the cone with the base plane results in a conic.
Since the inclination of the spin axis is the geographic latitude, the cone’s
axis is only steep enough to generate an ellipse when our location is in
the neighborhood of the poles. Else we get a (branch of a) hyperbola. The
angle between the oriented sun rays and the oriented rotation axis varies
between 90○ ± ε, where ε ≈ 23.44○ is the Earth’s axial tilt. Thus, the cone
can also degenerate into a plane – which leads to a straight shadow orbit.
North Star
equinoctials P
Ps
South
North
winter half-year summer half-year
FIGURE 1.7. On each day of the year, the shadow of a point moves along a
branch of a hyperbola. On the equinoctials, the curve degenerates into a straight
line (Ottoman sundial Istanbul).
Figure 1.7 shows how this was used for sun dials and calenders: The photo
was taken at the Topkapı-Palace in Istanbul2 .
FIGURE 1.8. The “gardener’s construction” of an ellipse.
The ancient Greeks drew their geometric figures mainly in sand. Whe-
ther they also drew ellipses, we do not know. Maybe they already knew
about the “gardener’s construction” of the ellipse (see Figure 1.8).
For sure, they knew many facts about conic sections. We have good rea-
sons to suppose that the painter of the scenes shown in Figure 1.9 (about
2
http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=942
FIGURE 1.9. High precision perspectives of circles produced 310 BC: Paintings
in the tomb of Philipp III of Macedon. If this perspective wall painting was a
few hundred years old, it would already be impressive. However, it is 2300 years
old – and thus a little sensation.
310 BC) knew something about ellipses because otherwise he would not
have been able to draw perspective views of circles of such a high pre-
cision. It is uncertain if Menaichmos (380 BC–320 BC) already knew
that planar intersections of cones (and cylinders) of revolution were pro-
bably identical with the conics defined in the plane. Albrecht Dürer
(1471–1528) was probably aware of that, although his famous drawings in
his book Underweysung der Messung, mit dem Zirckel und Richtscheyt,
in Linien, Ebenen unnd gantzen corporen, from 1525 lack a little bit of
symmetry (cf. Figure 1.10).
FIGURE 1.10. Dürer’s constructions of conic sections.
It was the Belgian mathematician Germinal Pierre Dandelin 1794–

1847 who gave the first (and very elegant) proof (see Figure 1.11).
FIGURE 1.11. Dandelin spheres and focal points of conic sections.
Many elementary properties of conics have been discovered in the mean-

time and ever since. A fundamental theorem was discovered by Blaise
Pascal (1623–1663) in 1639. His theorem, as illustrated in Figure 1.12,
is a generalization of Pappus’s theorem and relates conics and Projective

Geometry, although this kind of geometry was introduced approximately
170 years later. The advent of Projective Geometry created a real “boom”
in the theory of conics. Meanwhile, the chains of thought were extended
to three-dimensional space which lead to the natural generalization of the
conics, namely the quadrics.
A2
A1
A1
A2
A3 A3
B1
B3 B2
p B3 p
B1
B2
FIGURE 1.12. Pascal’s theorem: The three pairs of opposite sides of a hexagon
inscribed in a conic section meet in three collinear points.
It was only natural that this generalization was extended to higher di-
mensions (Felix Klein, 1849–1925). Nowadays, we quite often use such
hyperquadrics as point models for arbitrary complicated geometries. Be-
sides the geometric importance of conics, there is an additional “physical
component”: According to Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), the orbits
of the planets are ellipses (Kepler’s First Law, 1609). The final proof
for that took another half century and was given by Isaac Newton
(1642–1727). Primarily the proof uses techniques from calculus. Newton,
however, did it in an elementary way with the help of certain properties
of conics (3.1).
Knowledge about conics and quadrics probably reached its culmination
point at the beginning of the twentieth century. Since then there seems
to be an increasing loss of knowledge. This book will help to sum up and
preserve more or less known properties of these fascinating curves.
2 Euclidean plane
A pencil of planes meets a cone of revolution in a family of conics which maps

to a pencil of conics in the top view. These conics in the top view share a focal
point and the associated directrix.

12 Chapter 2: Euclidean plane
2.1 Classical definitions
There are various definitions of conics. Depending on whether the under-

lying geometry is Euclidean, affine or projective, conics can be defined by
their focal properties, as planar sections of cones of revolution, as perspec-
tive images of circles, by their quadratic equation, or from the viewpoint
of projective geometry as the set of intersection points of projective pen-
cils, or as the sets of self-conjugate points of a polarity in the plane. Also
the ranges of the different definitions differ. Sometimes also the degene-
rate cases are included, sometimes only the regular ones, sometimes the
circles are excluded. In the sequel, the term conics stands for ellipses (in-
cluding circles), hyperbolas, and parabolas. Whenever we want to include
degenerate cases like lines or pairs of lines, we will mention this.
y y y
b
b
F1 a x F1 a x R
F2 F2
F
p/2 x
P p/2
Q l p
FIGURE 2.1. The standard definitions of ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas.
We start with conics in the Euclidean plane E2 , the plane of intuitive

geometry and idealization of planes in our physical world. The standard
definition of conics in E2 is based on the focal properties. There is a
strict difference between ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas: ellipses are
defined according to the “gardener’s construction” (Figure 1.8) as the sets
of points P in a plane with a constant sum of distances1
P F1 + P F2 = 2a with 2a > F1 F2 ≥ 0
1
We use the overline to denote distances between two points or between a point and a line.
[P, Q] denotes the line connecting the points P and Q, while P Q is the segment terminated
by P and Q.
2.1 Classical definitions 13
from their focal points F1 and F2 . Points Q of a hyperbola with focal

points F1 and F2 are defined by a constant difference of distances
∣QF1 − QF2 ∣ = 2a > 0.
The points R of a parabola are characterized by equal distances to its

focal point F and its directrix l provided p = Rl ≠ 0.
Not only the definitions of ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas are different
but also their shapes as Figure 2.1 reveals. Hence, from this point of view
it is surprising that there is a common metric definition for all three types,
the definition due to Apollonius of Perga. Later, when dealing with
projective properties of conics, we will even notice that all conics are the
projective transforms of one single conic (note Section 6.4).
Apollonian definition of conics

Our approach to conics in E2 is based on the Apollonian definition given
below. In the sequel, we will learn step by step that this definition is
equivalent to all other definitions of conics other than circles. We prefer
this definition as it works for all three types of conics simultaneously. Also
concerning proofs and graphical constructions, we prefer those which need
no separation into different cases.
Definition 2.1.1 In the Euclidean plane E2 , let F be a fixed point and

l a line not passing through F . For any positive constant ε > 0, the set of
points
c = {P ∣ P F = ε ⋅ P l }
is called a conic with focal point (or focus) F and associated directrix l.
The constant ε is the numerical eccentricity of c ; the distance p ∶= ε ⋅ F l
is the parameter of the conic c (Figure 2.2).
According to the eccentricity ε, we distinguish between ellipses with ε < 1,
parabolas with ε = 1, and hyperbolas with ε > 1.
Remark 2.1.1 The notion ‘parameter’ is standard in the geometry of conics and should not
be mixed with a ‘parameter’ used for the parametrization of curves.
The normal line s drawn from F to l is an axis of symmetry of the conic

c. Figure 2.2 shows how on the axis s the point A ∈ c between F and l
p/ε
L A F s
p
l P
p/ε
FIGURE 2.2. The Apollonian definition of the conic c with the focus F and the
associated directrix l, with numerical eccentricity ε and parameter p.
can be obtained. The point A divides the segment F L on s between F

and l in the ratio
p
AF ∶ AL = ε ∶ 1 = p ∶ .
ε
We call A ∈ s a vertex of c. Figure 2.3 shows for a fixed F and l how the
numerical eccentricity ε influences the shape of the conic.2 The parameter
p defines the size of c.
Lemma 2.1.1 Ellipses and hyperbolas have a second axis of symmetry

s2 , and therefore, a second focus F2 with the associated directrix l2 . The
corresponding numerical eccentricity ε and the parameter p remain un-
changed.
Proof: We are going to demonstrate that for ε ≠ 1 on all lines parallel to the axis s there are
two points of intersection with the conic c . To this end, we introduce a coordinate frame with
the x-axis along s and the y-axis along the directrix l (Figure 2.4). Then, the focal point F
has the coordinates (p/ε, 0). For any point P = (x, y), the condition P F = ε ⋅ P l is equivalent
to
2p p2
x2 − x + 2 + y 2 = ε 2 x2 ,
ε ε
hence
2p p2
(1 − ε2 )x2 − x + ( 2 + y2 ) = 0 (2.1)
ε ε
which, in the case ε ≠ 1 can be solved for x by
1 p √
x= [ ± p2 + (ε2 − 1)y 2 ] .
1 − ε2 ε
2
Using the terminology of Section 7.3 below, we can state: The conics displayed in Figure 2.3
belong to a pencil of third kind with two complex conjugate base points and tangents (com-
pare with Figure 7.21, right).
l ε=1
ε=1.80 ε =0.75
ε =0.56
F s
ε =0.40
ε =2.50
FIGURE 2.3. Conics sharing the focal point F and the associated directrix l.
In the hyperbolic case, we get for each y ∈ R a pair of real points P, P2 ∈ c sharing the y-
coordinate. In the elliptic case, we have to take care of the limits − √ p 2 ≤ y ≤ √ p 2 . For
1−ε 1−ε
y = 0 we obtain the two points
p p
A=( , 0) , A2 = ( , 0) . (2.2)
ε(1 + ε) ε(1 − ε)
The midpoints of all pairs (P, P2 ) have the same x-coordinate

p
xM = . (2.3)
ε(1 − ε2 )
Hence, there is a second axis s2 of symmetry, sometimes called minor or secondary axis in
comparison with the major or principal axis s through F . Point M = (xM , 0) which is the
crossing point of the two axes of symmetry, is called the center of the ellipse or hyperbola c.
By reflection in s2 , we obtain a second focal point F2 and a second directrix l2 (Figure 2.4).
Let P, P2 ∈ c be symmetric with respect to s2 . Then,
P2 F2 = P F = ε P l = ε P2 l2 .
This reveals that the same ellipse or hyperbola c can also be defined by the condition P F2 =
ε ⋅ P l2 . Hence, the numerical eccentricity remains the same. The same holds for the parameter
p, since F l = p/ε = F2 l2 . ◾
The distances from l and F to the center M are as follows:
p pε
M l = ∣xM ∣, e ∶= M F = ∣xM − ∣ = ∣ ∣.
ε 1 − ε2
y
y l
P P2 P2 P
c
l
L s x M A x
A F M F2 A2 F2 A2 L F
s2
p/ε
c
p/ε
FIGURE 2.4. Conics with ε ≠ 1 have a second axis s2 of symmetry, and therefore,
also a second focal point F2 with associated directrix l2 .
The distance e = M F = M F2 is a new type of eccentricity, called linear

eccentricity of the conic c.
The vertex A as well as the second vertex A2 given in (2.2) yield the same
ratio
AF ∶ AL = A2 F ∶ A2 L = ε ∶ 1
with L = s ∩ l. The vertex A lies between L and F and A2 outside (see
Figure 2.4). We say, A2 is the harmonic conjugate of A with respect to
(‘w.r.t.’ by short) F and L.3 In the elliptic case ε < 1 the two vertices A
and A2 lie on the same side of the directrix l, in the hyperbolic case ε > 1
on opposite sides. For a parabola, the fourth harmonic conjugate A2 of A
w.r.t. F and L lies at infinity.
Theorem 2.1.1 The Apollonian definition of conics is equivalent to the

union of the standard definitions of ellipses without circles, of hyperbolas
and parabolas.
Proof: Here we need to separate the different types of conics.
(1) Obviously, in the case ε = 1 the Apollonian definition is identical with the standard defi-
nition of a parabola.
(2) In the elliptic case (Figure 2.4, left), we conclude from the existence of the second axis of
symmetry, by virtue of (2.3),
2p
P F + P F2 = P F + P2 F = ε(P l + P2 l) = 2ε ⋅ xM = = const.
1 − ε2
3
See Section 5.4 on page 206. As a consequence of this harmonic relation, the directrix l is the
polar of the focal point F (see Exercise 7.1.3 in Section 7.1).
Hence, for ε < 1, the standard definition of ellipses is a consequence of the Apollonian definition.
The semimajor axis a, the semiminor axis b, the parameter p, and the numerical eccentricity
ε of an ellipse satisfy
p p pε √
a= , b= √ , e = MF = = a2 − b2 ,
1 − ε2 1 − ε2 1 − ε2
(2.4)
b2 e b2 p a2
p= , ε = , Fl = , Ml = = .
a a e ε(1 − ε )
2 e
The triangle inequality applied to any triangle F F2 P with P ∈ c implies that 2e = F F2 <
P F + P F2 = 2a. The circles are not among the ellipses satisfying the Apollonian definition
since e > 0, hence F2 ≠ F .
Conversely, if any ellipse c is given according to the standard definition by its two different
focal points F1 , F2 and the constant 2a, we can compute consecutively the linear√ eccentricity
e = F1 F2 /2 ≠ 0, the numerical eccentricity ε = a/e, the semiminor axis b = a2 − e2 , the
parameter p = b2 /a and the distance a2 /e of the directrices l1 , l2 from the midpoint M of
F1 F2 . The focal point Fi lies between M and the associated directrix li , i = 1, 2 . Then, the
conic c′ defined according to Apollonius by F1 , by the associated directrix l1 and by the
numerical eccentricity ε shares with c the focal points and the constant 2a which implies
c′ = c.
(3) In the hyperbolic case ε > 1 (see Figure 2.4, right), the x-coordinates of the two points P
and P2 have different signs. Therefore, we obtain
2p
∣P F − P F2 ∣ = ∣P F − P2 F ∣ = ε ∣P l − P2 l∣ = 2ε ⋅ ∣xM ∣ = = const.
ε2 − 1
Also for hyperbolas, the standard definition follows from the Apollonian definition. The mutual
dependencies between the two semiaxes a and b, the linear and the numerical eccentricity e
and ε, and the parameter p are
p p pε √
a= 2 , b= √ , e = MF = 2 = a2 + b2 ,
ε −1 ε −1
2 ε −1
(2.5)
b2 e b2 p a2
p= , ε = , Fl = , Ml = = .
a a e ε(ε2 − 1) e
√
The lines through the center M and with the slope ± ab = ± ε2 − 1 are the asymptotes of the
hyperbola (see Figures 2.1 and 2.4, right). In the following sections, we will learn that the
asymptotes are the limits of tangent lines when the point of contact tends to infinity. The
formulas above reveal that the directrix l passes through the pedal points of the asymptotes
w.r.t. F .
With arguments analogous to the elliptic case, we can confirm that, conversely, each hyperbola
c given according to the standard definition is identical with a hyperbola c′ defined by the
Apollonian definition. ◾
Equations of conics
A first equation of conics was already presented in (2.1) on page 14. The
corresponding coordinate frame (depicted in Figure 2.4) had its origin at
the intersection point L between the directrix l and the axis s of symmetry
which served as x-axis. Now we translate the origin to the vertex A (see
Figure 2.5, left) in order to eliminate the constant term in the quadratic
polynomial on the left-hand side of (2.1). This means by (2.2) that we
p
have to replace x by x + ε(1+ε) . Thus, we obtain
2
p 2p p p2
(1 − ε ) (x +
2
) − (x + ) + ( 2 + y2) = 0
ε(1 + ε) ε ε(1 + ε) ε
which reduces to
y 2 = 2px − (1 − ε2 )x2 . (2.6)
This quadratic equation is usually called a vertex equation since one ver-
tex is taken as the origin. The vertex equation generalizes the standard
equation
y 2 = 2px (2.7)
of parabolas to the other conics. In the limiting case ε = 0, we get the
vertex equation of a circle with radius p.
y y
c
P (x, y) l
c P (r, ϕ)
r
A F x F ϕ A x
p
p/ε p/ε
FIGURE 2.5. The coordinate frames for the vertex equation (left) and for the
polar equation (right) of the conic c.
On the other hand, in the case ε ≠ 1, we can eliminate the linear term
in (2.1) by choosing the center M as the origin of our coordinate frame
(Figure 2.1). This means by (2.3) that we replace x in (2.1) by x + xM =
p
x + ε(1−ε 2 ) . This gives
(1 − ε2 )2 x2 + (1 − ε2 )y 2 − p2 = 0 . (2.8)
We call this the center equation of the conic.

Now we apply formulas from (2.4) or (2.5), respectively, in order to express

the coefficients of x2 and y 2 in terms of the semiaxes a and b. Thus, we
obtain the standard equations
x2 y 2 x2 y 2
Ellipse: + − 1 = 0, Hyperbola: − − 1 = 0. (2.9)
a2 b2 a2 b2
Pa
Pb P
τ x
b M
cb c
ca
a
FIGURE 2.6. The construction of points P of an ellipse, named after Proclus

as well as after De la Hire.
The standard equation (2.9), left, of the ellipse c reveals that c with the
semimajor axis a and the semiminor axis b can be transformed into its
principal circle or circumcircle ca , i.e., the circle with center M and radius
a (Figure 2.6) by the scaling (affine transformation)
a
α ∶ E2 → E2 , (x, y) ↦ (x, y) . (2.10)
b
Conversely, one obtains the ellipse by starting with the circumcircle ca and
multiplying all y-coordinates by the factor ab < 1 . In an analogous way we
can start with the incircle cb with radius b and stretch the x-coordinates
by the factor ab > 1 .
This results in a construction attributed to Proclus (Greek philosopher,
412–485), as well as to De la Hire (French mathematician, 1640–1718),
and which is depicted in Figure 2.6. Here the axial dilations are performed
by parallel projection of the ratio ab formed by the aligned points Pa ∈ ca ,
Pb ∈ cb and the center M .4
A curve of degree two in the Euclidean plane E2 is the set of points whose
coordinates in a Cartesian coordinate system satisfy a quadratic equation
a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + 2a1 x + 2a2 y + a = 0. (2.11)
The degree is invariant under changes (x, y) ↦ (x′ , y ′ ) of the Cartesian

coordinate system, since the new coordinates x′ and y ′ are linear functions
of the initial coordinates, and vice versa.
When in (2.11) the polynomial on the left-hand side is reducible, i.e.,
equals the product of two linear factors, the curve is called reducible or
degenerate, otherwise irreducible. A reducible curve either consists of two
lines, or it is a single line. The curve x2 + y 2 + 1 = 0 is irreducible but
contains no real points. The curve x2 + y 2 = 0 contains only the origin
(0, 0); it is irreducible over R, but not over the field C of complex numbers,
since x2 + y 2 = (x + iy)(x − iy).
Obviously, the conics are non-degenerate curves of degree two. The theo-
rem below states a converse of this statement.
Theorem 2.1.2 Each non-empty curve of degree two which is irreducible

over C, is a conic.
If (2.11) is the equation of a conic c, then the sign of the discriminant
D = a11 a22 − a212 determines the type of the conic c. In the case D > 0
the conic is an ellipse, for D = 0 a parabola, and D < 0 characterizes
hyperbolas.
Proof: The first part of this statement is a particular case of a standard result from linear
algebra, the principal axes transformation which holds for all quadrics. This will be shown
in volume 2. Here we confine ourselves to a short description of how to obtain a suitable
coordinate system in the two-dimensional case which reduces the general equation (2.11) to
one of the three standard equations given above.
(i) The substitution
x = x′ cos ϕ − y ′ sin ϕ, y = x′ sin ϕ + y ′ cos ϕ
4
Later we will learn that the axial dilations are perspective affine transformations which, e.g.,
can be used to transform tangents of the circles ca or cb into tangents of the ellipse c (see
Figure 2.6).
represents a rotation of the coordinate frame about the origin through the angle ϕ. There is
always an appropriate ϕ such that after the substitution in (2.11) the coefficient of the mixed
term x′ y ′ in vanishes.
(ii) By an appropriate substitution x′ = x′′ − x0 and y ′ = y ′′ − y0 we can eliminate linear
terms: if the monomials with x′ 2 and y ′ 2 have non-vanishing coefficients we can eliminate
both linear terms, otherwise only one of them which yields the standard equations (2.9) or
(2.7), respectively.
The substitutions (ii) do not influence the coefficients a11 , a12 and a22 of the quadratic terms
in (2.11). In order to figure out the effect of the substitutions (i), we rewrite the quadratic
form a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 in matrix form as
x a11 a12
(x y) A ( ) with A=( ).
y a12 a22
Hence, the substitutions (i) transform the quadratic form into
x′ cos ϕ − sin ϕ
(x′ y ′ ) A′ ( ) with A′ = RT AR, where R=( ).
y′ sin ϕ cos ϕ
The discriminant D = det A remains unchanged since the matrix R is orthogonal, and there-
fore, det A′ = (det R)2 det A = D. The standard equations of the conics indicate which sign of
D corresponds to which conic type.
The substitution x = r cos ϕ and y = r sin ϕ in (2.11) shows after the division by r 2 in the limit
r → ∞, that hyperbolas (D < 0) have two real points at infinity, parabolas (D = 0) one, while
ellipses (D > 0) have no real ideal point. Of course, this follows also immediately by inspection
of related figures. ◾
We continue our discussion on equations of conics by providing some

parameter representations. Let us first return to the affine transformation
α in (2.10) between an ellipse ce and its circumcircle ca (see Figure 2.6).
The inverse transformation α−1 maps the parametrization
ca = {(a cos τ, a sin τ ) ∣ 0 ≤ τ < 2π}
of ca by its polar angle τ onto a parameter representation of the ellipse

ce with semiaxes a, b:
ce = {(a cos τ, b sin τ ) ∣ 0 ≤ τ < 2π}. (2.12)

Herein it does not matter whether a > b or not. The ‘half-angle substitu-
tion’ (see Figure 2.7)
1 − t2 2t τ
sin τ = , cos τ = with t = tan
1 + t2 1 + t2 2
gives rise to a parametrization of the ellipse,
1 − t2 2t
ce = {(a 2
, b ) ∣ t ∈ R} , (2.13)
1+t 1 + t2
P
(0, t)
τ /2 τ
M x
1
FIGURE 2.7. The half-angle substitution t = tan τ2 .
which is called rational since it contains only rational functions. However,

the point (−a, 0) is only obtained as the limit t → ∞.
An analogous parametrization, where the trigonometric functions are re-
placed by hyperbolic functions
hr = {(a cosh τ, b sinh τ ) ∣ − ∞ < τ < ∞} (2.14)
describes one branch hr of the hyperbola. This is true since on the one
hand each point of hr satisfies the hyperbolic standard equation because
of
(a cosh τ )2 (b sinh τ )2
− = cosh2 τ − sinh2 τ = 1.
a2 b2
On the other hand, for each y ∈ R there is a unique t with y = sinh τ ,
while cosh τ > 0. By the same token, the branch hr of the hyperbola can
also be parametrized by
a π π
hr = {( , b tan τ ) ∣ − < τ < } . (2.15)
cos τ 2 2
As an analogue to (2.13), there is also a rational parametrization of hy-
perbolas:
1 + t2 2t
ch = {(a 2
, b ) ∣ t ∈ R {1, −1}} . (2.16)
1−t 1 − t2
It represents the right branch for −1 < t < 1. The lower part of the left
branch is obtained for t > 1 and the upper part for t < −1. The point
(−a, 0) is again missing.
For the sake of completeness, we add the parametrization
cp = {(2pτ 2 , 2pτ ) ∣ − ∞ < τ < ∞} (2.17)
for the parabola satisfying the vertex equation y 2 = 2px.
There is another important equation for conics:
Theorem 2.1.3 Polar equation: The set of points with coordinates

(x, y) = (r cos ϕ, r sin ϕ) satisfying the polar equation
p
r= (2.18)
1 + ε cos ϕ
with constant p, ε ∈ R {0} is a conic with the focus F = (0, 0) and the
associated directrix x = p/ε. The conic has the parameter ∣p∣ and the nu-
merical eccentricity ∣ε∣. In the case ε = 0, we obtain a circle with center F
and radius p.
Proof: For p, ε > 0, the given polar equation is equivalent to r + εr cos ϕ = p, and further, to
p
r = ε( − r cos ϕ) .
ε
This implies that ∣r∣ = ε ∣ pε − r cos ϕ∣, which means, in view of the coordinate frame depicted
in Figure 2.5, right, that
p
XF = ε ⋅ Xl with F = (0, 0) and l ∶ x = .
ε
Also the converse of the implication above is valid for the following reason: When the sign of
r differs from that on the right-hand side in the equation above, i.e.,
p −p
r = −ε ( − r cos ϕ) , hence r = ,
ε 1 − ε cos ϕ
we replace simultaneously r by −r and ϕ by ϕ + π . This does not change the defined set of
points, but converts the above given polar equation into that presented in (2.18). Hence, for
p, ε > 0, the given polar equation is equivalent to the Apollonian definition.
Changing the sign of ε in the polar equation (2.18) is equivalent to the replacement of ϕ by
ϕ + π. Therefore, it causes a rotation of the conic about F through the angle π. The same is
true for changing the sign of p, since in this case r is replaced by −r. Thus, we have proved
that for all p, ε ∈ R {0} the polar equation (2.18) represents a conic. ◾
We conclude with a comment on the domain of ϕ in the function on the
right-hand side of the polar equation (2.18):
• We obtain the entire ellipse by −π < ϕ ≤ π for ε < 1.
• For parabolas ε = 1, we need to exclude ϕ = π, hence −π < ϕ < π.
• In the hyperbolic case ε > 1, we have to take into account that when ϕ
tends to ϕ0 ∶= arccos(−1/ε), the radius r tends to infinity. Therefore,
we need to restrict the polar angle to −ϕ0 < ϕ < ϕ0 for obtaining
the first branch of the hyperbola. For ϕ0 < ϕ < 2π − ϕ0 , the radius r
in (2.18) becomes negative, and we get the second branch. The two
asymptotes have the slope ± tan ϕ0 .
Velocity and acceleration vectors
In order to comprehend why the trajectories of planets are conics, one
needs to be familiar with velocity and acceleration vectors of curves.
Therefore, we provide a brief introduction into the differential geometry
of parametrized curves in the Euclidean 3-space E3 .
With respect to any Cartesian coordinate frame (x, y, z), let
c(τ ) = (x(τ ), y(τ ), z(τ )), τ ∈ I,
be the trajectory of a point or a particle moving in E3 . This curve is para-

metrized by time τ which passes the interval I. Then, the first derivative
v ∶= ċ =∶ ve1 with ∥e1 ∥ = 1
is the velocity vector. Its norm v = ∥ċ∥ equals the instantaneous velocity,
i.e., the derivative ds/dτ of the curve’s arc length s by the time τ . For
v ≠ 0, the vector e1 is the unit tangent vector to the curve, and the spanned
line {c(τ ) + λe1 ∣ λ ∈ R} is the tangent line to the curve c(I) at the point
c(τ ).
The second derivative
a ∶= c̈ = v̇ e1 + v ė1
is the acceleration vector. According to results from elementary differential
geometry, we have
de1 ds v
ė1 = ⋅ = vκ e2 = e2 , (2.19)
ds dτ
where κ ≥ 0 is the curvature and, for κ ≠ 0, = 1/κ is the radius of
curvature. For κ ≠ 0, the unit vector e2 is unique and orthogonal to e1 :
A positive quarter turn in the plane spanned by ċ and c̈ carries e1 to e2 .
We call e2 the principal normal vector of the curve. Thus, we obtain
a = c̈ = v̇ e1 + v 2 κ e2 .

v
c∗ (τ0 )
c(τ0 )
t an
a
a
FIGURE 2.8. The geometric equivalent to the mutual dependence between the
velocity vector v, the acceleration vector a = an + at , and the center of curvature
c∗ is the shaded right-angled triangle.
The first term in this vector sum defines the tangential acceleration vector
at , the second one the normal acceleration vector an . We summarize
v2
a = an + at with ∥at ∥ = ∣v̇∣, ∥an ∥ = . (2.20)

For constant speed (v̇ = 0) the tangential acceleration ∥at ∥ vanishes. Then
the second derivative c̈ is orthogonal to ċ everywhere in I.
In Figure 2.8, a planar curve is depicted. Beside the velocity vector v and
the acceleration vector a = an +at , also the center of curvature c∗ (τ0 ) = c+
e2 ∣τ =τ0 , i.e., the center of the osculating circle at the point c(τ0 ) is shown.
As a consequence of the last equation in (2.20), there is a right-angled
triangle with the altitude v subdividing the hypotenuse in segments of
lengths and ∥an ∥.
As demonstrated in Figure 2.8, it is quite useful to visualize velocity
vectors as well as acceleration vectors by arrows. However, this needs an
agreement about how to represent velocities and accelerations by lengths
of arrows. The simplest way is to define an appropriate scaling factor σ
and to depict the scaled vector σv. For example, σ = 0.005 s converts a
velocity of 10 m/s into an arrow of length 50 mm.
The last equation in (2.20) reveals that, if σ is used for velocities, then
σ 2 should be the scaling factor for accelerations. This guarantees that be-
cause of (σ 2 ∥an ∥) = (σv)2 the right-angled shaded triangle in Figure 2.8

remains right-angled after scaling.
Often we are mainly interested in the geometry of curves, i.e., in proper-

ties which are independent of the way how we traverse the curve. Such
properties do not alter when we replace the time τ by any other parameter
τ which is related to τ by a differentiable and monotonic function
df
τ = f (τ ), τ ∈ I, with f˙ = ≠ 0.
dτ
The new parameter τ needs not be the time anymore. Nevertheless, we
want to retain the notations ‘velocity’ and ‘acceleration’ since they provide
the derivatives with an intuitive meaning.
The derivatives of the new parametrization c(τ ) ∶= c (f (τ )), τ ∈ I, are
dc dc dτ d2 c ¨
ċ = = ⋅ = f˙ ċ ≠ 0, c̈ = = f ċ + f˙2 c̈ .
dτ dτ dτ dτ 2
We note that the velocity vectors v = ċ and v = ċ are linearly dependent.

The spanned tangent line remains the same. The vector a ∶= c̈ is a linear
combination of ċ and c̈. The decomposition
a = at + an
into components parallel and orthogonal to the velocity vector v ∶= ċ

shows that an = f˙2 an . Therefore, by virtue of (2.20), also the radius of
curvature = ∥v∥2 /∥an ∥ is invariant with respect to parameter transfor-
mations.
This statement is also a consequence of the fact that among all circles
passing through the point c(τ ), the osculating circle with center c∗ (τ0 ) =
c + e2 , with radius = 1/κ and located in the osculating plane spanned
by ċ(τ ) and c̈(τ ), is the best approximation of the given curve c(I).
We prove this by showing that for any fixed parameter value τ0 ∈ I the
distance d(τ ) between c(τ ) and a fixed center m in the osculating plane
is stationary of order ≥ 2 at τ = τ0 if, and only if, m is the center of
curvature c∗ (τ0 ).
Proof: We differentiate the equation d2 (τ ) = (c(τ ) − m)2 twice and obtain
dd˙ = ⟨c(τ ) − m, ċ(τ )⟩, d˙ 2 + dd¨ = ∥ċ∥2 + ⟨c(τ ) − m, c̈(τ )⟩.

We denote the Frenet frame at c(τ0 ) by (e1 , e2 ), extend it by e3 to an orthonormal frame in

E3 , and set 0 = (τ0 ) and v0 = v(τ0 ). Then, by virtue of (2.20), we get at τ = τ0
v2
dd˙ ∣τ =τ0 = v0 ⟨c(τ0 ) − m, e1 ⟩, d˙ 2 + dd¨∣τ =τ0 = v02 + ⟨c(τ0 ) − m, v̇(τ0 ) e1 + 0 e2 ⟩ .
0
Hence, d(τ˙ 0 ) = d(τ

¨ 0 ) = 0 is equivalent to c(τ0 ) − m = λ e2 + μ e3 and λ + 0 = 0, i.e., m =
c(τ0 ) + 0 e2 + μ e3 = c∗ (τ0 ) + μ, e3 for all μ ∈ R3 . The center of curvature c∗ (τ0 ) is the only
solution with μ = 0, i.e., in the osculating plane. ◾
Summing up, each reparametrization τ = f (τ ) of a given curve acts on

the velocity vectors v like a scaling with factor σ = f˙ and on the normal
acceleration vectors an like a scaling with σ 2 = f˙2 .
The arc length s is often called a natural parameter of the curve. This
particular parametrization is characterized by the fact that all tangent
vectors dc/ds are unit vectors. The second derivatives d2 c/ds2 are ortho-
gonal to the curve and have length κ; they are called curvature vectors.
After this brief introduction to the elementary differential geometry of

curves, we return to conics. We recall the polar equation (2.18) and the
related coordinate frame depicted in Figures 2.5 (right) and 2.9. By choo-
sing the polar angle ϕ as parameter τ , we obtain the parametrization
p
c(τ ) = r(τ ) (cos τ, sin τ ) with r(τ ) = , if 1 + ε cos τ ≠ 0.
1 + ε cos τ
This yields the velocity vector
v(τ ) = vr + vr⊥ with vr = ṙ (cos τ, sin τ ) , vr⊥ = r (− sin τ, cos τ ) , (2.21)
and
p ε sin τ εr2 sin τ
ṙ = = .
(1 + ε cos τ )2 p
The first component vr of the velocity vector v(τ ) has the direction of the
position vector c(τ ) while the second vr⊥ is orthogonal. This gives rise to
a universal graphical construction of tangent lines for conics (Figure 2.9).
Theorem 2.1.4 Let c be a conic with focus F and associated directrix l.

The tangent line tP to c at any point P different from the vertices A and
A2 intersects l at a point T such that [F, P ] is orthogonal to [F, T ].
y
l
P =c(τ )
σvr =−c(τ )
σv
F τ A x
T
p σvr⊥
tP
P1 p/ε
FIGURE 2.9. Construction of the tangent line tP at the point P = c(τ ) to the
conic c with focal point F and directrix l. We use the scaling factor σ = −r/ṙ for
velocity vectors.
Proof: Under the assumption sin τ ≠ 0 we have ṙ ≠ 0. Therefore, we can choose the scaling
factor
r −rp −p
σ=− = 2 = .
ṙ εr sin τ ε r sin τ
Then,
p p
σv = σvr + σvr⊥ = −r(cos τ, sin τ ) − (− sin τ, cos τ ) = −c(τ ) + (1, cot τ ).
ε sin τ ε
In the final vector sum, the second component is orthogonal to the position vector, and its
first coordinate equals that of the directrix l. ◾
Remark 2.1.2 We have already noted that F is the pole of the directrix l. According to the
properties of polarities (see Section 7.1), the point T is the pole of the connecting line [F, P ].
This is obvious when we pay attention to the second point of intersection P1 between the
conic and the line [F, P ] (Figure 2.9).
Differentiating the conic’s pararametrization a second time w.r.t. the po-

lar angle τ yields the acceleration vector
a(τ ) = (r̈ − r) (cos τ, sin τ ) + 2ṙ (− sin τ, cos τ )
with
pε cos τ 2pε2 sin2 τ
r̈ = + .
(1 + ε cos τ )2 (1 + ε cos τ )3
In order to compute the velocity and acceleration at the vertex A, we set
τ = 0, to get
p −p
v(0) = (0, 1), a(0) = (1, 0) = an (0).
1+ε (1 + ε)2
We obtain v = ∥v∥ = p/(1 + ε) and, by virtue of (2.20), the curvature

radius (0) = v 2 /∥an ∥ = p which gives a new geometric meaning to the
parameter p:
Theorem 2.1.5 The parameter p of any conic c equals the radius of

curvature (0) of c at the vertices A on the principal axis s.
The vector an (0) of the normal acceleration points from the vertex A
towards the center of curvature A∗ (Figure 2.8). Therefore, both A∗ and
the focal point F lie on the same side of the corresponding vertex A
(Figure 2.10).
c
p
F1 F2 A2 c
A1 A∗1 A∗2
p
p
F1 A1 A2 F2
c A∗1 A∗2
p p
l
p
A
F A∗
p
FIGURE 2.10. For all conics c, the parameter p equals the curvature radius at
the vertices Ai on the principal axis.
● Exercise 2.1.1 Osculating circle at the vertex. Confirm Theorem 2.1.5 in the following way:
Based on the vertex equations (2.6) of a conic c and a circle c∗ (ε = 0), try to specify c∗ in
such a way that all intersection points between c and c∗ coincide with the origin.
2.2 Tangent lines of conics
The optical property

We now are going to apply the general construction of tangents for
conics to ellipses and hyperbolas and pay attention to the fact that
Theorem 2.1.4 holds for both focal points F1 and F2 .
vr1
tP T2 tP
v
P α P
ϕ
ϕ vr2
T1
A1 F1 F2 A2 F1 F2
l1 c l2 c
FIGURE 2.11. The tangent line tP at any point P to the ellipse c bisects the
exterior angle of the triangle F1 P F2 .
Figure 2.11, left, shows for an ellipse c how the tangent tP to c at any
point P can be constructed via F1 as well as via F2 . Of course, P must
be different from the vertices A1 and A2 . The slope angle of tP is denoted
by α. The intersection point of tP with the directrix li associated with Fi
(for i = 1, 2) is denoted by Ti .
As a consequence, the angle ϕ between tP and the segment P F1 is con-
gruent to the one between tP and P F2 , since according to the Apollonian
definition (page 13), we have
P F1 ε P l1 ε P l2 P F2
cos ϕ = = = ε cos α = = .
P T1 P l1 / cos α P l2 / cos α P T2
There is another way to prove this symmetry. Let any parametrization
of the ellipse be given. According to (2.21) the velocity vector v at P
can be decomposed into a radial component vr of signed length ṙ and an
orthogonal vector denoted by vr⊥ (Figure 2.9). If ri (τ ) for i = 1, 2 deno-
tes the distance of points P ∈ c to the focal point Fi , then the standard
definition r1 + r2 = const. implies that ṙ1 = −ṙ2 . Consequently, the radial
components vr1 and vr2 of v in direction of F1 P and F2 P , respectively,
2.2 Tangent lines of conics 31
have the same length but different signs. Therefore, independently of the
scaling of velocity vectors, the triangles formed by v and the two decom-
positions are symmetric with respect to the tangent tP (see Figure 2.11,
right). We can rephrase this property by claiming that the tangent tP
bisects the exterior angle of the triangle F1 P F2 at P .
Similar arguments hold for tangents tP of hyperbolas. We detect again

mutually similar right-angled triangles P F1 T1 and P F2 T2 due to the Apol-
lonian definition (Figure 2.12, left). On the other hand, the standard de-
finition ∣r1 − r2 ∣ = const. implies that ṙ1 = ṙ2 . This time the lengths of the
radial components vr1 and vr2 of v have equal signs (Figure 2.12, right).
Consequently, the tangent tP at P to the hyperbola c bisects the interior
angle of the triangle F1 P F2 at P .
t2
P l1 l2 c P vr2 c
v
vr1
T1
F1 A1 A2 F2 F1 F2
tP tP
T2
FIGURE 2.12. The tangent line tP at any point P to the hyperbola c bisects
the interior angle of the triangle F1 P F2 .
If the point P ∈ c tends to infinity, the tangent tP tends to one of the two
asymptotes, since they intersect the directrices at the pedal points with
respect to F1 or F2 (note the asymptote t2 and F2 in Figure 2.12, left).
In the case of a parabola (Figure 2.13, right), we have equal distances

P F = P l. Let G denote the pedal point (or foot) of the directrix l w.r.t.
P . Then, the triangles P F T and P GT are congruent as they both are
right-angled, they share the hypotenuse P T and they have equal side-
lengths P F = P l. Hence, the tangent tP is the axis of symmetry of the
kite P F T G and bisects the interior angle between P F and P G.
G P
tP
c
N
T
s
A F
k
l tA
FIGURE 2.13. The tangent line tP at any point P to the parabola c bisects an
angle between [P, F ] and the parallel to the axis s. When reflecting the focal
point F in the tangent line tP , we obtain a point G of the directrix. The pedal
point N of tP w.r.t. F is located on the tangent line tA to c at the vertex A.
Theorem 2.2.1 At each point P of a conic c, the tangent tP bisects an

angle between the connecting lines [P, F1 ] and [P, F2 ] of P with the focal
points, provided that, in the case of a parabola, the point F2 is defined as
the ideal point of the axis s.
F
F1 F2 F
FIGURE 2.14. The optical property of ellipses and parabolas.
This is called the optical property of conics. In the case of an ellipse it

means that rays of light going out from one focal point F1 and being
reflected in the ellipse meet all at the second focal point F2 (Figure 2.14,
left). Analogously, after reflection in a parabola all rays parallel to the
axis concentrate at the focus F (Figure 2.14, middle). This is no longer

true for rays being not parallel to the axis (Figure 2.14, right).
m
P a
tP a
P a
a
F1
M F2 F1 M F2
m
tP
c
c
FIGURE 2.15. The line m through the center M and parallel to tP intersects
the focal lines [P, F1 ] and [P, F2 ] in points at distance a to the point P .
● Exercise 2.2.1 Construction of the semimajor axis. Prove the following statement which
holds for ellipses and hyperbolas c with focal points F1 and F2 and with the semimajor axis
a : Let the line m through the center M of c be parallel to the tangent tP at P . Then, M
intersects the lines [P, F1 ] and [P, F2 ] at points P1 and P2 at distance a to P (Figure 2.15).
Hint: Project the equidistant points F1 , M , and F2 parallel to tP onto the line [P, Fi ].
Pedal curves and orthotomics

There are other consequences of the bisecting property of tangent lines, as
stated in Theorem 2.2.1: In the case of a parabola, we learn immediately
from Figure 2.13, that the reflection of the focal point in the tangent line
tP is a point G on the directrix l. A dilation with center F and scaling
factor 1/2 maps G onto the pedal point (or foot) N of tP with respect to
F ; this pedal point is located on the tangent tA at the vertex A.
The analogues for ellipses and hyperbolas are depicted in Figure 2.16.
The reflection in the tangent tP maps the focus F1 onto a point G1 on
the line [P, F2 ] such that P F1 = P G1 . The standard definitions of ellipses
and hyperbolas imply G1 F2 = 2a. Hence, the reflection G1 lies on a circle
with center F2 , the orthotomic circle g1 , for which we write (F2 ; 2a) in
brief.
A dilation with center F1 and scaling factor 1/2 maps G1 onto the pedal
point N1 of tP w.r.t. F1 and the second focus F2 onto the center M of c.
The orthotomic circle g1 with radius 2a is transformed into the principal

circle ca = (M ; a).
k
k
N2 tP
G1 c
P P ca
G1
a
N1 A2
A1 F1 M F2 F1 A1 N1 M A2 F2
a
2a
ca
2a N2
g1
tP g1
FIGURE 2.16. The reflection of the focal point F1 in tangent lines tP of the
ellipse or hyperbola c gives points G1 on the orthotomic circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a).
The pedal point N1 of tP with respect to F1 is located on the principal circle
ca = (M ; a) which contacts c at the vertices A1 and A2 .
Remark 2.2.1 The set of pedal points of the tangent lines of a curve d with respect to any
point P is called the pedal curve of d with respect to P . The locus of reflections of P in the
tangent lines of d is called the orthotomic of d with respect to P . A dilation with center P
and scaling factor 1/2 maps the orthotomic of d w.r.t. P onto the pedal curve.
Theorem 2.2.2 The pedal curve of an ellipse or hyperbola c with respect

to a focus is the principal circle ca = (M ; a). The reflections G1 of the
focus F1 in the tangent lines tP to c are located on the orthotomic circle
g1 = (F2 ; 2a). The line [G1 , F2 ] passes through the point P of contact
between c and tP (Figure 2.16).
The pedal curve of a parabola c with respect to the focus F is the tangent
tA at the vertex; the locus of reflections of F in the tangent lines of c is
the directrix l (Figure 2.13).
This theorem as well as the following statements are also valid for circles
when they are seen as limiting cases of ellipses with F1 = F2 = M .
Conversely to Theorem 2.2.2, each tangent line tP of a conic c is the

perpendicular bisector of the segment F1 G1 where G1 traces the circle
g1 = (F2 ; 2a) or the line l. The latter holds for parabolas, of course.
Corollary 2.2.1 The envelope of the axes of symmetry between a fixed

point F1 and a point G1 tracing a line l or a circle g1 is a conic c.
Note the particular case: When F1 happens to be the center of g1 , then c

is a circle.
The equation P F1 = P G1 together with the collinearity of the points F2 ,
P , and G1 implies that P is the center of a circle k which contacts g1 at
G1 and passes through F1 (see Figure 2.16, left and right). In the case of
a parabola (see Figure 2.13), P is the center of a circle k which passes
through F and is tangent to l.
g1
F1
F2
FIGURE 2.17. The displayed circles contact g1 and pass through F1 . Their
centers are located on the hyperbola c.
Corollary 2.2.2 A conic c is the locus of centers P of circles k which

are tangent to a given circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a) or to a given line l and pass
through a given point F1 ∈/ g1 , l (Figure 2.17).
There are two kinds of contact between two different circles (M1 ; r1 ) and
(M2 ; r2 ). Either one circle includes the other, or the point of contact lies
between the two centers M1 and M2 . In the first case we speak of interior
contact, in the second of exterior contact. It makes sense to endow the
radii of circles with a sign such that at interior contact the signs of the
involved radii are equal and otherwise different. Then, the contact of the
two circles is equivalent to
M1 M2 = ∣r1 − r2 ∣. (2.22)
This equation reveals that the contact is preserved when we add an arbi-
trary constant r0 ∈ R to both signed radii while the centers remain fixed.
Of course, when one radius changes its sign, the type of contact changes.
In the case r1 = 0 the center M1 lies on the second circle.
g2
g1
FIGURE 2.18. The displayed circles which contact g1 and g 2 , have their centers
on an ellipse.
When, according to Corollary 2.2.2, the circles k pass through a fixed

point F1 , then it depends on whether F1 is inside or outside g1 = (F2 ; 2a).
In the first (= elliptic) case, all k’s are in the interior of g1 and their si-
gned radii are positive. Otherwise (= hyperbolic case) we have an exterior
contact, and the radii of the circles k must be negative (Figure 2.17) in
order to satisfy (2.22).
Now we can generalize the definition of conics c given in Corollary 2.2.2
in the following way: We add a constant r0 ∈ R to the signed radii of
all k’s, replace at the same time the point F1 by the circle g 2 = (F1 ; r0 )
and g1 = (F ; 2a) by g1 = (F ; 2a + r0 ). This yields a set of circles k being
tangent to two fixed circles g 2 , g 1 with respective centers F1 and F2 . When
traversing the k’s, the types of contact with g 1 and g 2 either remain the
same or change simultaneously. The transition from one type of contact
to the other takes place when the signed radius of k either becomes zero
(note Figure 2.18) or tends to ±∞, while the center changes from one
branch of the hyperbola to the other.
g2 k
g1
FIGURE 2.19. The lower half of a Dupin spindle cyclide.
When the circles k serve as equators of spheres, then the surface enveloped
by these spheres is a Dupin cyclide, a spindle cyclide (Figure 2.19) or a
ring cyclide. A needle cyclide arises when g 1 contacts g 2 . The parabolic
case with a line g 1 leads to parabolic Dypin cyclides (Figure 2.20). We
will meet the Dupin cyclides again in Section 4.2 on page 147.
● Exercise 2.2.2 Pedal curve of an imaginary focus. In Chapter 7 we will learn that for
ellipses and hyperbolas it makes sense to define beside the (real) foci with standard coordinates
(±e, 0) also the pair of complex conjugate points (0, ±ie) as focal points. Prove analytically
the following counterpart to Theorem 2.2.2:
The pedal curve of an ellipse c with respect to its complex conjugate focal points is the circle
FIGURE 2.20. Two parabolic Dupin cyclides as plaster models, selected from
the collection Martin Schilling, Leipzig 1880 (cf. H. Wiener , P. Treutlein,
Verzeichnis mathematischer Modelle, Teubner, Leipzig 1912).
cb = (M ; b). What is the analogue for hyperbolas?

Hint: Use the standard equations (2.9). At the point P = (xP , yP ) ∈ c the tangent line tP to
the ellipse satisfies the equation
xP yP x2P y2
2
x + 2 y = 1, where 2
+ P2 = 1.
a b a b
The pedal point of tP with respect to an imaginary focus is (0, ±ie) + λ(xP /a2 , yP /b2 ) with
an appropriate parameter λ.
Confocal conics
Another consequence of the bisecting property of tangents to conics, as
stated in Theorem 2.2.1, deals with families of confocal (or homofocal )
conics: Given two focal points F1 and F2 , all ellipses and hyperbolas sha-
ring these focal points form an orthogonal net (Figure 2.21). This is so
since through each point P off the symmetry axes there passes one ellipse
and one hyperbola, and the corresponding tangent lines at P are the two
bisectors of the lines [P, F1 ] and [P, F2 ], and therefore, perpendicular. As
limiting curves also the two axes of symmetry can be added: the segment
F1 F2 is the limit of an ellipse with vanishing semiminor axis b; the secon-
dary axis is the limit of a hyperbola with vanishing semimajor axis a; the
half-lines starting from F1 or F2 and pointing away from the center M
are the limit of a hyperbola with vanishing b.
Similarily, there is also an orthogonal net formed by confocal parabolas,
i.e., by parabolas sharing the focal point F and the axis (Figure 2.22).
On the axis, the two half-lines starting from F complete this orthogonal
net.
M
F1 F2
FIGURE 2.21. Confocal conics constitute an orthogonal net.
The nets of confocal conics have an additional property which is named

after J. Ivory5 . This theorem turns out to be valid also in other geome-
tries (see, e.g., Theorem 10.1.10).
Theorem 2.2.3 Ivory’s theorem in E2 . In each curvilinear quadrangle

formed by two pairs of conics of the same type within a confocal net, the
two diagonals have the same length.
We leave the proof of this planar Euclidean version as an exercise.
● Exercise 2.2.3 Ivory’s theorem in E2 . Verify Ivory’s theorem (Figure 2.23) for confocal
ellipses and hyperbolas as well as for confocal parabolas in the following way: The parametri-
zation
x = e cos u cosh v, y = e sin u sinh v, 0 ≤ u < 2π, v ∈ R
defines as lines v = const., v ≠ 0, and u = const., u ≠ 0, ellipses and branches of hyperbolas,
respectively which share the focal points (±e, 0) (compare with Figure 2.21). On the other
hand, the parameter lines u = const. and v = const. of the parametrization
x = u2 − v2 , y = 2uv, (u, v) ∈ R2
5
Sir James Ivory (1765–1842), Scottish mathematician and astronomer. His famous theorem
is only a by-product in his publication [39].
FIGURE 2.22. The net of confocal parabolas is orthogonal, too.
belong to the family of confocal parabolas (Figure 2.22). Show that for given parameter values
u1 , u2 , v1 , v2 the diagonals in the curvilinear quadrangle bounded by the curves u = u1 , v = v1 ,
u = u2 , and v = v2 have the same length.
Figure 2.23 shows the mapping c → c′ with Xi ↦ Xi′ between conics of the same type. This
mapping is induced by v1 ↦ v2 while u remains invariant. It acts like simultaneous scalings
x ↦ x cosh v2 / cosh v1 and y ↦ y sinh v2 / sinh v1 of both coordinates.
The statement of Ivory’s theorem, X1 X2′ = X1′ X2 , is still valid when the ellipse c′ degenerates
into the segment F1 F2 . When the principal vertices A or B serve as points X2 with X2′ = F1 or
F2 , then Ivory’s theorem shows directly the standard definition of the ellipse c (Figure 2.24):
XF1 + XF2 = XA′ + XB ′ = X ′ A + X ′ B = AB.
● Exercise 2.2.4 Confocal conics obtained by a conformal map. Show that in the complex
plane the analytic function z ↦ e cos z transforms the rectangular coordinate grid into a net
of confocal ellipses and hyperbolas. The function z ↦ z 2 produces confocal parabolas.
Constructions with ruler and compass, Problem 1

In this section, we present graphic solutions for two basic geometric pro-
blems related to a conic c: which tangents of c pass through a given point
Q, and in which points intersects a given line g the conic c. These con-
structions will provide a deeper insight into the geometry of conics.6
6
Permanent users of geometry software might question the importance of these problems.
When one can draw the conic with sufficient precision, one can immediately ‘see’ the points
X2
c
X1
X2′ c′
X1′
F1 F2
FIGURE 2.23. Ivory’s theorem in the Euclidean plane E2 : X1 X2′ = X1′ X2 .
Problem 1: Let a conic c be given — in the case of an ellipse or hyperbola

by its focal points F1 , F2 and the length 2a, in the case of a parabola by
its focal point F and the directrix l. Which tangents can be drawn from
any given point Q to the conic c ? Where are the points of contact?
Let c be an ellipse. By virtue of Theorem 2.2.2, the orthotomic of c with

respect to the focal point F1 is the circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a). Each tangent t to
c is the bisector of F1 and any point G1 ∈ g1 . When t passes through Q,
then Q must be equidistant to F1 and G1 . Therefore, we can solve our
problem in the following steps (Figure 2.25):
(i) Draw the auxiliary circle h = (Q; QF1 ) and intersect it with the or-
thotomic circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a).
(ii) For each point G1 of intersection, the bisector t of G1 and F1 is
tangent to c and passes through Q.
(iii) The point T of contact between t and c is aligned with G1 and F2 .
of intersection or ‘draw’ the tangents. Nevertheless, there is an interest in an exact graphical

solution, i.e., in an algorithm using only ruler and compass for finding the solutions — even
without depicting the conic.
X
c
A c′ X′ B
′
A =F1 B ′ =F2
FIGURE 2.24. Ivory’s theorem remains valid when the conic c′ degenerates
into the segment F1 F2 . Then, we obtain XA′ = X ′ A, XB ′ = X ′ B and, hence,
XA′ + XB ′ = AB.
In the case displayed in Figure 2.25, the circle h intersects g1 at two

different points G1 and G1 . We obtain two different tangents t and t
through Q. The point Q lies in the exterior of c. When Q happens to be
a point of c, then the two intersection points G1 and G1 coincide. The
line t = t equals the tangent tQ to c at Q. The circle h is an element of
the set mentioned in Corollary 2.2.2. For Q in the interior of c there are
no real points of intersection between h and g1 .
Next, we apply the center-angle-theorem to the auxiliary circle h in
Figure 2.25. According to this theorem, the center angle <) G1 QF1 = 2α
is twice the angle of cirmumference <) G1 G1 F1 over the chord G1 F1 of
h. The latter angle is a normal angle of <) F2 QT since we have pairs of
orthogonal lines involved: [G1 , G1 ] ⊥ [F2 , Q] and [G1 , F1 ] ⊥ [Q, T ].
These arguments cover only the case of ellipses. But a similar procedure
is valid for hyperbolas (note Exercise 2.2.5). The situation for parabolas
is displayed in Figure 2.26.
We summarize the results in the following generalization of Theorem 2.2.1:
Theorem 2.2.4 The tangent lines t and t drawn from any point Q to a
conic c share the angle bisectors with the lines connecting Q with the two
focal points of c, provided that, in the case of a parabola, the ideal point
of the axis serves as second focal point.
α
G1
T α G1
t
β β T
F1 F2
c
2a
t
g1
FIGURE 2.25. Construction of the tangents t and t through the given point Q to
the conic c. The lines t and t share the angle bisectors with the lines connecting
Q with the two focal points. [F2 , Q] bisects the angle <) T F2 T .
On the other hand, when T and T are the points of contact of the two
tangents, then for each focal point F of c the lines [F, T ] and [F, T ] are
symmetric with respect to [F, Q]. This holds also in the case of a parabola
for the ideal point of the axis.
Proof: Only the second part of the statement above remains to be proved. Figure 2.25 shows
immediately that for ellipses the line [F2 , Q] bisects the angle <
) G1 F2 G1 which is equal to the
angle <) T F2 T . The same must be valid for the focus F1 , since the construction via the ortho-
tomic circle g2 = (F1 ; 2a) must lead to the same result. The proof for hyperbolas is similar.
In the case of a parabola (Figure 2.26) we must pay attention to three symmetries: the sym-
metry with respect to t with F ↦ G, the symmetry w.r.t. t with F ↦ G, and w.r.t. the line
through Q parallel to the axis with G ↦ G: These symmetries reveal the congruence of the
following angles: < ) QF T ≅ < ) QG T ≅ <
) QGT ≅ < ) QF T . ◾
Remark 2.2.2 Later, in Section 7.3, we will notice that the first part of Theorem 2.2.4 is a
particular case of Desargues’s involution Theorem 7.4.1 (page 309) applied to the dual pencil
of confocal conics.
We continue with some consequences of Theorem 2.2.4.

Let us apply the construction of tangents from Q to a family of confocal
ellipses and hyperbolas. By virtue of Theorem 2.2.4, the points T1 and
l tA
G T
N
t
β F
β
α
Q α
h
N
c
t
T
G
FIGURE 2.26. Construction of the tangents t and t through the given point Q
to the parabola c. The lines t and t share the angle bisectors with the line [Q, F ]
and the parallel to the axis. There are congruent angles <) QF T and <) QF T .
T2 of contact have the property that their connections with the focal
points F1 and F2 have an angle bisector passing through Q. The locus of
points s satisfying this condition is a particular curve of degree 3 called
strophoid. It has the point Q as a node and two orthogonal tangents
there (see Figure 2.27). The normal lines at T1 and T2 together with
the connecting lines [T1 , T2 ] are tangent to a parabola p which is called
Chasles’s parabola of the confocal family w.r.t. Q.7 It is the image of
the line pencil Q under the quadratic transformation of conjugate normals
w.r.t. any conic of the confocal family (note Example 7.5.1 on page 342).
If the point Q is particularily specified on an axis of the confocal family,

then for Q ≠ M the cubic curve splits into the axis and a circle centered on
the same axis (Figure 2.28). Only the circle serves as the locus of proper
points of contact. For the proof see Exercise 2.2.6. The same circle is also
the locus of contact points for point Q′ diametral to Q on s. All this is
also valid for confocal parabolas.
7
For a proof see the references given in [43, p. 515] or [1].
T1 Q
T2
F1 M F2
FIGURE 2.27. The points of contact (T1 , T2 ) of the tangents drawn from a fixed
point Q to the conics of a confocal family of ellipses and hyperbolas are located
on a strophoid s. The normal lines at T1 and T2 as well as the connecting lines
[T1 , T2 ] are tangent to a parabola p.
Remark 2.2.3 The strophoid s shown in Figure 2.27 and the circles s in Figure 2.28 are at the
same time locus of pedal points of normals which can be drawn from point Q to the conics of
the confocal family. This follows from the orthogonality of the confocal net: if the line [Q, T ]
is tangent to one of the two conics passing through T , then it is orthogonal to the other.
The following generalization of the gardener’s construction of ellipses is

attributed to Charles Graves (1812–1899), bishop of Limerick and
mathematician:
Theorem 2.2.5 Let an ellipse e0 be given as well as a closed piece of

string strictly longer than the perimeter of e0 . Then, the locus of a pen-
cil used to pull the string taut around e0 is an ellipse e confocal to e0
(Figure 2.29).
When e0 degenerates into the segment F1 F2 , then this construction con-

verts into the gardener’s construction (Figure 1.8).
s
s
T1 T2 T1
Q′ M
Q
M F1
F1 F2 T2
Q′
FIGURE 2.28. For points Q other than M on an axis of the confocal family, the
locus s of contact points as depicted in Figure 2.27 degenerates into a circle.
The same circle is also the locus of contact points for the point Q′ ∈ s opposite
to Q on s.
Proof: Our arguments are similar to that displayed in Figure 2.11 for the bisecting property
of conics’ tangents.
We parametrize e0 by its arc length as c(s), 0 ≤ s ≤ L. Then, the velocity vector ċ is a unit
vector, and the acceleration vector c̈ is orthogonal to ċ. Suppose, we attach the string to the
ellipse e0 any point c(0). Let us cut the string in our imagination at Q (Figure 2.29). First
we focus on the left part with the straight segment T Q :
When λ denotes the length of the string starting at c(0), curved along the ellipse e0 and
aligned from point T = c(s0 ) on, then the position vector of Q is
q(s0 , λ) = c(s0 ) + (λ − s0 ) ċ(s0 ).
For variable s0 this would parametrize the trajectory of point Q if it were fixed on the string.
However, in Graves’s construction Q varies relative to the string. Therefore, we assume λ as
a function of s, too. Then, the velocity vector of Q reads
v = q̇(s, λ) = ċ(s) + (λ̇ − 1) ċ(s) + (λ − s) c̈(s) = λ̇ ċ(s) + (λ − s) c̈(s).
This shows v as a sum vt1 + vn1 of two orthogonal components. The first one of length λ̇ is
in direction of ċ and expresses the instant velocity of point Q with respect to the left portion
of the string. The second component is orthogonal to ċ.
The same holds for the right section of the string with the straight segment T Q. We obtain
a second decomposition v = vt2 + vn2 where vt2 shares the length λ̇ with vt1 but points
towards T , as it represents the instant velocity of Q against the right portion of the string.
The symmetry of the two decompositions of v reveals (see Figure 2.29) that v bisects the
) T QT and by Theorem 2.2.4 also that of <
exterior of the angle < ) F1 QF2 .
Now we reverse the arguments displayed in Figure 2.11, right: The orthogonal projection of
v onto the lines [F1 , Q] and [F2 , Q] gives two vectors of equal length. Therefore, the sum of
distances F1 Q + F2 Q must remain constant in Graves’s construction. The point Q has to
trace an ellipse with focal points F1 and F2 . ◾
vt1
Q vn1
v
e vt2
λ vn2
c(s0 )=T
T
F1 F2
c(0) e0
FIGURE 2.29. Graves’s string construction of an ellipse e confocal to e0 .
Figures 2.25 and 2.26 are also the basis for the following statement. It
deals with orthoptic curves which by definition are the loci of points from
which two orthogonal tangents to a given curve can be drawn.
Theorem 2.2.6 The orthoptic curve of an ellipse or hyperbola, i.e., the

locus of intersection
√ points between
√ orthogonal tangents, is the director
circle with radius a2 + b2 or a2 − b2 , respectively. In the case of a pa-
rabola, the orthoptic curve coincides with the directrix l.
Proof: Firstly, we study ellipses and hyperbolas: Once more we analyze Figure 2.25 with
the construction of the tangents t and t passing through the given point Q. Since there are
two equilateral triangles G1 QF1 and G1 QF1 involved, the angle < ) G1 QG1 is twice the angle
between the two tangents t and t passing through point Q. Therefore, these tangents are
orthogonal if, and only if, the points G1 , Q and G1 are aligned, i.e., the chord of the orthotomic
circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a) and the auxiliary circle h = (Q; QF1 ) is a diameter of h.
The common chord is orthogonal to the line [Q, F2 ] connecting the centers of g1 and h. Since
QG1 = QF1 , the orthogonality of t and t is equivalent to the relation
2 2
QF1 + QF2 = 4a2 .
Now we us use the Cartesian standard coordinate frame of the given conic c : The origin is
specified at the center M , and we obtain coordinates F1 = (−e, 0), F1 = (e, 0), and Q = (x, y).
The sum of the two equations
2 2
QF1 = (x + e)2 + y 2 and QF2 = (x − e)2 + y 2
gives after division by 2
2a2 = x2 + e2 + y 2 .
2
By (2.4), we conclude for ellipses QM = x2 + y 2 = a2 + b2 (note Figure 9.36 on page 424).
G1
h
c
Q
d
F2
F1
G1
T
t g1 t
2a
T
FIGURE 2.30. The orthoptic curve of a hyperbola with a > b is a circle, the
director circle d.
2
For hyperbolas we obtain from (2.5) QM = x2 + y 2 = a2 − b2 (see Figure 2.30). For an
equilateral hyperbola (a = b), the orthoptic curves shrinks to the point M , in the case a < b
the orthoptic curve is empty.
When, secondly, in the case of a parabola (see Figure 2.26) the points G1 , G1 on the directrix
l are diametral on the auxiliary circle h, then also the center Q of h must be located on l. ◾
● Exercise 2.2.5 Tangents to confocal conics. Complete the proof of Theorem 2.2.4 for hy-
perbolas and parabolas. In the first case adapt Figure 2.25 for a hyperbola c. In the parabolic
case extract the proof from Figure 2.26.
● Exercise 2.2.6 Prove for points T of the circles s in Figure 2.28, left and right, that the
lines T Q and T Q′ are angle bisectors of the lines connecting T with the two focal points. When
Q is aligned with the focal points (Figure 2.28, right), then s is the circle of Apollonius which
is defined by a constant ratio of distances T F1 ∶ T F2 = const. for all T ∈ s, including Q and Q′ .
● Exercise 2.2.7 Isoptic curve of a parabola. Prove that the isoptic curve of a parabola, i.e.,
the set of points from which a parabola with focal point F and directrix l can be seen under
a given angle ϕ, under the conditions 0 < ϕ < π2 or π2 < ϕ < π, is a branch of a hyperbola with
the focal point F , the associated directrix l and the numerical eccentricity 1/ cos ϕ.
Hint: We refer to Figure 2.26. The depicted parabola c is seen from point Q under the angle
) T Q T , and we have here ϕ < π2 . A rotation of t and t about Q through the marked angle
ϕ =<
α together with QF = QG yields Ql = QF cos ϕ. The same is true in the case ϕ > π2 . The
rest follows from Definition 2.1.1. The orthoptic curve of a parabola which is mentioned in
Theorem 2.2.6, is obviously a limiting case: The hyperbola degenerates into a line.
Constructions with ruler and compass, Problem 2

Before we start with the second problem, we recall a term from elementary
geometry: The power pk (Q) of any point Q with respect to the circle
k = (M ; r) is defined as
2
pk (Q) = QM − r 2 .
Of course, pk (Q) = 0 is equivalent to Q ∈ k, and pk (Q) > 0 characterizes

points Q exterior to k.
Let a line g of distance d to M intersect the circle k in two points S1 and
S2 (Figure 2.31). Then, by Pythagoras’s theorem we obtain
√ √
2
QSi = ∣ QM − d2 ± r 2 − d2 ∣, i = 1, 2 ,
which immediately implies that

2
QS1 ⋅ QS2 = ∣QM − r 2 ∣ = ∣pk (Q)∣.
For signed distances on g this equation is also valid without using the
absolute values since for Q in the interior of k the signs of the distances
QS1 and QS2 are different. In the case d = r, the line g contacts the circle
2
k at a point T , and pk (Q) = QT .
In Cartesian coordinates, with M = (m, n) and Q = (p, q), we obtain
pk (Q) = (p − m)2 + (q − n)2 − r 2 .
So, to find the power of Q w.r.t. the circle k, we only need to plug the
coordinates of Q into the standard equation of k.
Given a second circle k ′ = (M ′ ; r ′ ) with M ≠ M ′ , a point X = (x, y) with
equal powers with respect to k and k′ satisfies
(x − m)2 + (y − n)2 − r 2 = (x − m′ )2 + (y − n′ )2 − r ′ 2 ,
which is equivalent to the linear equation
2(m − m′ )x + 2(n − n′ )y = m2 − m′ 2 + n2 − n′ 2 − r 2 + r ′ 2 .
T
Q k′
M′
r
r′
S1
M
k
dk,k′
S2 d
g
FIGURE 2.31. The power of the point Q with respect to the circle k is defined
2
as pk (Q) = QM − r2 . For Q in the exterior of k, the power pk (Q) satisfies
2
pk (Q) = QT . On lines g intersecting k, we obtain pk (Q) = QS1 ⋅ QS2 , provided
these distances are signed.
This defines a line, the radical axis dk,k′ of k and k′ . It is orthogonal to

the common diameter [M, M ′ ]. When there are two intersection points
P1 , P2 ∈ k ∩ k′ (see Figure 2.31), the radical axis dk,k′ equals the common
chord [P1 , P2 ] of the two circles. If k and k′ touch each other at T , then
dk,k′ is the common tangent at T .
Given a third circle k ′′ , when the radical axes dk,k′ and dk,k′′ intersect
at a point C, then C is called the radical center of the three circles k,
k′ , and k′′ . Also the third radical axis√ dk ,k passes through C. If C is
′ ′′
exterior to k, then the circle o = (C; pk (C)) intersects all three given
circles orthogonally.
Problem 2: Let a conic c be given — in the case of an ellipse or hyperbola

by its focal points F1 , F2 and the length 2a, in the case of a parabola by
its focal point F and the directrix l. Where does a given line q intersect
the conic c ?
According to Corollary 2.2.2, the conic c is the locus of centers P of circles
k which pass through the focal point F1 and contact the orthotomic g1 of
F1 . The point G1 of contact with g1 is the reflection of F1 in the tangent
tP . When P lies on q, then the corresponding circle k passes also through
the reflection of F1′ in q.
Hence, our problem is reduced to the following problem: Find circles k

which contact g1 and pass through the points F1 and F1′ . We first discuss
the elliptic or hyperbolic case where the orthotomic g1 of F1 w.r.t. c is
the circle (F2 ; 2a) (Figure 2.32).
dh,g1
q
h S
k
F1′ g1
S
G1
2a
F1 F2
c
C k
n G1
FIGURE 2.32. Points of intersection between a conic c and a line q.
Each point on the line n = [F1 , F1′ ] has the same power w.r.t. all circles
through F1 and F1′ . Let h be one of these circles. The intersection point
C between the radical axis dh,g1 and n satisfies pg1 (C) = pk (C) for all
circles k through F1 and F1′ . Hence, all chords dg1 ,k pass through C.
When k contacts the circle g1 , then the common tangent at the point of
contact passes through the radical center C too. Therefore, we can solve
our problem in the following steps (Figure 2.32):
(i) Draw the orthotomic circle g1 = (F2 ; 2a).

(ii) Draw through F1 the normal line n to the given line q and determine
on n the reflection F1′ of F1 w.r.t. q.
(iii) Draw any circle h through F1 and F1′ (preferably one which intersects
g1 ) and let the radical axis dh,g1 meet n at C.
(iv) The tangents through C to the orthotomic circle g1 contact g1 at

points G1 , G1 which are respectively aligned with F2 and the requested
points of intersection S, S ∈ q ∩ c.
If C is exterior to g1 , then C is the center of a circle o which intersects
g1 and all circles through F1 and F1′ orthogonally. The circle o passes
through G1 and G1 (Figure 2.32). For C between F1 and F1′ there are
no real points of intersection between the conic c and the given line q. In
the case C = F1′ , i.e., F1′ ∈ g1 , we obtain G1 = G1 = F1′ and the line q is
tangent to c. When q happens to pass through F1 , then the normal line
n is tangent to the circles h, k and k.
G
S
c
o
q
l
C h
F
F′ k
n
G S
k
FIGURE 2.33. Points of intersection between a parabola c and a line q.
Figure 2.33 shows the construction of the intersection points between a

parabola c (given by its focus F and the directrix l) and a line q. Again,
the problem can be reduced to the determination of circles which are
centered on q which pass through F and contact the directrix l.
● Exercise 2.2.8 Intersection between a parabola and a line. Extract from Figure 2.33 the
ruler-and-compass construction of intersection points between a parabola and a line.
● Exercise 2.2.9 Relation between two points of a conic and the foci. Prove the following
statement: If a conic with focal points F1 and F2 intersects a line in two different points S
and S (see Figure 2.32), then S and S are focal points of another conic which passes through
F1 and F2 . In this case the sides of the quadrilateral F1 SF2 S are tangent to a circle. Find the
analogue statement for parabolas.
2.3 Mechanisms tracing conics 53
2.3 Mechanisms tracing conics
FIGURE 2.34. Elliptic compass after Hoecken from [66].
In times of computer graphics, mechanisms for the accurate drawing of

conic sections seem only to be curiosities from former centuries. In fact, no
one will nowadays draw ellipses or parabolas with “conic compasses”. In
order to cut an elliptic mirror, however, Leonardo da Vinci’s invention
is still of importance. What is more: The theory behind the mechanisms
leads to deeper insights and a better understanding of conics.
A special elliptic motion

If a rod of fixed length is directed such that its endpoints X and Y move
on the perpendicular straight lines x and y, then it is undergoing a very
special constrained motion, see Figure 2.35.
We are concerned with the path curve of an arbitrary point P ∈ XY (but
P ≠ X, Y ) with Y P = a and XP = b, cf. Figure 2.35. Let O = x ∩ y be
the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system and ϕ be the rod’s angle of
inclination. Thus, C’s path is given by (x, y) = (a cos ϕ, y = b sin ϕ) which
is a parametric representation of an ellipse with axis lengths 2a and 2b.
y C
X x
Y
b
a
FIGURE 2.35. The simplest case of an elliptic motion and the trammel con-
struction: A rod XY of constant length is moving along perpendicular straight
lines x and y. Each point C on the rod has an ellipse for its path.
Remarkably, the midpoint M of the segment XY (a = b) describes a circle.
This constrained motion is henceforth called elliptic motion. The con-

struction of points of the ellipse using a strip of paper or a rod guided in
this way is sometimes referred to as the trammel construction.
As we shall show soon, it can be generalized in such a way that the straight
guidances need not be perpendicular and the point C that is connected
with the rod need not lie on the rod itself.
Hoecken’s mechanism
a 1
2 4
b
3 3
1 4
2
FIGURE 2.36. A computer rendering of Hoecken’s mechanism.
Hoecken’s mechanism – depicted in the introduction of this section (cf.

Figure 2.34) – can be explained in a similar way. With the naming and
colors of Figure 2.36, we have the following: Two yellow rods 12 and 34 are
directed such that their endpoints move along circles with the adjustable
radii a and b. After rotation about the angle ϕ, the point of intersection
has the coordinates (a cos ϕ, b sin ϕ). Thus, it lies on an ellipse.
Remark 2.3.1 In this case, the mathematical explanation is easier than a purely geometric
one, because the intersection point of the rods is, from a kinematic point of view, not so
easy to capture. However, one can consider the technically not realized points C1 and C2 , see
Figure 2.36 on the right, and see a “virtual elliptic motion” as described before.
A generalization in space
C′ v′
C
V′
V v
U′ u′
u
U
FIGURE 2.37. A generalization in space: The straight guidances u and v are

skew. Each point C ∈ U V traces an ellipse in a plane perpendicular to the
common normal of u and v.
If U and V have constant distance, and the given straight guidances

u ∋ U and v ∋ V are skew lines in space, we can still speak of an elliptic
motion as is illustrated in Figure 2.37: We chose the common normal
of u and v vertical. Then, u and v lie in horizontal planes with height
difference Δz =/ 0. The top view √(Figure 2.37, left) shows that the rod
2
U V has constant length U ′ V ′ = U V − (Δz)2 during the motion. Since
orthogonal projections preserve affine ratios, any fixed point C ∈ U V
moves in constant height, i.e., in a horizontal plane as well. Since its top
view C ′ traces an ellipse, C traces a congruent horizontal ellipse.
Remark 2.3.2 The surface generated by the straight line [U, V ] is a quartic ruled surface.
The general elliptic motion

c
p y P
q V
Y X C
Q
u ϕ
O U
x
v
FIGURE 2.38. The general elliptic motion: The straight guidances u and v need
not be perpendicular, the generating point C need not lie on the line [U, V ].
We now generalize the constrained motion of the last subsection as follows.
Theorem 2.3.1 Let U V be a segment of constant length. When U is

guided along a straight line u and V is guided along another straight line
v ∥/ u, then any point C on the line [U, V ] traces an ellipse.
Proof: The synthetic proof, i.e., a proof based on purely geometric arguments without calcu-
lation or with a minimum of calculation, will not only verify the fact that any path curve is
an ellipse. Additionally, it will provide the axis directions and the lengths of the axes of the
ellipse.
• The straight lines u and v intersect at an angle ϕ ≠ 0. From the point O = u∩v, the segment
U V appears under the angle ϕ. According to the theorem of the angle of circumference,
the locus of all points with this property is the circle q with center Q that is given by the
three points O, U , and V . This circle has constant size, independent of the position of
the segment U V , and always touches another fixed circle p around O with constant radius
that is twice the other radius.
• Both q and p can easily be found via the point of contact P on the diameter OQ which,
due to Thales’s theorem,8 is found as the intersection of the normals to u and v in U
8
Thales’s theorem states that the endpoints of the diameter of a circle are seen under a right
angle from all the points of the circle (except the endpoints of the diameter).
For Thales’s theorem see Example 6.4.7 (Corollary 6.3.3, page 232), and in connection with
centers of involutions (special case of Frégier’s theorem, cf. Theorem 6.4.6 on page 255).
and V . This point P can be interpreted as the so-called instantaneous pole of the motion:
At the current position, the segment U V moves as if it was rotated around P . Thus, the
distances P U and P V indicate how fast the points move: The closer to P the slower. The
path tangents of U and V are (trivially) in direction of u and v.
• Now we consider an arbitrary point C, rigidly connected to the line [U, V ] (which is
indicated by the green triangle U V C in Figure 2.38). If we intersect [C, Q] with the circle
q, we get a pair X and Y of opposite points on q (XY has constant length). The lines
x = [O, X] and y = [O, Y ] are perpendicular and parallel to [P, Y ] and [P, X] according to
Thales’s theorem. Therefore, [P, X] and [P, Y ] are the path normals of X and Y through
P . Thus, X and Y move exactly towards O. Since this is true for any position of U and
V , X and Y run on fixed perpendicular straight lines x and y through O.
We have now fulfilled the conditions of the already proven special case (shown in Section 2.3)
of an elliptic motion and can be sure that C ∈ XY runs on an ellipse with the axes x and y.
The lengths of the semi-axes of the path are a = CY and b = CX. ◾
Some examples of practical relevance

Elliptic motions occur comparatively frequently in practice. The straight
line guidance is not always easy to achieve, however, and can be “hidden”
as in the following practical examples shown in Figure 2.39.
v
P
u
V tC
C
P
O U
U
v
V
u O
FIGURE 2.39. Ellipse motion, not immediately apparent: Two circles (or wheels)
are moved along two straight lines. The lengths of the (green) velocity-vectors
are proportional to the distance from the instantaneous pole P .
◾ Example 2.3.1 Gliding of rigidly connected circles along straight lines. In Figure 2.39 on the
left, two circles with constant distance glide along straight lines u and v. Thus, their centers
U and V move on straight lines u and v, and we have an elliptic motion: Every point that is
rigidly connected with the moving system has an ellipse as path curve.
◾ Example 2.3.2 Rolling wheels. It does not make a difference whether the circles glide or
roll: When a cyclist moves from one plane to another like in Figure 2.39 on the right, every
point on the bicycle’s frame is undergoing an elliptic motion. The guiding lines u and v are
the parallels to the given planes through the centers of the rolling wheels (or gliding circles),
the center O = u ∩ v of the ellipse is their intersection.
◾ Example 2.3.3 Another trammler. Figure 2.40 shows another mechanism to draw ellipses:
A big circular disk is moved in parallel guide rails within a rectangular boundary. Its center
is, thus, moving on the perpendicular bisector of the shorter side of the boundary. A smaller
circular disk is moved analogously so that its center remains on the perpendicular bisector of
the longer side of the boundary. The distance of the centers of the circle is adjustable by slot
guides, just as the distance of the drawing pen may be varied.
FIGURE 2.40. Another mechanism to trace ellipses: Two circular disks with a
rigid connection of their centers are moved within a rectangular frame. This
causes the circle centers to be guided along straight lines.
The synthetic proof of Theorem 2.3.1 implies a number of consequences:
Theorem 2.3.2 If a circle q rolls inside a fixed circle p with double ra-
dius, each point C rigidly connected to q has an ellipse as orbit. Points
on the circumference of q run on straight lines through the center of p.
Proof: We only have to prove that q rolls inside p without gliding. This is due to the fact
that p and q are the fixed polhode and the moving polhode of the constrained motion. For any
motion in the plane, the moving polhode rolls on the fixed polhode without gliding [66]. ◾
O X
FIGURE 2.41. Ellipse motion, forced by the rolling of the Cardan circles: A
circle inside a fixed circle of double size. Photograph of a kinematic model. The
black points X and Y on the rod lie on the diameter of the small circle, and
thus, have straight paths.
Theorem 2.3.2 is illustrated in Figure 2.41. The circles p and q are often
called Cardan circles, named after Gerolamo Cardano (1501–1576),
although they were known earlier to Arabian mathematicians.
◾ Example 2.3.4 Revolving a Reuleaux triangle inside a square.
B u F F u B B
p
v v q
P
A R
q R R q
p p
v
C
P A P F
C u C
A
FIGURE 2.42. A Reuleaux triangle ABC is revolved inside a square: The edges
are rounded off “almost circularly” by elliptic arcs.
Consider a regular triangle ABC (side length r). It can be “rounded off” by means of three
circular arcs (radius r = side length), and then has “constant thickness” r. Thus, it is possible
to revolve it inside a square with side length r. There are always two vertices that glide along
two perpendicular sides of the square. Figure 2.42 shows three subsequent positions of ABC
when revolving clockwise. Subsequent elliptic motions (axes u, v, center F , Cardan circles p
and q) “shake hands” periodically. The center R of the triangle has an almost circular orbit,
consisting of four elliptic arcs.
◾ Example 2.3.5 A mechanism that draws an ellipse.

The focal points F1 and F2 and the length F1 G = 2a of the major axis are chosen (Figure 2.43).
The rhomb F1 U GV with (in principle arbitrary) side length s guarantees the bisector direction.
The path of G is the circle g, U , and V run on the circle u. The intersection point of the bisector
with [F1 , G] is a point on the ellipse since P F2 = P G and P F1 + P F2 = 2a.
G
g s
s α
2a V
α u
P s
e
U
F1 s
F2
FIGURE 2.43. The mechanism from Example 2.3.5 that draws an ellipse e.
◾ Example 2.3.6 A mechanism that draws a parabola.

The focal point F and the straight guidance g are chosen (Figure 2.44). The rhomb F U GV
with (in principle arbitrary) side length s guarantees the bisector direction. The point of
intersection of the bisector with the normal n to g in G is a point on the parabola since
P F = P g.
V
s
g G
s
s P
n F p
α
U α
s
FIGURE 2.44. The mechanism from Example 2.3.6 that draws a parabola p.
3 Differential Geometry
U1′′ =U2′′
U2′′′
U2
U3′′ =U4′′
U1′′′
U1
U4′′′
U2′ =U3′
U11′ =U
U =U3′3′
The picture shows a triaxial ellipsoid with its curvature lines. The top and
front view of the curvature lines of the ellipsoid are affine images of confocal
conics. The four umbilical points U1 , . . . , U4 (singularities of the curvature line
parametrization) map to the common focal points in the top and front view.

62 Chapter 3: Differential Geometry
3.1 Conics as orbits of planets
Historical background
The problem of understanding the motion of the planets is possibly the
greatest historical problem of mathematical sciences. In 1609, Johannes
Kepler1 stated his first two laws concerning the orbits of planets:
• The orbits of planets are ellipses with the Sun at one focus.
• The line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps equal areas
during equal intervals of time (note Figure 3.2 on page 66).
Ten years later Kepler published his third rule:
• The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to
the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit.
Kepler had no explanation for these facts which he had deduced by ana-
lyzing the extremely accurate measurements taken by Tycho Brahe2 .
It took almost 80 years, until Isaac Newton3 finally derived these laws
as consequences of his famous Law of Gravitation.
In what follows, we present an approach to Kepler’s laws via calculus,
and recall W.R. Hamilton’s4 short geometric derivation. We refer to
the differential geometric properties of parametrized space curves
T
c(t) = (x(t), y(t), z(t)) , t ∈ I ⊂ R,
which have been presented in Section 2.1 and visualized in Figure 2.8 on
page 25.
Two fundamental laws from mechanics
Newton’s Law of Gravitation: Between any two particles P1 , P2 with
$
→
masses m1 , m2 at distance r there acts a mutually attractive force F with
$
→ m1 m2
∥F ∥ = G ,
r2
1
Astronomer and mathematician, 1571–1630, lived in Graz, Prague, Linz, and Zagan.
2
Born as Tyge Ottesen Brahe, astronomer, 1546–1601, lived in Copenhagen, Basel, Ham-
burg, Leipzig, and Prague.
3
Mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, philosopher, 1642–1727, lived
in London.
4
Sir William Rowan Hamilton, 1805–1865, was an Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathe-
matician.
3.1 Conics as orbits of planets 63
where G is a constant, called gravitational constant.5
Newton’s Law of Gravitation is also valid for any two disjoint spherical
$→
masses with homogeneous mass density; the attractive force F acts on
the sphere centers. In this way Newton’s Law describes the falling speed
on Earth as well as the orbits of planets around the Sun or the orbit of
the Moon around the Earth.
Additionally, we need
Newton’s Second Law of Motion: For any particle with mass m and
acceleration vector a the scalar multiple m a equals the sum of all affecting
$
→
forces, i.e., F = m a.
Now, we focus on the Sun and on one planet only, and we assume that
there are no other forces acting on this pair of particles than the mutual
gravitational attraction. Our assumption means that we examine the two-
body problem instead of the n-body problem.
Moreover, we simplify by the assumption that the center of the Sun is
fixed and the origin of a fixed coordinate frame. Thus, we ignore that
even when the mass of the planet under consideration is small compared
to that of the Sun6 , the center of gravity of the union of the two masses
remains fixed. This would be the true origin of an appropriate coordinate
system.
Two-body problem
How does a particle P2 with mass m2 move around a central mass point
P1 with mass m1 fixed at the origin of our coordinate system?
Let c(t) be the position vector of P2 as a function of time t with c = re,
r = ∥c∥ ≠ 0. Then, according to Newton’s laws, the acceleration vector
a = c̈ obeys the vectorial differential equation
m1 m2
m2 c̈ = − G e. (3.1)
r2
2
5
In the metrical system we have G = 6.67260 ⋅ 10−11 Nkg
m
2 .
6
The mass of the Sun is about 333000 times greater than the mass of the Earth and 750 times
greater than the sum of the masses of all planets in our solar system.
We know from the theory of ordinary differential equations of second

order that for given initial conditions c(t0 ) and ċ(t0 ) there is a unique
solution.
Theorem 3.1.1 (Kepler’s First Law)

When the motion of a particle P2 is determined by the attractive force of
a single mass with center P1 , then the orbit of P2 is either on the line
connecting P1 and P2 , or it is a conic having P1 as a focus.
Proof: From (3.1), we conclude that for c = re with ∣∣e∣∣ = 1

d m1
(c × ċ) = c × c̈ = − G (e × e) = 0,
dt r
hence
c × ċ = n = const. (3.2)
ṙ = dr
dϕ ϕ̇ ċ(t)
r ϕ̇ ⎛ cos ϕ ⎞
⎜ sin ϕ ⎟ =e
⎛ − sin ϕ ⎞ ⎝ 0 ⎠
⎜ cos ϕ ⎟
⎝ 0 ⎠ α
c(t) P2
ϕ̇
r k
ϕ
P1
0
FIGURE 3.1. The set up for the proof of Kepler’s First Law.
(i) We first focus on the case n ≠ 0 :

The scalar product ⟨n, c⟩ = 0 shows that the orbit is planar. We specify our coordinate frame
such that n = (0, 0, C)T with constant C > 0 and set
⎛ cos ϕ ⎞
c = re = r ⎜ sin ϕ ⎟ ;
⎝ 0 ⎠
hence (Figure 3.1)
⎛ cos ϕ ⎞ ⎛ − sin ϕ ⎞ ⎛ 0 ⎞
ċ = ṙ ⎜ sin ϕ ⎟ + r ϕ̇ ⎜ cos ϕ ⎟ , c × ċ = r 2 ϕ̇ ⎜ 0 ⎟ , (3.3)
⎝ 0 ⎠ ⎝ 0 ⎠ ⎝ 1 ⎠
which implies that

r 2 ϕ̇ = C = const. (3.4)
Differentiating a second time, we obtain
⎛ cos ϕ ⎞ ⎛ − sin ϕ ⎞
c̈ = (r̈ − r ϕ̇2 ) ⎜ sin ϕ ⎟ + (2ṙ ϕ̇ + r ϕ̈) ⎜ cos ϕ ⎟ . (3.5)
⎝ 0 ⎠ ⎝ 0 ⎠
Note that the second summand vanishes, since by (3.4)

d 2
(r ϕ̇) = r(2ṙ ϕ̇ + r ϕ̈) = 0
dt
and r ≠ 0. Due to (3.1) we have reduced our problem to the differential equation
m1
r̈ − r ϕ̇2 = − G 2 . (3.6)
r
Equation (3.4) defines already the time-dependence of our orbit. Therefore, we only need to
solve our differential equation for the function r(ϕ). Let primes denote the differentiations
w.r.t. ϕ. Then, the chain rule implies
r′ r ′′ 2r ′ 2
ṙ = r ′ ϕ̇ = C , r̈ = r ′′ ϕ̇2 + r ′ ϕ̈ = C 2 ( − 5 ). (3.7)
r2 r4 r
Thus, we obtain from (3.6)
r ′′ 2r ′ 2 C2 m1
C2 ( 4
− 5 ) − 3 = −G 2
r r r r
and, after multiplication by r 2 ,
r ′′ 2r ′ 2 1 m1
− 3 − = −G 2 . (3.8)
r2 r r C
Now we substitute
r = u−1 , r ′ = −u−2 u′ , r ′′ = 2u−3 u′ 2 − u−2 u′′
and end up with the harmonic differential equation
m1 1
u′′ + u = G for u = . (3.9)
C2 r
Each solution can be written as
m1
u = A cos(ϕ + B) + G
C2
with constants A and B. After an appropriate rotation of our coordinate frame, we may specify
B = 0, so that we come up with the solution
1 p C2 AC 2
r= m1 = for p = and ε = . (3.10)
G C2
+ A cos ϕ 1 + ε cos ϕ Gm1 Gm1
This is exactly the polar equation (2.18) of a conic with parameter p and numerical eccentricity
ε.
(ii) In the case c × ċ = n = 0 the vectors c and ċ are always linearly dependent, i.e., ċ = λc.
This implies that
c = e∫ λdt a
with a constant vector a. So point P2 moves along a line through P1 . By virtue of (3.4),
this particular case with C = 0 shows up if, and only if, the initial vectors {c(t0 ), ċ(t0 )} are
linearly dependent. ◾
Sept. 23
autumn
summer
Dec. 21
P1
c(t0 )
June 21
winter
c(t1 ) spring
March 21
FIGURE 3.2. The approximate orbit of the Earth (scale 1 ∶ 5.0 ⋅ 1012 ) with
positions marked every second day. The two red-shaded sectors of equal area
should illustrate Kepler’s Second Law.
Theorem 3.1.2 (Kepler’s Second Law)

When a particle P2 traverses its orbit around P1 according to Kepler’s
First Law, then it moves with constant areal velocity 12 r 2 ϕ̇ = C2 . This
means that in time intervals of equal duration, the line segment P1 P2
sweeps sectors of equal areas.
Proof: We specify two points c(t0 ) and c(t1 ) of the planar orbit and denote the polar coordi-
nates of c(t) by (r(t), ϕ(t)). We know from calculus that the area A(t0 , t1 ) swept by the line
segment connecting the origin 0 with the point c(t), for t between t0 and t1 (Figure 3.2), can
be computed by
t1
A(t0 , t1 ) = 1
2 ∫ r 2 ϕ̇ dt.
t0
This yields for the areal velocity at t0 , by virtue of (3.4),
A(t0 , t1 ) 1 2
lim = 2 r (t0 )ϕ̇(t0 ) = 12 C.
t1 →t0t1 − t0
The areal velocity equals the area of the triangle with vertices 0, c, and c + ċ (note the shaded
area in Figure 3.1) with base length r and height r ϕ̇ — provided the scaling factor for velocity
vectors is specified as σ = 1. ◾
Elliptical orbits
All types of conics are possible as orbits solving the two-body problem.
Ellipses occur for the motion of the planets and recurring comets around
c̈(0) ċ(0)
c(0)
ċ(0) P1
ċ(0)
FIGURE 3.3. Different orbits starting from the same point c(0).
the Sun. The orbit of Halley’s comet around the Sun with an orbital
period of about 76 years is almost parabolic (ε = 0.966). Figure 3.3 shows
three orbits with the same initial point c(0) but different initial velocity
vectors ċ(0): an ellipse (in blue), a parabola (in green) and a hyperbola
(in red).
For ε < 1 the orbit is an ellipse with semiaxes
p p
a= , b= √ . (3.11)
1−ε 2
1 − ε2
This follows, by virtue of (2.4), from p = b2 /a and ε = e/a since
b2 a2 − e2 √ √
p= = = a(1 − ε2 ) and b = a2 − e2 = a 1 − ε2 .
a a
The area of this ellipse is abπ, and the complete ellipse is swept by the
position vector c(t) during one orbital period T . The constant C in (3.4)
is twice the areal velocity. This implies for the orbital period
3
2abπ 2π p2 2π 2 a 2 2π √ 3 2π 3
T= = √ = p ( ) = p a2 = √ a2 .
C C (1 − ε2 )3 C p C Gm1
For the last equality we substituted from (3.10). This proves
Theorem 3.1.3 (Kepler’s Third Law)

The orbital period of elliptic orbits solving the two-body problem is
2π 3
T=√ a2 .
Gm1
Hence, the squares of the orbital periods are directly proportional to the
cubes of the semimajor axes of the ellipses.
The velocity diagram of planetary orbits

In 1847 W.R. Hamilton introduced in [34] the velocity diagram or ho-
dograph of any parametrized curve c(t), t ∈ I, as the curve with the first
derivative ċ(t) as position vector. We verify that the hodograph of the pla-
netary orbit is a circular arc. This yields a simple graphical construction
of velocity vectors and a formula for the radii of curvature in the case of
conics — valid simultaneously for all types of conics.
σvA
A′
l
σ ċ P2 k′
hodograph ε
ϕ̇ r P1′ p/
B ϕ A ϕ
P1
ϕ̇
p
orbit
σvB
P2′ σ ċ O
k
p/ε
B′
FIGURE 3.4. While P2 = c(t) is tracing the planetary orbit k (left) with respect
to P1 , the point P2′ = ċ(t) is running with the same angular velocity ϕ̇ along the
circular hodograph k ′ (right). Note the orthogonality between P1 P2 and P1′ P2′ .
We use the scaling factor σ = p2 /Cε for velocities.
The function ϕ̇(t) is the basis for computing the velocity at different
positions along an orbit. From (3.4) and (3.10) we obtain
C C
ϕ̇ = 2
= 2 (1 + ε cos ϕ)2 .
r p
In the case ε ≠ 0, we obtain from (3.3) and (3.7) the coordinates of the
velocity vector ċ:
cos ϕ − sin ϕ Cr ′ cos ϕ Cr − sin ϕ

ċ = r ′ ϕ̇ ( ) + r ϕ̇ ( )= 2 ( )+ 2 ( )
sin ϕ cos ϕ r sin ϕ r cos ϕ
Cpε sin ϕ (1 + ε cos ϕ)2 cos ϕ C(1 + ε cos ϕ) − sin ϕ
= ( )+ ( )
(1 + ε cos ϕ)2 p 2 sin ϕ p cos ϕ
C ε sin ϕ cos ϕ − sin ϕ − ε cos ϕ sin ϕ
= ( )
p ε sin2 ϕ + cos ϕ + ε cos2 ϕ
C − sin ϕ Cε − p sin ϕ
= ( ) = 2 ( εp ).
p ε + cos ϕ p p + ε cos ϕ
This formula leads to a simple graphical construction of velocity vectors

ċ (Figure 3.4, right): If we multiply each vector ċ by the scaling factor
σ ∶= p2 /Cε, then it can be represented by the arrow pointing from the
fixed point O to a point P2′ which runs along the circle k′ with radius p/ε
with the same angular velocity ϕ̇ as does the point c(t) along the conic
k. The point O is at distance p from the center P1′ of k′ . The auxiliary
line P1′ P2′ is perpendicular to the line P1 P2 connecting the fixed particle
with the moving one.
The hodograph reveals in particular the maximum velocity at the vertex
A (ϕ = 0) and the minimum at B (ϕ = π).7 The scaled velocity vector
$$→ $$→
σvA at A equals OA′ ; vector σvB at B equals OB ′ (Figure 3.4, right).
In the case of a parabola k, (the case ε = 1), the point O is located on
the circle k ′ . This means that the velocity of the moving point P2 tends
to zero when P2 tends to infinity. In the hyperbolic case (ε > 1), the fixed
point O lies outside k′ .
When the velocity vector ċ is seen as a position vector tracing the circle
k′ with angular velocity ϕ̇, then c̈ is a tangent vector to k ′ . Hence, there
is also a graphical way to determine c̈, as shown in Figure 3.5 using the
scaling factor σ 2 . Consequently, we can also find the normal acceleration
an , and by Figure 2.8 the center of curvature P2∗ of k at the point P2 .
7
The velocities of the Earth around the Sun range between 29.3 km/s in summertime and
30.3 km/s in wintertime (w.r.t. the Northern hemisphere). The data for the orbit of the
Earth (Figure 3.2) are as follows (in metrical units): a = 149 600 000 km = 1 astronomic unit,
ε = 0.01672, b = 149 580 000 km, p = 149 560 000 km, T = 365.25964 days.
rϕ̇
σ 2 an A′
σ 2 c̈ l
σ ċ α P
2 k′
hodograph ε
ϕ̇
r P1′ p/
B ϕ A ϕ
P1 r
ϕ̇
p
p
orbit P2∗ σ ċ
P2′ O
rϕ̇
k
p/ε
B′
σ 2 c̈
FIGURE 3.5. The acceleration vector c̈ is the velocity vector of the hodograph.
This gives rise to a graphical construction of the orbit’s center of curvature P2∗ .
We use the scaling factor σ = p2 /Cε for velocities and σ 2 for accelerations.
This is equivalent to the following analytic approach: Let α denote the

angle between c and ċ (Figure 3.5, left). The two components of ċ in (3.3)
can be expressed in terms of v ∶= ∥ċ∥ as
r ′ ϕ̇ = v cos α and r ϕ̇ = v sin α .
The second equation implies

C
C = r 2 ϕ̇ = rv sin α, hence v = .
r sin α
On the other hand, by (2.20) we obtain the radius of curvature as
= v 2 /an with an = ∥an ∥ as the normal acceleration. This yields, together
with (3.1),
v2 Gm1
= ∥an ∥ = ∥c̈∥ sin α = 2 sin α,
r
and therefore, by (3.10)
r2 v2 r2 C2 1 C2 1 p
= ⋅ = ⋅ 2 2 ⋅ = ⋅ = .
Gm1 sin α Gm1 r sin α sin α Gm1 sin α sin3 α
3
Theorem 3.1.4 Let k be any conic with focal point F and parameter p .
For any given point X ∈ k let α denote the angle between the line F X
and the tangent line at X (see Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.5, left). Then, the
radius of curvature of k at X is
p
= .
sin3 α
Note that this formula holds for all types of conics. It is even independent
of the numerical eccentricity ε. The formula includes in particular the
statement that the parameter p of the conic equals the radius of curvature
at the principal vertices with α = π2 (Theorem 2.1.5).
Kepler’s equation
For each Kepler orbit there is a simple geometric relation between the
position c(t) and the corresponding velocity vector ċ(t), as Figure 3.5
demonstrates. However, the computation of c(t) as a function of time t
can only be carried out numerically since the function ϕ(t) cannot be
expressed in closed form.
We present a method valid for ellipses k, i.e., in the case 0 < ε < 1. Let
our moving point P2 pass the vertex A at minimal distance to P1 at time
t0 . Due to the constant areal velocity, the ratio between (t − t0 ) and the
orbital period T equals the ratio between the areas of the elliptical sector
from c(t0 ) to c(t) (shaded in Figure 3.6) and the area abπ of the ellipse.
We compute the area of the elliptical sector by inspecting its image under
the affine transformation from the ellipse k to its principal circle k̃ with
radius a. Under this transformation, areas are multiplied by the factor
a/b.
Let β denote the center angle of the circular arc from c(t0 ) to the affine
image c̃(t). For 0 < β < π we can compute the area of the affine image
by subtracting the area of a triangle from the area of the circular sector.
Thus, we obtain the expression
a2 β ea sin β
− ,
2 2
c̃(t) k̃
c(t) k
r
β ϕ A
(0, 0) (aε, 0) c(t0 )
FIGURE 3.6. The Kepler equation allows the computation of the polar angle ϕ
for a given time t.
which turns out to be valid also for π < β < 2π. This leads to the propor-
tion
(a2 β − ea sin β) 2a
b
t − t0
= ,
abπ T
and hence, to the Kepler equation
t − t0
β − ε sin β = 2π . (3.12)
T
The procedure for computing the polar angle ϕ for a given t runs as
follows. First we determine β from (3.12), where the function of β on the
left-hand side is monotonic. Now the comparison of the polar coordinates
of c(t) with that of the affine pre-image of c̃(t), i.e.,
(a cos β, b sin β) = (aε + r cos ϕ, r sin ϕ) ,
yields r cos β = a(cos β − ε). We substitute r from the polar equation of

the conic and obtain finally
cos β − ε
cos ϕ = , while sin β sin ϕ ≥ 0.
1 − ε cos β
Historical geometrical proofs revisited

It is worthwhile to check how Newton in his “Philosophiae Naturalis
Principia Mathematica” in 1686 could prove Kepler’s First Law without
any support from calculus. The Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feyn-
man demonstrated this in his famous 1964 lecture at the California In-
stitute of Technology [32].
FIGURE 3.7. From Newton’s “De motu corporum in gyrum”, early draft —
reproduced with the kind permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University
Library.
At the time of Newton and still decades later ‘differential geometry’ was
rather ‘difference geometry’. One imagined an orbit as a polygon where
the segments represented the velocity vectors of the moving point. We
demonstrate this way of reasoning in a proof for the constancy of the
areal velocity.
We assume the fixed mass point P1 as origin of our coordinate frame and
start with a uniform subdivision t0 , t1 , . . . , tn of the given time interval,
i.e., with ti − ti−1 = h for i = 1, . . . , n. The polygon c(t0 )c(t1 ) . . . c(tn )
approximates the orbit (Figures 3.7 and 3.8). The difference vectors vi ∶=
c(ti ) − c(ti−1 ) approximate scaled velocity vectors (with scaling factor h)
since
1 1 1 1
ċ(ti ) = lim (c(ti ) − c(ti − h)) = lim (c(ti ) − c(ti−1 )) = lim vi ≈ vi .
h→0 h h→0 h h→0 h h
a4
c(t4 )
v4 v3
c(t3 )
a3 v3 v2
c(t2 )
a2 v2
P1 v1
a1 c(t1 )
v1
c(t0 )
FIGURE 3.8. Newton’s proof of the constancy of the areal velocity
Furthermore, we set ai ∶= vi+1 − vi for i = 1, . . . , n − 1, and note that they

approximate scaled acceleration vectors (with scaling factor h2 ) since
1 1
c̈(ti ) = lim (ċ(ti+1 ) − ċ(ti )) = lim 2 (vi+1 − vi )
h→0 h h→0 h
1 1
= lim 2 ai ≈ 2 ai .
h→0 h h
Since the attractive force on the point c(ti ) acts along the connecting line
with P1 , we can assume that ai is parallel to the position vector c(ti ).
Hence, the vector c(ti ) spans with vi as well as with vi+1 parallelograms
of equal area (note Figure 3.8)8 . The halves of these parallelograms, the
triangles P1 c(ti−1 )c(ti ) and P1 c(ti )c(ti+1 ) have the same area too. Hence,
all sectors P1 c(ti−1 )c(ti ) of the orbit are equi-areal. The limit h → 0 shows
that the areal velocity must be constant.
Now we recall Hamilton’s elegant geometric explanation why the hodo-

graph is circular and the orbit is a conic [34]. However, we will rephrase
his way of reasoning in the language of differential geometry and modify
some parts.
Theorem 3.1.5 (Hamilton, 1847) Let P1 be a fixed particle in space

$
→
and let a particle P2 move under the influence of a single force F .
8
By the “parallelogram spanned by vectors a and b” we understand the parallelogram with
the vertices 0, a, a + b, and b.
$
→
1. The force F acts along the connecting line [P1 , P2 ] if, and only if, (i)
the orbit of P2 is located in a plane through P1 , and (ii) P2 moves with
constant areal velocity about P1 .
$→
2. Let F always act along [P1 , P2 ]. Then, in the case of non-vanishing
areal velocity, the following three statements are equivalent:
$
→
a) The force ∥ F ∥ is proportional to the inverse of the squared distance
r between P1 and P2 .
b) The hodograph of the orbit of P2 is a circular arc.
c) The orbit of P2 is a conic with P1 as a focal point.
Proof: According to our proof of Theorem 3.1.1, the linear dependence of {c, c̈} implies that
c × ċ = n is constant. In the case n ≠ 0, the orbit is planar and the areal velocity is constant.
Otherwise the point P2 moves along a line through P1 .
Conversely, any planar curve can be represented in polar coordinates. The condition r 2 ϕ̇ =
C = const. shows by (3.5) the linear dependence of c and c̈.
a) ⇔ b): In the case of a central attractive force there is a kind of symmetry between the orbit
and the hodograph (see Figure 3.5): The position vector of one curve is a tangent vector to
the other.
For any planar curve, the Frenet equation (2.19) ė1 = vκe2 implies that ω = vκ is the signed
angular velocity of the tangent vector. Hence
1 v
= =
∣κ∣ ∣ω∣
is the radius of curvature.
The angular velocity of c and at the same time that of the tangent vector c̈ to the hodograph
is ϕ̇, and we confine our attention to the case C = r 2 ϕ̇ ≠ 0. Therefore, we obtain for the
hodograph in the case of an arbitrary attraction law ∥c̈∥ = a(r) the radius of curvature
∥c̈∥ a(r) r 2 a(r)
h = = = .
∣ϕ̇∣ ∣ϕ̇∣ ∣C∣
This equation reveals immediately that h is constant if, and only if, r 2 a(r) is constant, and
this holds only when the magnitude of the attractive force, namely a(r), is proportional to
r −2 .
b) ⇒ c): Let the circle k ′ with center P1′ and radius h be the given hodograph. The origin O
of the velocity diagram is assumed to be at a distance d to P1′ , and we start with the case
d > 0. We use polar coordinates centered at P1′ such that O has the polar coordinates (π, d)
(Figure 3.9).
Let ϕ be the polar angle of any point P2′ ∈ k ′ . Then, the arrow pointing from O to P2′ represents
the velocity vector ċ of the corresponding point P2 of the orbit k. Since the acceleration vector
c̈ of P2 acts along [P2 , P1 ], the tangent vector to k ′ is parallel to −c, the negative position
vector of the point P2 . For the orbit k, we now introduce polar coordinates with origin P1
such that the point A ∈ k corresponding to A′ = (0, h ) of the hodograph k ′ gets the polar
angle 0. Then, the polar angle ϕ of P2′ ∈ k ′ occurs also at the polar coordinates (r, ϕ) of the
corresponding point P2 of the orbit k.
ċ
e A′
h +
k d co
e sϕ k′
P2′
P2 ċ ϕ
P1′
r
d h
ϕ A
P1 O
c̈
FIGURE 3.9. For a circular hodograph k ′ one component of ċ immediately yields

the polar equation of the orbit k.
We learned from Figure 3.1 that ċ can be decomposed into a radial component of signed
length r ′ ϕ̇ and an orthogonal component of signed length r ϕ̇. The same decomposition can
be performed on the hodograph (see Figure 3.9) and we obtain
C C
h + d cos ϕ = r ϕ̇ = r = ,
r2 r
where C = r 2 ϕ̇ still denotes twice the constant areal velocity. This yields immediately the
polar equation of k
C
r= ,
h + d cos ϕ
which confirms that the orbit k is a conic with focal point P1 , with p = C/h and ε = d/h .9
In the excluded case d = 0, the vector ċ is permanently orthogonal to c̈, and therefore, also to
c, and consequently k is a circle.
c) ⇒ b): Whenever a conic with polar equation (3.10) is traced with constant areal velocity,
then, according to the computation on page 69,
cos ϕ − sin ϕ Cr ′ cos ϕ Cr − sin ϕ
ċ = r ′ ϕ̇ ( ) + r ϕ̇ ( )= 2 ( )+ 2 ( )=
sin ϕ cos ϕ r sin ϕ r cos ϕ
C − sin ϕ C 0 − sin ϕ
= ( )= [( ) + ( )] .
p ε + cos ϕ p ε cos ϕ
This shows that the hodograph is a circle with radius h =

∣C∣
p
. ◾
9
Hamilton proved this step by revealing a direct relation between the power of O with respect
to the circle k ′ and the Apollonian property of k.
3.2 Conics in planar differential geometry 77
3.2 Conics in planar differential geometry
Arc length of an ellipse

The circumference l of a circle c of radius r > 0 can be computed with the
simple formula
l = 2πr.
The latter equation can be used as a definition of π. On the other hand,
we can start with a parametrization of c like the standard trigonometric
parametrization
c(t) = r(cos t, sin t) with t ∈ J = [0, 2π[.
The arc length l(c, J) of the parametrized curve c(t) in the interval J is
given by
l(c, J) ∶= ∫ ∥ċ∥dt (3.13)
J
where ċ denotes the velocity vector, i.e., the derivative of the parametri-
zation c(t) with respect to t. Thus, we find
2π
l(c, J) = ∫ r dt = 2rπ.
0
● Exercise 3.2.1 Verify the above result by using the rational parametrization of the circle
like the one given in (2.13) in the case a = b = r.
Now we are interested in the circumference l of an ellipse with semimajor

axis a and semiminor axis b, and thus, a > b. We use the trigonometric
parametrization (2.12) of
c(t) = (a cos t, b sin t) with t ∈ J = [0, 2π[. (3.14)
With (3.13), we find the circumference l

π √ π √
2 2
p = 4∫ a2 sin2 t + b2 cos2 t dt = 2a ∫ 1 − ε2 sin2 t dt, (3.15)
0 0
where √
b2
ε= 1−
a2
is the numerical eccentricity. Note that 0 < ε < 1 for a > b and a > 0. In
the last step, we have used the linear substitution t → π2 − t. The integral
in (3.15) is an elliptic integral of the second kind. Therefore, it is not

possible to give a formula for the circumference of an ellipse (different
from a circle) in terms of elementary functions.
However, one can derive approximations from this elliptic integral.
Approximations of the circumference of an ellipse
A rough approximation of the circumference of an ellipse with semimajor

axis a and semiminor axis b is given by
l ≈ π(a + b)
which somehow imitates the analogous formula for the circle’s circumfe-
rence. A much better approximation is given by
√
a2 + b2
l ≈ 2π
2
which is not more than five per cent away from the actual circumference
as long as a < 3b. Still better approximations are given by
√
l ≈ π (3(a + b) − (3a + b)(a + 3b))
or by
3h
l ≈ π(a + b) (1 + √ )
10 + 4 − 3h
with h = (a − b)2 /(a + b)2 . The latter two formulas are due to the Indian
mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar (1887–1920).
Using the numerical eccentricity ε one can evaluate the exact formula
∞
(2k)!2 ε2i
l = 2bπ (1 − ∑ ⋅ ).
k=1 (2k ⋅ k!)
4 2i − 1
The series starts with

1 2 1⋅3⋅5 2 3
2bπ (1 − ( ) ε2 − ( ) ε − . . .) .
2 2⋅4⋅6
Another exact formula for the circumference l of an ellipse reads
∞ 1
l = π(a + b) ∑ ( 2 )hk
k=0 k
with h = (a − b)2 /(a + b)2 . The initial terms read

1 1 1 3
π(a + b) (1 + h + h2 + h + . . .) .
4 64 256
Curvature of conics and the construction of osculating circles

In Example 6.4.4, we learn that at any point P of a conic c there exists a
circle o being the image of c under a perspective collineation with center
P and axis through P . The circle o shares the tangent (and of course the
normal) with c and we called it the osculating circle. In this section, we
shall see that the osculating circle obtained from the differential geometric
approach yields the same circle.
Vertices of an ellipse
According to (2.19) and (2.20), the curvature of a planar curve with the
n
parametrization c(t) = (x(t), y(t)) and t ∈ J can be computed as κ = av2 ,
where v = ∥ċ∥ is the speed and an is the length of the component of the
acceleration vector c̈ with respect to the normal vector e2 = 1v (−ẏ, ẋ).
This yields a formula for the signed curvature
det(ċ(t), c̈(t))
κ(t) = , (3.16)
∥ċ∥3
cf. [23, 58]. The sign of κ depends on the orientation of c(t): A positive
curvature means that the curve turns left, when traversing the curve with
increasing parameter t.
We apply the formula (3.16) to the parametrization of the ellipse c given
in (2.12) and find for a > b
ab
κ(t) = √ . (3.17)
(a2 sin t + b2 cos2 t)3
2
In the case a = b = r we get κ(t) = 1r , i.e., the circle’s curvature is constant.

Therefore, the center of curvature with position vector c⋆ = c + κ1 e2 is
the center of a circle o which has the same curvature as c at P = c(t).
Thus, o is called the osculating circle and we shall learn that o is a good
approximation of c at P .
The first derivative of κ(t) with respect to its parameter t yields
−3ab(a2 − b2 ) sin t cos t
κ̇(t) = √
(a2 sin2 t + b2 cos2 t)5
with zeros
π 3π
t1 = 0, t2 = , t3 = π, t4 = .
2 2
These correspond to the points
V1 = (a, 0), V2 = (0, b), V3 = (−a, 0), V4 = (0, −b)
where the second derivatives of the curvature of c satisfy
κ̈(t1 ), κ̈(t3 ) < 0 and κ̈(t2 ), κ̈(t4 ) > 0.
This tells us that the points V1 and V3 are points of maximal curvature
on the ellipse c, whereas V2 and V4 are points of minimal curvature on c.
Note that the points V1 and V3 are the principal vertices, and V2 and V4
are the auxiliary vertices of the ellipse c (cf. Figure 3.10).
π π 3π t π π 3π t
0 2 2
0 2 2
FIGURE 3.10. Left: Curvature plot of ellipses for different ratios of the semima-
jor and semiminor axes: 3 ∶ 2 (blue), 2 ∶ 1 (violet), and 6 ∶ 5 (magenta). Right:
the respective plots of the curvature radii.
The respective curvatures κ and curvature radii = 1

κ are
a b2 b a2
κ1 = κ3 = ⇐⇒ 1 = 2 = , κ2 = κ4 = ⇐⇒ 2 = 4 = , (3.18)
b2 q a2 b
compare with Theorem 2.1.5 on page 29.
We can give a simple construction for the centers of curvature at the
vertices of an ellipse c, as can be seen in Figure 3.11: The axes of the ellipse
c and the tangents at the vertices V1 and V2 bound a rectangle M V1 U V2 .
We add the diagonal joining V1 and V2 and draw the line perpendicular
to [V1 , V2 ] through the fourth corner U (not the center M of c).
Corollary 3.2.1 The line through U and perpendicular to [V1 , V2 ] meets

the principal and auxiliary axes in the centers V1⋆ and V2⋆ of curvature at
the vertices V1 and V2 .
V2 U
M
V1⋆ V1
V2⋆
FIGURE 3.11. The construction of the centers of curvature V1⋆ and V2⋆ at the
vertices V1 and V2 .
Proof: It is easy to see that this construction yields the desired centers of curvature and the
proper radii: Let M denote the center of the ellipse c. From Figure 3.11, we can read that
a ∶ b = M V1 ∶ M V2 = b ∶ 1 and a ∶ b = a ∶ 2
since the right-angled triangles M V1 V2 and V1 U V1⋆ are similar. The same holds true for the
two right-angled triangles M V1 V2 and V2 V2⋆ U . It is easy to verify that the circles around Vi⋆
through Vi hyperosculate the ellipse (cf. Definition 6.4.1). A simple computation shows that
the osculating circles at the vertices share only the vertices with c (cf. Exercise 2.1.1). ◾
We shall meet this construction again in Section 7.5 when we deal with
the quadratic transformation of conjugate normals.
Remark 3.2.1 We defined the vertices of conics in Section 2.1 as the points where a conic meets
its lines of symmetry. This yields four points on the ellipse, two points on the hyperbola, and
one point on the parabola. The only proper way of generalizing the notion of a vertex for other
curves is the following: Look for regular points with stationary curvature, i.e., regular points
on a curve with κ ≠ 0, κ̇ = 0, and κ̈ ≠ 0 provided that the curve is of class C 4 .
Metric relations between curvature radii and tangential distances
Curves can also be defined as envelopes of one-parameter families of lines.

Each line is uniquely defined by a unit normal vector n = (cos ϕ, sin ϕ)
and the oriented distance d(ϕ) to the origin of the coordinate system such
that dn is the position vector of the line’s pedal point with respect to the
origin. The function d(ϕ) is called the support function of the curve.
The curvature and the support function of an ellipse fulfill a simple rela-
tion:
Theorem 3.2.1 The curvature function κ and the support function d of

an ellipse with semimajor axis a and semiminor axis b are related via
d3
κ= . (3.19)
a2 b2
Proof: We shall have in mind that x = a cos t and y = b sin t (cf. (2.12)) holds for any point on
the ellipse
x2 y 2
+ = 1. (3.20)
a2 b2
After eliminating cos t and sin t from the curvature function given in (3.17), we arrive at an
algebraic expression for the curvature:
a4 b4
κ(t) = √ . (3.21)
(b x2 + a4 y 2 )3
4
Via the velocity vector of the ellipse at some point P = (ξ, η), we obtain the Hesse normal
form of the tangent at P as
−b2 ξ x − a2 η y + a2 b2
tP ∶ √ = 0. (3.22)
b4 ξ 2 + a4 η2
If we insert ξ = η = 0, we obtain the signed distance of tP to the center of the ellipse,
a2 b2
d(x, y) = √ (3.23)
b4 x2 + a4 y 2
Note that x and y in (3.23) have to fulfill (3.20). Combining (3.21) and (3.23) we can eliminate
the nasty square root and obtain (3.19). ◾
● Exercise 3.2.2 Analyze the curvature function of the ellipse given in (3.19) and show that
the vertices of the ellipse appear where the support function is stationary.
● Exercise 3.2.3 Derive the analogous formula to (3.19) for hyperbolas.
A deeper result relating the curvature radii with metric values is due to
the French mathematician Joseph Liouville (1809–1882) and given in
P π
4
l1 l2
P1 P
P2 M
1 2
P
P2⋆
P1⋆
P⋆
FIGURE 3.12. Left: The cube of the ratio l1 ∶ l2 equals the ratio 1 ∶ 2 of the
curvatures at the two contact points P1 and P2 . Right: For the particular point
P , the osculating circle oP meets the ellipse c at the antipode P of P .
Theorem 3.2.2 Let P be an exterior point of a conic c. The two tangents

from P to c touch at P1 and P2 . Let l1 = P1 P and l2 = P2 P and let further
1 = κ−1 −1
1 and 2 = κ2 be the curvature radii of the conic at P1 and P2 .
Then,
1 l1 3
=( )
2 l2
holds independently of the choice of P and the conic.
● Exercise 3.2.4 Give a proof of Theorem 3.2.2 by assuming P1 and P2 are arbitrary points
on an ellipse / hyperbola / parabola with the parametrizations
1 − t2 2t 1 + t2 2t
ellipse (a ,b ), hyperbola (a ,b ), parabola (2qt2 , 2qt)
1 + t2 1 + t2 1 − t2 1 − t2
with a, b, p ∈ R. Compute the intersection P of the tangents at P1 and P2 , the distances P1 P

and P2 P , and the curvatures at the respective points on the conic.
In Figure 3.12 (left), the metric values mentioned in Theorem 3.2.2

are marked. Though Figure 3.12 shows only the case of an ellipse,
Theorem 3.2.2 holds for hyperbolas and parabolas as well.
Figure 3.12 (right) shows another curious result. There are four points
P on the ellipse (corresponding to the parameter values t = ± π4 and t =
± 3π
4 in the trigonometric parametrization (2.12)) whose osculating circles
meet the ellipse in a pair (P, P ) of opposite points. In this special case,
the center P ⋆ of the osculating circle lies on the diameter line which is
orthogonal to the diameter [P, P ].
● Exercise 3.2.5 Find a proof for the facts illustrated in Figure 3.12 (right).
● Exercise 3.2.6 Vertices of a hyperbola. Show that there are two vertices V1 = (a, 0) and
V2 = (−a, 0) on the hyperbola
x2 y 2
h∶ − =1 with ab ≠ 0
a2 b2
by using the two parametrizations
h(t) = (±a cosh t, b sinh t), t∈R
and compute the curvature (cf. the curvature plot in Figure 3.13)
ab
κ=∓ 3
.
(a2 sinh t + b2 cosh2 t) 2
2
b2
The radius of the osculating circle at V1 and V2 equals 1 = 2 = a
. As shown in Figure
0 t 0 t
FIGURE 3.13. Curvature plot and the curvature radius function of the hyperbola
for three different ratios of the semimajor and semiminor axes: 3 ∶ 2 (blue), 1 ∶ 1
(magenta), and 3 ∶ 4 (violet).
3.14 (left), the centers V1⋆ and V2⋆ of the osculating (hyperosculating) circles at the hyper-
bola’s vertices can be constructed in a simple way, provided that the vertex and at least one
asymptote is known.
● Exercise 3.2.7 Vertex of a parabola. A parabola p ∶ x2 = 2qy (with q ∈ R {0}) can be

given in parametric form as
p(t) = (2qt, 2qt2 ), t ∈ R.
Thus, the curvature radius function = 1
κ
reads
3
= q(1 + 4t2 ) 2 .
Show that p has only one vertex V = (0, 0) which corresponds to t = 0. The radius of the
osculating circle at V equals 0 = q.
In Section 4.2 (Theorem 4.2.3, page 145) we learn that the subnormals
(the orthogonal projections of the normal’s segment between the curve
and its principal axis onto the latter) of conics are linear functions in the
abscissa. The parabola is more special: The subnormal is constant, and
thus, independent of the point on the parabola as shown in Figure 3.14.
e
ot
pt P
ym
as
t
axis 0 0
V1 V1⋆ V V ⋆
0
t′
h
P′
FIGURE 3.14. Left: The construction of the center V1⋆ of the hyperbola’s os-
culating circle at the vertex V1 . Right: The radius 0 of the osculating circle at
a parabola’s vertex V can be found if a line element, i.e., a point P ≠ V plus
incident tangent, is known.
Evolute of an ellipse
What about the osculating circle oP for a generic point P = c(t0 ) of an
ellipse c? Assume that o is such a circle with center P ⋆ (with coordina-
te vector c⋆ and radius R). Locally, that means, in a sufficiently small
neighborhood of a generic point P = c(t0 ) on the ellipse c, the circle and
the ellipse share the point, the tangent, and the curvature.
We can express these three conditions algebraically: The first condition
yields
⟨c(t) − c⋆ , c(t) − c⋆ ⟩∣t=t0 = R2 ,
i.e., a circle through c(t) (at any t) with the yet unknown center c⋆ and
radius R. Note that both, center and radius are constant at a certain
point P = c(t0 ). We differentiate once with respect to t and obtain
⟨ċ(t), c(t) − c⋆ ⟩∣t=t0 = 0 1⇒ ⟨e1 , c(t) − c⋆ ⟩ = 0 (3.24)
where (e1 , e2 ) is the Frenet frame at P . The last equation tells us that the
desired circle o is tangent to c at P = c(t0 ), for its radius vector c(t) − c⋆
is perpendicular to the tangent tP of c at P that aims in the direction
ċ(t) or e1 . Thus, the center P ⋆ of o is a point on the curve’s normal at
P.
We differentiate once again. With ċ = vκe2 and ⟨e1 , e1 ⟩ = 1, we find
v⟨κe2 , c(t) − c⋆ ⟩∣t=t0 + v = 0 (3.25)
which yields
1
c⋆ = c + e2 . (3.26)
κ
At this point we recall that, by virtue of (3.16), κ can be expressed in

terms of the derivatives of the parametrization c(t) (with an arbitrary
parameter t which does not necessarily agree with the arc length parame-
ter).
We learned that c⋆ is the center of the osculating circle or the center
of curvature. The term osculation is explained for pairs of conics in a
completely different way in Definition 6.4.1 (see Section 6.3) although the
two separate approaches lead to the same circle.10
If t runs through the entire interval J = [0, 2π[, then c(t) parametrizes
the ellipse and c⋆ (t) parametrizes a curve called the evolute of the ellipse.
The tangents of the evolute are the normals of the ellipse which follows
d ⋆
from dt c = ve1 − κκ̇2 e2 − vκ
κ e1 = − κ2 e2 . Figure 3.15 shows some ellipses
κ̇
together with their evolutes.
P⋆
FIGURE 3.15. Evolutes of different ellipses being the envelopes of the ellipses’
normals. The cusps of the evolute correspond to the vertices of the ellipse.
10
Two C r curves c and d are said to be in n-th order contact (with n ≤ r) if there exist
parametrizations of both curves such that the derivatives of c and d agree up to order n.
Sometimes this is called a C n -contact. Two C r curves are said to be in Gn -contact (geometric
continuity of order n ≤ r) if the span of the first n derivative vectors of both curves agree.
C n -contact always implies Gn -contact, the converse is not true.
The projective differential geometric version deals with the first n + 1 derivative points
starting with c(t0 ) and d(t0 ) as the first derivatives.
We insert the parametrization (2.12) of the ellipse c into (3.26) and obtain
a parametrization of the evolute as
a2 − b2
c⋆ (t) = (b cos3 t, −a sin3 t) , t ∈ J. (3.27)
ab
The evolute of an ellipse is an algebraic curve of degree six and class11
four. The parametric representation (3.27) fulfills the algebraic equation
2 2
x 3 y 3
( ) +( ) =1 (3.28)
α β
a2 −b2 a2 −b2
with α = a and β = b which is equivalent to the polynomial equa-
tion
3
((a2 − b2 )2 − (a2 x2 + b2 y 2 )) − 27a2 b2 x2 y 2 (a2 − b2 )2 = 0.
The evolute of an ellipse has four cusps which are the centers of curvature
of the four vertices, see Figure 3.15.
The scaling (x, y) ↦ (x′ , y ′ ) = ( αx , βy ) transforms (3.28) into the astroid
with the equation
2 2
x′ 3 + y ′ 3 = 1.
For a generic point P on the ellipse c(t), there exists also an elementary
construction of the center of curvature P ⋆ = c⋆ (t), cf. Figure 3.16 (left):
Lemma 3.2.2 Draw the tangent tP and the normal nP at P ∈ c. The

normal intersects the principal axis in the point 1. The line parallel to
tP through 1 meets the ellipse’s diameter through P in the point 2. The
line [2, P ⋆ ] is parallel to the auxiliary axis of c, and P ⋆ is the center of
curvature which has to lie on the curve’s normal nP .
Proof: We can verify the construction shown in Figure 3.16 (left) by a simple computation. We
start with the trigonometric parametrization of c given in (2.12) and set P = (a cos t, b sin t).
For fixed t0 we find a point P on c. Then, the tangent tP and the normal nP of e at P are
given by the Cartesian equations
x cos t y sin t x sin t y cos t b2 − a2
tP ∶ + =1 and nP ∶ − + = cos t sin t.
a b b a ab
11
The class of a planar algebraic curve is, roughly speaking, the number of tangents to the
curve that can be drawn from a generic point to the curve. In Section 7.5, we shall obtain
the evolute of a conic as the image of the set of the conic’s tangents under a quadratic
Cremona transformation. Then, it will be immediately clear why the class of the evolute is
four.
tP tP
P c P
2
M
p p
1 nP
a a
c P⋆ P⋆
2
oP nP 1 oP
FIGURE 3.16. Two constructions of the center of curvature of an ellipse c. The

construction also works if we interchange the roles of the axes.
The normal nP and the principal axis with equation y = 0 meet at 1 with coordinates
a2 − b2
( cos t, 0) ,
a
and thus, the line l parallel to the tangent tP has the equation
x cos t y sin t a2 − b2
l∶ + = cos2 t.
a b a2
The diameter through P is given by xb sin t − ya cos t = 0. Therefore, its intersection 2 with l
has the same x-coordinate as P ⋆
a2 − b2
xP ⋆ = cos3 t
a
which, inserted into the normal’s equation, yields yP ⋆ , and thus, p⋆ (t) agrees with c⋆ from
(3.27). ◾
● Exercise 3.2.8 Alternative curvature construction. In Figure 3.16 (right), we can see that
there is a second construction that leads to the center P ⋆ of curvature for a generic point P
on the ellipse c. Show that this construction leads to the same P ⋆ , i.e., it is equivalent to the
first construction given above.
Theorem 3.2.3 When in the case of an ellipse or a hyperbola c the tan-

gent tP and the normal nP at a generic point P ∈ c intersect the principal
axis at points 1, 1′ and the auxiliary axis at 2, 2′ , then the signed distances
to P and the center P ⋆ of curvature satisfy
P 1 ∶ P 2 = P ⋆ 1′ ∶ P ⋆ 2′ . (3.29)
● Exercise 3.2.9 Proof of Theorem 3.2.3. Show that the construction of P ⋆ from
Theorem 3.2.3 as shown in Figure 3.17 is equivalent to that given in Theorem 3.2.2.
1
tP
c 1′ c
P
oP
2′ 2 P
nP
P ⋆ 2 2′
P′
nP
oP
1 ′ tP P′ P⋆
1
FIGURE 3.17. An alternative constructive approach to the centers of curvature

of ellipses and hyperbolas. P divides the segment 12 on tP at the same ratio as
P ⋆ does with 1′ 2′ on nP .
● Exercise 3.2.10 Evolute of an ellipse as the envelope of the ellipse’s normals. Show that the
evolute of an ellipse can be found as the envelope of its normals. Start with the equations of
lines depending on t ∈ [0, 2π[
x sin t y cos t b2 − a2
nP ∶ − + = cos t sin t
b a ab
and intersect the lines nP with their derivatives ṅP (with respect to t). The points nP ∩ ṅP
are precisely the points of the ellipse’s evolute.
● Exercise 3.2.11 Evolutes of hyperbola and parabola as envelopes. Find the evolute of a
hyperbola and a parabola as the envelopes of the normals.
The evolute of a parabola

Assume that we are given a parabola p ∶ x2 = 2qy (with q ∈ R {0}) which
can be parametized as
p(t) = (2qt, 2qt2 ), t ∈ R. (3.30)
We insert (3.30) into (3.26) and find a parametrization of its evolute
p⋆ (t) = q(−8t3 , 6t2 + 1) (3.31)

P
o
p
P⋆
p⋆
FIGURE 3.18. The evolute of a parabola as the envelope of the parabola’s

normals.
which is even polynomial, and thus, it can be written as a Bézier curve

(see Section 8.2). This curve is sometimes called a semicubical parabola.
An example of a parabola’s evolute can be seen in Figure 3.18.
The curve given in (3.31) is algebraic and of degree three and of class
three, although it is the evolute of a parabola. Its only cusp is the point
(q, 0)T which is the center of the osculating circle at the vertex. An im-
plicit equation of the parabola’s evolute from (3.31) reads
8(y − q)3 − 27qx2 = 0
which can be found by eliminating t from x = −8qt3 and y = 6qt2 + q.
● Exercise 3.2.12 Center of curvature for a generic point on a parabola Assume P ∈ p is a

generic point (not the vertex). We can find the center P ⋆ of p’s osculating circle at P in two
different ways shown in Figure 3.19:
The construction shown on the left-hand side of Figure 3.19 is the analogue to the construction
of the center of curvature of the ellipse (cf. Figure 3.16). The parabola’s normal nP at P meets
the axis of the parabola at a point D. There we draw the parallel to the tangent tP . In the
case of the ellipse, the point P has to be joined with the center of the curve. In the present
case of the parabola, there is no center. However, there is a diameter through P , i.e., the line
parallel to the parabola’s axis which meets the aforementioned parallel to the tangent at the
point 2, such that [2, C] is orthogonal to all diameters of p, especially to its axis.
Prove this by direct computation.
Theorem 3.2.4 The normal nP at any point P of a parabola meets the

parabola’s directrix at a point D. If P ⋆ is the parabola’s center of curvature
p D p
tP tP
oP
P 2 P oP
l
A
V⋆
D A V
nP
d 2d
⋆
P
P⋆
FIGURE 3.19. Two constructions of the center of curvature of parabolas.
at P , then the lengths of the segments DP and DP ⋆ fulfill
DP ∶ DP ⋆ = 1 ∶ 3.
● Exercise 3.2.13 Alternative approach to the center of curvature. The construction in
Figure 3.19, right, for the center P ⋆ of curvature of a parabola is also valid at the vertex
(cf. Theorem 3.2.4). Give a proof of Theorem 3.2.4.
Evolute of a hyperbola
With the preparations from the previous sections, it is easily verified that
the evolute of the hyperbola parametrized by
(±a cosh t, b sinh t), t∈R
admits the parametrization

a2 + b2
(±b cosh3 t, ∓a sinh3 t) , t ∈ R.
ab
An implicit equation of the evolute of the hyperbola reads either
2 2 3
ax 3 by 3 a2 x 2 − b2 y 2 (abxy)2
( 2 2) − ( 2 2) = 1 or (1 − ) = 27 .
a +b a +b (a2 + b2 )2 (a2 + b2 )4
Like the evolute of the ellipse, the evolute of a hyperbola is a sextic curve
of class four. It has two real cusps being the centers of the osculating
h
o
h⋆
P⋆
FIGURE 3.20. A hyperbola h with its evolute h⋆ .
circles at the hyperbola’s vertices. Figure 3.20 shows a hyperbola with its
evolute.
The construction of the center P ⋆ of curvature for a generic point on the
hyperbola is very similar to the case of the ellipse. In Figure 3.21, we have
illustrated the two equivalent constructions of the center of curvature for
a generic point of a given hyperbola. The construction mirrors that of the
ellipse as shown in Figure 3.16.12
● Exercise 3.2.14 A circle on three infinitesimally close points. Another approach to the os-
culating circle of a C 2 -curve at a regular point P (that is not a point of inflection) could be
the following: Assume P = c(t0 ) is a point on c and let ε > 0 be sufficiently small such that
the Taylor series of c(t) is arbitrarily close to c(t) at least in the interval J ∶= [t0 − ε, t0 + ε].
Then, there exists a circle through the three points c(t0 − ε), c(t0 ), and c(t0 + ε), provided
that there is no point of inflection on c(J) (see Figure 3.22).
If the circle degenerates into a line (the radius becomes infinitely large and the center disap-
pears), then P0 is a point of inflection. This will not occur on conics. Show that the limit of
the circle for ε → 0 is the osculating circle oP .
● Exercise 3.2.15 Circle with intersection of multiplicity three or four. When dealing with
algebraic curves c, the osculating circle at a regular non-inflection point P can be defined as
a circle whose intersection at P with c is at least of multiplicity three.
A vertex V of an algebraic curve is a regular point where the curve and the osculating circle
intersect at least with multiplicity four. The definition of a vertex of a generic curve as given
on page 81 still holds. Conics are algebraic curves of degree two, and thus, this definition of
12
The constructions of the center of curvature shown in Figures 3.16 and 3.21 are sometimes
ascribed to K.H. Schellbach, see [22, p. 72].
2 1
P P
M M
1 nP
nP
2 P⋆
tP P⋆ tP
o h o h
FIGURE 3.21. The construction of the center of curvature of an ellipse shown

in Figure 3.16 also applies to the hyperbola. Again, there are several equivalent
ways to the center of curvature.
y
′
o
o c′
C′ p
c
C P+ B2
B1 c y =m−p
P− x
P0
V
FIGURE 3.22. Left: The circumcircle o′ (with center C ′ ) of three sufficiently
close points P − , P0 , P + ∈ c converges to the osculating circle o (with center C)
at P0 if P − → P0 and P + → P0 provided that the discretization P − , P0 , P + comes
from a C 2 -curve and no point of inflection occurs in this interval. Right: A circle
c′ with double contact (at the points B1 and B2 ) converges to the osculating
circle c at the parabola’s vertex V . The parabola p and c are in third-order
contact at V , i.e., they intersect with multiplicity four at P .
a vertex also applies to conics. At the vertex of a conic (and any other algebraic curve) the
osculating circle is hyperosculating.
The case of a parabola shall demonstrate a way how to find a vertex with the help of the
hyperosculating circle. We assume that p ∶ x2 = 2py is the parabola in question. Assume
c ∶ x2 + (y − m)2 = r 2 is a circle which is in double contact with p, see Figure 3.22 (right).
Consequently, m, q, and r are related via q 2 + r 2 = 2qm, and thus, the y-coordinate of the
two contact points equals y = m − q. The x-coordinates are the solutions of the bi-quadratic
x4
2 + x (1 − q ) + m − r = 0. If the two points of contact fall in one, then we have
2 m 2 2
equation 4q
one point of intersection with multiplicity 2 ⋅ 2 = 4. This is the case if, and only if, m = q, i.e.,
the circle is centered at the point (0, q) and has radius r = q. The vertex is the point (0, 0)
of contact. The parabola p and c are in third-order contact at V , i.e., they intersect with
multiplicity four at P . This verifies the results of Exercise 3.2.6.
● Exercise 3.2.16 Osculating parabola. An alternative to the approximation of a curve by

an osculating circle could be the following: Let P = c(t0 ) be a regular point on a curve c. Now
there is a uniquely defined parabola p with P for its vertex and o for its osculating circle at
the vertex P . How does the curvature κ0 = κ(t0 ) of c at P enter the equation of the parabola
p?
● Exercise 3.2.17 Centers of curvature for parabolas and hyperbolas. Figure 3.23 shows a
construction of the centers of curvature P ⋆ of an ellipse e, a parabola p, and a hyperbola h
at a generic point P . In the case of a conic with center, i.e., a conic with two (real) focal
points, the construction is as follows: Draw the normals to the focal rays at the focal points
F1 and F2 . These normals meet the conic’s normal n at P in two points 1 and 2. Find the
fourth harmonic point P ⋆ of P with respect to 1 and 2. The case of the parabola is simpler
(see Figure 3.23, middle). Give a proof for these three constructions.
P N t p oP
e
t

n oP
P 1
L P
F1 2 F2 2

P⋆ oP n
F1 F2 n
F P⋆
t

h
1
P⋆
FIGURE 3.23. Left and right: The center P ⋆ of curvature at the point P on a
conic is the harmonic conjugate of P with respect to the points 1 and 2. The
points 1 and 2 lie on the conic’s normal n such that the triangle P F1 1 and P F2 2
have right angles at the focal points F1 and F2 . Middle: The parabola differs
somehow. Nevertheless, there is a similar but simpler construction.
The fourth common point

Assume that we are given the parabola p ∶ x2 = 2qy with q ∈ R {0}. Let
P = (ξ, η) be a point on the parabola. According to Theorem 3.2.4 (see
R
oP p
ξ ξ ξ ξ
P⋆
s
P
v F
3ξ
A 2
FIGURE 3.24. The linear construction of the remaining common point R of a

parabola p and one of its osculating circles oP .
Section 3.2), we construct the center P ⋆ of the osculating circle oP . We

know that oP and p intersect at P with multiplicity three since P is a
generic point. However, there must be one further common point R which
is a transversal intersection of oP and p. How do we find it?
It is clear that R can be found by means of a linear construction: The
osculating circle oP has the equation
oP ∶ (x + 8qt3 )2 + (y − 6qt2 − q)2 = q 2 (1 + 4t2 )3
for its center is given in (3.31) provided that p is parametrized as in (3.30).

The resultants13 of oP and p with respect to y and x are
res(oP , p, y) = (6qt + x)(x − 2qtx)3 ,

res(oP , p, x) = (18qt2 − y)(2qt2 − y)3
13
The resultant of two polynomials with respect to a common variable is a polynomial defined
by the coefficients of the given polynomials. Resultants can be used to eliminate variables,
as is the case here. All common zeros of the two polynomials are zeros of the resultant. For
a precise definition and properties of resultants we refer to [20].
whose zeros are the x- and y-coordinates of the common points P (with
multiplicity three) and R:
R = (−6qt, 18qt2 ) = (−3ξ, 9η).
The mapping (ξ, η) ↦ (−3ξ, 9η) which assigns to the point P of oscu-
lation the remaining intersection R of o and p is linear. Moreover, if t
is considered to be an inhomogeneous coordinate on p, then P ↦ R is
given by the mapping t ↦ −3t. This mapping is a projective mapping on
the parabola (cf. Example 5.4.3 in Section 5.4, page 248). It is hyperbolic
with the vertex p(0) as a fixed point (1, 0). The second fixed point does
not matter when we speak about osculating circles: It is the ideal point
p(∞) where no osculating circle is defined.
Now we can deduce a construction for the point R (cf. Figure 3.24): Draw
a parallel to parabola’s axis s at distance 3P s on the opposite side of P .
The triangle F AR has a right angle at A where A = (− 3ξ 2 , 0) is the point
on the tangent v at p’s vertex with As = 12 Rs.
In the case of an ellipse e with equation
x2 y 2
e∶ + =1
a2 b2
we can use the trigonometric parametrization P = (a cos t, b sin t) as given
in (2.12). Let ct ∶= cos t and st ∶= sin t. Then, (3.27) yields the equation of
e’s osculating circle at the points P
2 2
a2 − b2 3 a2 − b2 3 1 3
oP ∶ (x − ct ) + (y + st ) = 2 2 (a2 s2t + b2 c2t ) .
a b a b
We compute the point R = e ∩ oP {P } in the same way as we did for

the parabola. Therefore, we compute the resultants of e and oP , with
respect to y and x, cancel out the constants and the obvious cubic factors
corresponding to P . Thus, we find
R = (act (4c2t − 3), −bst (4c2t − 1)).
Now we rewrite ct (4c2t − 3) and st (4c2t − 1)) as follows:
4c3t − 3ct = c3t − ct (1 − s2t ) − 2ct s2t = c2t ct − s2t st = cos 3t,
st (4c2t − 1) = st (c2t − 1 + c2t + 2c2t ) = st c2t − s3t + 2st c2t = st c2t + s2t ct = sin 3t.
e○
P○
e
P
M t
t
R t t
oP
P⋆
R○
FIGURE 3.25. The central angle t corresponding to the point P of osculation

is to be reoriented and multiplied by three in order to find the central angle of
R. Note that the central angles are measured for the affine images of P and R
on the principal circle e○ of the ellipse.
Thus, the point R can be written as

R = (a cos 3t, −b sin 3t).
Figure 3.25 shows how to find the point R. The parameter t corresponding
to the point P of osculation can be viewed as a central angle on the
principal circle e○ which is e’s image under a scaling of the y-coordinates
(cf. Proclus’s construction in Figure 2.6. Section 2.1). We reverse the
orientation of t and multiply it by three which gives the central angle of
the point R○ ∈ e○ . The point R○ is the affine image of the desired point
R.
The construction given for the point R works even if t = 0, i.e., the point P
is a vertex of e with P = R. Note that conversely there are three points P1 ,
P2 , and P3 with osculating circles through the same point R since t can
be replaced by t± 23 π without changing R (see Figure 3.26). In Section 9.1,
we shall learn that e is Steiner’s circumellipse of the triangle P1 P2 P3 .
Consequently, we have:
e o3
P1
P2
o2
R
P3 o1
FIGURE 3.26. Three osculating circles of e passing through R. The ellipse e is

Steiner’s circumellipse of the triangle built by the three osculation points P1 ,
P2 , and P3 .
Theorem 3.2.5 There are always three different points of an ellipse e

whose osculating circles share the remaining point of intersection R. Con-
versely, each point R ∈ e can serve as the remaining point.
The case of hyperbolas is similar:

● Exercise 3.2.18 Intersection of a hyperbola and an osculating circle. Use either the rational
parametrization
1 + t2 2t
(a ,b ) with t ∈ R
1 − t2 1 − t2
or the parametrization in terms of hyperbolic functions (±a cosh u, b sinh u) with u ∈ R of the
hyperbola
x2 y 2
h∶ 2 − 2 =1
a b
and show that the osculating circle oP at P intersects h in the point R (Figure 3.27) with
either
(1 + 3t2 )(3 + t2 ) t4 + 14t2 + 1
R = (2bt , a(1 + t2 ) )
(t − 1)
2 3 (t2 − 1)3
or
R = (a cosh3 u, −b sinh3 u).
We conclude with a geometric interpretation of this result. Assume AP

is the area of the triangle M V P with M being the hyperbola’s center, V
being its principal vertex, and P the point on the hyperbola. The edge
from V to P is an arc of the hyperbola. We compute the area AP as
√
1 a cosh t x2 1
AP = a cosh t ⋅ b sinh t − ∫ b 2
− 1 dx = abt.
2 a a 2
Note that the function AP (t) is linear in t. Therefore, the area AR of the
larger triangle M V R with R as the remaining point h ∩ oP {P } equals
1 3
AR = ab ⋅ 3t = abt.
2 2
Thus, we have
AP ∶ AR = 3 ∶ 1.
o
P
M AP
AR V
h P⋆
FIGURE 3.27. The area AR of the curved triangle M V R equals 3AP with AP
being the area of the curved triangle M V P .
Taylor parabolas and Ghys’s theorem

There is a relatively new result dealing with the approximants of order
n − 1 of a polynomial function of degree n. We shall consider here just
the case n = 3, because the Taylor approximation in this case is of de-
gree n − 1 = 2, i.e., a parabola. A theorem which is due to the French
mathematician Étienne Ghys (born 1954) says:
Theorem 3.2.6 (cf. [31]) The Taylor approximants of degree 2 to a real

polynomial function of degree 3 are disjoint parabolas with the same ideal
point.
An illustration of Theorem 3.2.6 is given in Figure 3.28. The Taylor ap-

proximants of degree two are parabolas including the tangent at the point
FIGURE 3.28. The degree two Taylor approximants to a cubic polynomial func-
tion are disjoint parabolas together with the tangent at the inflection point.
of inflection. In this particular point, the Taylor parabola degenerates in-

to a straight line, namely the tangent to the graph of the polynomial
function. Note that these parabolas share the ideal point, and thus, their
axes are parallel. If we drop this condition, we find much more osculating
parabolas. However, those mentioned in Theorem 3.2.6 form a family of
disjoint parabolas.
The hyperosculating parabola

The osculating circle o of a curve c at a point P is a good approximation
of the curve, at least locally around P . At P , the osculating circle and the
curve share the point P , the tangent tP , and the curvature κ. However,
we can find better approximating conics.
Assume c(s) is the arc length parametrization of a C 4 -curve c. Let
P = c(t0 ) be a regular point that is not a point of inflection. We choose
the Frenet frame at P as coordinate (see Figure 3.29). In this frame, a
parabola p through P and tangent to tP can be parametrized by
1 1
p(t) = (t + a1 t2 , a2 t2 ) . (3.32)
2 2
Obviously, the axis of p is parallel to (a1 , a2 ). Now we determine a1 and
a2 such that p and c do not only agree in P , tP , and the curvature κ
at P . Moreover, the derivatives of the respective curvatures with respect
c a
p oP
oP
axis
c
a nP
nP
P ⋆⋆ P⋆ A P⋆
V
P
P tP
tP
FIGURE 3.29. Left: With respect to the Frenet frame of the curve c, the center
P ⋆ of curvature has coordinates (0, ) and the evolute’s center of curvature P ⋆⋆
has coordinates (− ,˙ ). The point A on the affine normal a has the coordi-
nates ( 13 ,
˙ ) (see (3.33)). Right: The hyperosculating parabola p at P shares
the osculating circle oP with c. It is uniquely determined by the center P ⋆ of
curvature, the line element (P, tP ), and the diameter a.
to their arc lengths shall be equal. We compute ṗ(t) = (1 + a1 t, a2 t) and

p̈(t) = (a1 , a2 ). With (3.16) the signed curvature κp of the parabola at
t = 0 and find
a2
κp = 3/2
σ̇
with σ = ∥ṗ∥. At t = 0, we obtain σ̇(0) = 1, σ̈(0) = −a1 , and κP (0) = a2 .
The derivative κ′ = dκ
dσ = κ̇/σ̇ of the parabola’s curvature at t = 0 equals
κ′ = −3a1 a2 .
By assumption, the curvature κc and its derivative κ′c of the given curve
c at P satisfy
κc = κp = a2 and κ′c = κ′p = −3a1 a2
κ′
with = κp −1 and ′ = (κ−1 ′
p ) = − κ2p being the radius of curvature and its
p
derivative. This yields

κ̇p 1 1
a1 = − =
˙ and a2 = κp = .
3κp 3
Therefore, the axis of the parabola is parallel to

D d tP

2
oP
′ P P
P P′ f a
a

2
f
d F

2
p P⋆ p
FIGURE 3.30. Left: The center P ⋆ of curvature and the point P define a point on
the directrix d (according to Theorem 3.2.4). The directrix d is perpendicular
to any diameter (especially to a). Right: The focus F of the parabola is the
reflection of P ′ in the tangent tP where P ′ is the orthogonal projection of P
onto the directrix d.
1
a = ( ,
˙ ) . (3.33)
3
The line l(t) = p + λ ⋅ a (with λ ∈ R) is a diameter of the hyperosculating

parabola. This line is called the affine normal of c at P , since it is invariant
under affine transformations, i.e., an affine mapping α applied to c sends
this line to the affine normal of the image curve α(c).
The construction of the hyperosculating parabola if the point P , the oscu-
lating circle oP , and the affine normal a (diameter through P ) are given,
can be seen in Figure 3.30 (left): From Theorem 3.2.4, we know that P
divides the segment on the parabola’s normal between the directrix d and
the center P ⋆ of curvature with ratio 1 ∶ 2. Thus, we find a point D on the
directrix d by adding a segment of length 2 = 12 P P ⋆ on the normal from
P outside the parabola. The directrix d is orthogonal to all diameters of
p and so it is orthogonal to a (note the left-hand side of Figure 3.30).
The axis and the vertex of the (osculating) parabola p are found by first
determining the focus F . For that purpose, we use the focal property of
the parabola. Lines parallel to the axis of p (such as the affine normal a)
are reflected in p. The reflections pass through the focus F . This gives a
line through the yet unknown point F . Since P d = P P ′ = P F , we find the
focus F . The point P ′ is the orthogonal projection of P onto the directrix

d. Moreover, it is the reflection of F in the tangent tP (Figure 3.30, right).
According to Definition 6.4.1 in Section 6.4, the osculating circle oP and
the hyperosculating parabola p are related via a perspective collineation,
with the affine normal as an axis and the center on it. Note that the
osculating circle oP osculates the curve c as well as the hyperosculating
parabola at P . The hyperosculating parabola hyperosculates c at P .
The affine normals of conics are their diameters, i.e., they are either par-
allel to each other (in the case of a parabola), or they are concurrent in
the conic’s center. For curves different from conics, the totality of affine
normals envelopes the affine evolute which can be seen as an affine coun-
terpart of the evolute. The affine evolute of curve is invariant with respect
to affine transformations.
The conic with local five-fold intersection
The hyperosculating parabola p of a curve c at some (regular,
non-inflection) point P is only one hyperosculating conic at P . In
Definition 6.4.1 (cf. Section 6.4), we shall learn that there is a one-
parameter family of conics hyperosculating p at P . Among these conics
there is one conic f that approximates the curve c locally at P better
than any other conic. In terms of algebraic geometry, f intersects c at P
with multiplicity five. This cannot be the case for p since it is only inter-
secting with multiplicity four. Note that four is the maximal multiplicity
of intersection of two conics.
The conic f with local five-fold intersection can be seen as a limit of a
conic on five points on c which are sufficiently close together. If f is a
conic with center, then its center is a point on the affine normal of c at
P . In the following, we shall derive the center and an equation of f .
Assume that the C 4 -curve c is parametrized by its arc length which is
possible for any C 1 -curve, at least locally. Let further (e1 , e2 ) be the
Frenet frame of c at P . Then, we use the Frenet equations
ė1 = κe2 and ė2 = −κe1
where the dot indicates differentiation with respect to the arc length s.
We can expand c at P in a Taylor series:
s2 s3 ˙
c(s) = c(0) + sċ(0) + c̈(0) + c̈(0) + ....
2 6
a a
P
c
P⋆
f oP c
e oP e
A P P⋆
A
f
FIGURE 3.31. Comparison of the conic f with local five-fold intersection at P

and the osculating circle oP . The evolute e and the affine evolute a are also
shown. The point A ∈ a is the center of f . P ⋆ is the center of curvature, and
thus, the center of the osculating circle oP . Left: P is not a vertex of c, i.e., a
point with κ̇ = 0. Right: P is a vertex of c. In this case, the conic f and the
curve intersect with multiplicity six at P .
We write down the expansion in the Frenet frame, i.e., the point P coin-
cides with the origin of the coordinate system and the tangent tP and
normal nP aim in the direction e1 and e2 . Thus, we have
⎛s κ2 κ4 − 3κ̇2 − 4κκ̈ 5
s + . . .⎞
κκ̇
− s3 − s4 +
⎜ 6 8 120 ⎟
c(s) = ⎜ ⎟. (3.34)
⎜ κ 2 κ̇ 3 κ̈ − κ 4
3
κ̈ − 6κ̇κ 5
˙ 2 ⎟
⎝ − s + s + s + s + . . .⎠
2 6 24 120
The equation of a conic that touches c at P reads
k ∶ Ax2 + 2Bxy + Cy 2 + 2Ey = 0, with E ≠ 0.
We substitute the first and second coordinates of c(s) from (3.34) for x
and y. This yields a polynomial condition on the coefficients A, B, C, and
E of k in order to annihilate the equation of k. We extract the coefficients
of powers of s. The first three, start at s2 , and read
A + κE = 0, 3κB + κ̇E = 0, 4κ2 A − 4κ̇B − 3κ2 C + (κ3 − κ̈)E = 0.
Therefore, the conic k has fourth-order contact (or equivalently a local
five-fold intersection) if, and only if,
k ∶ 9x2 − 6 xy
˙ + (9 + 2 ˙ 2 − 3¨
)y 2 + 18 y = 0.
Figure 3.31 shows a conic with local five-fold intersection centered at

−3 ˙ 9
A=( , )
¨ − ˙ 2 − 3 ¨ − ˙ 2 − 3
which is a point on the affine normal m at P . It is the point of contact
between m and the affine evolute a.
Remark 3.2.2 If we take just the linear and quadratic terms of the local expansion of c(s)
from (3.34), we obtain as second order Taylor approximant the parametrization
κ 2
p(s) = (s, s ) (3.35)
2
which gives a parabola that osculates the given curve at c(0). The vertex of the parabola equals
the point c(0), the parabola’s axis coincides with the curve’s normal. Later, in Section 3.3,
we shall see how this can be generalized to the case of two-dimensional surfaces.
Mannheim curve, curvature diagram
4 2
3
5 1
6 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 s
FIGURE 3.32. The curvature diagram (blue) and the Mannheim diagram (red)
of the ellipse on the left-hand side. The two diagrams are drawn with different
scales.
From conics, we can deduce further curves as we shall see in later sections.
On the other hand, conics can define some curves in the plane: According
to the fundamental theorem of curves in the Euclidean plane, the curva-
ture function κ(s) depending on the arc length s defines a planar curve
uniquely up to Euclidean motions. This means that we can define planar
curves by prescribing a curvature function κ(s) ∶ I ⊂ R → R .
The graph of the function κ(s) is usually referred to as the curvature
diagram. Furthermore, with κ(s) we also know the curvature radius func-
tion = κ1 . This defines another diagram showing how the curvature
radius depends on the arc length s. Figure 3.32 shows both. The second
diagram showing the graph (s, (s)) is called the Mannheim diagram na-
med after the French engineer and mathematician Amédée Mannheim
(1831–1906). Sometimes, the diagram (s, κ(s)), or equivalently (s, (s))
is called the Cesàro curve of a planar curve, named after the Italian
mathematician Ernesto Cesàro (1859–1906).
Let now the conics enter the scene. We shall interpret conics as the Mann-
heim diagram or the curvature diagram of curves in the Euclidean plane
and ask for the curves defined in this way. We give just one example in
detail in order to show how to find the curve c. For various other choices
of diagrams showing a conic, we just present the results. The list provided
in Table 3.1 is far from being complete.
c
s
FIGURE 3.33. An equilateral hyperbola (left) as a Mannheim diagram of a

Cornu spiral (right).
What does the curve look like if the Mannheim diagram is an equilateral
hyperbola given by
a
=
s
with a ∈ R {0}?
It is well known that the curvature κ of a planar curve c and the slope
angle ϕ of the tangent are related via
dϕ
κ= .
ds
Consequently, we have in this particular case

s s2
ϕ=∫ κ(σ)dσ = .
0 2a
Without loss of generality, we can assume the tangent at c(0) equals
the x-axis of a Cartesian frame. Then, we can write the tangent vector
depending on s as
s2 s2
ċ(s) = (cos ϕ(s), sin ϕ(s)) = (cos , sin ) .
2a 2a
s
Integrating once yields ∫0 ċ(σ)dσ = c(s) which in the present case gives
s σ2 s σ2
c(s) = (∫ cos dσ, ∫ sin dσ) .
0 2a 0 2a
The latter integrals are called Fresnel integrals (named after the French
physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, 1788–1827). The parametrized cur-
ve we obtain is called a Clothoid or Cornu spiral after the French physicist
Marie Alfred Cornu (1841–1902). It is used in curve design, especi-
ally for streets and railroad tracks in order to make smooth transitions
(at most C 2 ) between differently curved profiles.
So, we have seen that the Cornu spiral has an equilateral hyperbola for
its Mannheim diagram. Figure 3.33 shows an example of a Cornu spiral
and the corresponding equilateral hyperbola.
Figure 3.34 shows some of the curves mentioned in Table 3.1. The epi-
cycloid and the hypocycloid are trajectories of points on a circle rolling
outside or inside a fixed circle. The fixed circle is shown in Figure 3.34
FIGURE 3.34. From left to right: epicycloids, hypocycloids, a paracycloid, and

a hypercycloid.
(thin violet circle). Choosing various radii for the rolling circle (not dis-
played), we obtain different cycloids. The paracycloid and the hypercycloid
can also be seen as traces of points undergoing superposed rotations. Ho-
wever, in these cases the circles are not real, i.e., at least the radii of the
involved circles are complex numbers (different from real numbers) and
still some points move on real curves.
Finally, we collect pairs of conics being either Mannheim diagrams or
curvature diagrams and the corresponding curves in Table 3.1.
conic equation corresponding curve

equilateral hyperbola κ= a
s logarithmic spiral
equilateral hyperbola = as Cornu spiral
circle s2 + = 1 2
cycloid
2
s2
ellipse a2
+ b2
=1 hypocycloid if a > b
epicycloid if a > b
2 2
hyperbola − as2 + b2
=1 hypercycloid
2
s2
hyperbola a2
− b2
=1 paracycloid
parabola 2 = 2rs involute of a circle with radius r
TABLE 3.1. Conics being Mannheim curves or curvature diagrams and the thus
defined curves.
Multifocal curves
Ellipses can be defined by means of a constant sum of the two distances
to fixed focal points as we have seen in Section 2.1. Replacing the sum by
a difference leads to hyperbolas. There are many ways to generalize these
distance properties:
Sum of distances
Let x = (x, y) be the Cartesian coordinates of a point X in the Euclidean

plane. Assume further that F1 , F2 , . . . Fn are n mutually distinct points
in the Euclidean plane. Now, we can define an n-ellipse or a multifocal
ellipse e with focal points Fi by
n
e ∶= {X ∣ ∑ XFi = const.}. (3.36)
i=1
This definition includes the ellipses as we have seen in Section 2.1. If now
n > 2, we obtain a new class of curves.
FIGURE 3.35. Multifocal ellipses: The black dots indicate the three focal points.
The boundaries of the differently colored areas are multifocal ellipses.
In Section 2.1, we learned that the tangent and normal of an ellipse or a

hyperbola at a point X are the bisectors of the focal rays. It is easy to see
that the well-known construction of tangents (or normals) to ellipses and
hyperbolas is a special case of the construction for the multifocal ellipses:
The defining equation (3.36) for points X = (x, y) ∈ c can be written as
n
E(x, y) ∶= ∑ XFi − d = 0.
i=1
Now, we assume that fi = (fxi , fyi ) are the coordinates of the focal point
Fi and compute the gradient of the function E. This yields
x − fx1 x − fxn y − fy1 y − fyn n

x−fi
gradE = ( +. . . + , +. . . + )= ∑ .
XF1 XFn XF1 XFn i=1 XFi
Since the gradient points in the direction of the normal n at X of the

implicitly given curve (3.36), we have
n
1
n=∑ (x−fi ). (3.37)
i=1 XFi
Thus, the normal vector n is the sum of properly oriented unit vectors
pointing from the n focal points to the point X on the multifocal ellipse
(Figure 3.36). So we can say that even the construction of tangents to el-
lipses is generalized. Note that the case of the ordinary ellipse is included.
F3
F3
n
F2 F2
F1 F1
t
FIGURE 3.36. Left: Among the various confocal trifocal ellipses we find curves
passing through the focal points. Right: The tangent construction for multifocal
ellipses generalizes that of ordinary ellipses: Equally long vectors pointing from
the focal points towards the point on the curve sum up to a normal n vector of
the curve.
An algebraic treatment of the multifocal ellipses is challenging. An impli-

cit equation of a trifocal ellipse reads
2 2
((d2 − w12 − w22 − w32 ) − 4(w12 w22 + w22 w32 + w32 w12 )) −64d2 w12 w22 w32 = 0 (3.38)
√
where wi = (x − fxi )2 + (y − fyi )2 (for i ∈ {1, 2, 3}) and is, therefore, of
degree 8. However, this curve is of genus 9 and has the absolute points
(0 ∶ 1 ∶ ±i) of Euclidean geometry for its singularities. These are four-fold
points on e with δ-invariant14 6. The boundaries of the differently shaded
areas shown in Figure 3.35 are only parts of the level sets of the algebraic
variety described by (3.38).
There are some exceptions: Choose d such that the sum w1 + w2 + w3 is
minimized. Then, the real branch of e consists only of the Fermat point
or Torricelli point X13 of the triangle F1 F2 F3 15 . If we choose d such that
it equals the sum of the distances of one focal point Fi to the other two
focal points Fj and Fk , then the multifocal ellipse passes through Fi since
these points satisfy the distance relation.
Product of distances
Instead of the constancy of the sum or difference of distances to focal

points we can define a family of curves by the product
n
∏ XFi = const. (3.39)
i=1
For n = 2 and a slight modification of (3.39), these curves were probably

first studied by the Greek geometer Perseus who lived around 150 BC.
He named these curves spiric curves, for he found them as the planar
intersections of a torus which was called a spire at that time (see Figure
3.37).
The curves described by (3.39) (without modification) are called Cassi-
ni’s curves, named after the French-Italian astrologer, astronomer, engi-
neer, and mathematician Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625–1712).
The curves of Cassini contain some isoptics and pedal curves (cf. Sections
9.2 and 9.4) of an ellipse, especially Booth’s lemniscate and Bernoul-
li’s lemniscate.
The spiric curves are quartic curves. For arbitrary n, the curves defined
by (3.39) are of degree 2n. The left-hand side of Figure 3.38 shows the
graph surface with contour lines at constant product of three distances.
14
Definitions and properties of the δ-invariant among others can be found in: J. Milnor:
Singular points of complex hypersurfaces. Annals Math. Stud. 61. Princeton University
Press & University of Tokyo Press, Princeton - Tokio (1968), ISBN 0-691-08065-8.
15
The Kimberling notation of triangle centers is explained in the footnote on page 377.
FIGURE 3.37. Above: Spiric curves as planar intersections of a torus. Below:

Some spiric curves.
The right-hand side of Figure 3.38 shows a top view of the surface. There,
the contour lines appear as the curves where the product of distances to
three focal points is constant.
FIGURE 3.38. Left: Graph surface with contour lines being curves of constant
product of distances. Right: The top view shows the curves of constant product
of distances. The black spots indicate the focal points.
Weighted sum or product of distances
Other generalizations are possible: such as the sets of all points with
constant weighted sum of distances
b
∑ wi ⋅ XFi = const.
i=1
or constant weighted sum of products

ei
Πbi=1 ⋅ XFi = const.
which can also be seen as generalizations of conics.
Superellipses, superhyperbolas, superparabolas
A further generalization of conics can be found by manipulating the equa-
tion of an ellipse or a hyperbola. In the standard equation of the ellipse,
we replace the power 2 of the monomials by an arbitrary rational number
n ≠ 0. This gives the equations
x n y n
( ) + ( ) = 1, n ∈ Q {0}, (3.40)
a b
of a class of curves called Lamé curves, named after the French mathe-
matician and physicist Gabriel Lamé (1795–1870).
The Lamé curves are obviously symmetric with respect to the x- and y-
axes, and thus, also with respect to the origin of the Cartesian coordinate
system if n is even. For n = 2, we find ellipses among the Lamé curves. For
n = 23 , we obtain the star-shaped evolutes of ellipses (3.28) in Section 3.2.
So, we can say that even the evolute of an ellipse is a generalization of an
ellipse since these two curves belong to the same class of curves, namely
the Lamé curves.
y
y y
x x x
FIGURE 3.39. Lamé curves for various n: Left: n = 2, 4, 6. Middle: n = 3, n = 5,

n = 7. Right: n = 12 , n = 13 , n = 14 .
Some examples of Lamé curves are displayed in Figure 3.39. We observe

that for n > 1 and n even the curves are getting more and more “rectan-
gular”, i.e., the bounding rectangle with vertices (±a, ±b)T is the limit
of these curves if n → ∞. The Danish mathematician and inventor Piet
Hein (1905–1996) suggested to use Lamé curves with n = 52 (Figure 3.40)
to make tables with round corners. Piet Hein called his special type of
Lamé curve a superellipse.
Lamé curves with n ∈ Z {0, ±1, 2} cannot be parametrized by rational
functions.
The Lamé curves with 0 < n < 1 are star-shaped, as can be seen on the
right-hand side of Figure 3.39. The limit of the Lamé curves for n → 0 is
a pair of line segments.
Sometimes the equations of Lamé curves are given in the form
xn y n
∣ ∣ + ∣ ∣ = 1.
a b
l
e
FIGURE 3.40. Piet Hein’s Lamé curve l (red) compared with the ellipse e
(blue) having the same lengths of their axes. Hein’s superellipse comes closer
to the corners of the common tangent rectangle of both curves.
This does not change the shape of the curves with even n, but forces the
curves with odd n into the bounding rectangle. Of course, these curves
are symmetric with respect to the x- and y-axes.
Naturally, Lamé-like curves can also be obtained by replacing the + with a
− in (3.40). We shall not discuss these curves here since this is far beyond
the scope of our book.16
The curves with equation
y = qxn , n ∈ Q {0}, q ∈ R {0} (3.41)
are generalizations of parabolas in some sense. Like the usual parabola

(n = 2), they touch the ideal line at the ideal point of the y-axis with ho-
mogeneous standard coordinates (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) (see Section 5.3). Furthermore,
all these curves intersect the ideal line at this point with multiplicity n − 1
provided that n ∈ N and n ≥ 2. Felix Klein (German mathematician,
1849–1925) called these curves W -curves, because of their remarkable pro-
perty involving a cross ratio17 described in Theorem 3.2.7. Apparently,
16
For further details see M. Matsuura: Asymptotic Behaviour of the Maximum Curvature
of Lamé Curves. J. Geom. Graphics 18 (2014), 45–59.
17
Felix Klein used the German word Wurf (throw) instead of cross ratio which is the reason
for the notation ’W ’.
y y y
x x
x
(0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1)
(0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1)
(0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1)
(1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0)
(0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0)
(1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0)
(1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0)
FIGURE 3.41. Some W -curves: affine images (above), projective images (below).
some W -curves with different exponents n are collinear images of each

1 √
other, e.g., y = x3 and y = x 3 = 3 x can be mapped via a reflection x → y,
y → x onto each other. Figure 3.41 shows some examples of W -curves.
The affine images together with the respective collinear images are dis-
played in order to illustrate the characteristic behavior of the W -curves
at infinity.
The following theorem uses terms which will be explained in Section 5.3.
Theorem 3.2.7 Let c be a W -curve (3.41). The tangent tP at P ∈ c,

P ≠ (0, 0), intersects the base lines x0 = 0, x1 = 0, and x2 = 0 of the
projective standard frame in points B0 , B1 , and B2 , respectively. Then,
the cross ratio cr(B2 , B1 , B0 , P ) is the same for all curves with fixed n:
cr(B2 , B1 , B0 , P ) = n. (3.42)
Proof: Use the parametrization P = (1 ∶ t ∶ α−1 tn ) of c, compute the tangent tP , intersect it

with the lines, and compute the cross ratio. ◾
The W -curves are the orbits of points under the action of smooth one-
parameter subgroups of the group of projective transformations in P2 (F).
Finally, we shall point out that the evolute of a parabola is also a W -

curve. It is, up to a homothety and a translation, given by the equation
3
y = x 2 , and thus, it is one of the curves given in (3.41).
Offset curves of conics

This section is devoted to the offsets of conics. The offset curve cd of a
curve c in the (Euclidean) plane at distance d is defined as the set of all
points (in the plane of c) which are at a fixed distance d ∈ R to the points
of c. We can find the offset to a general C 1 -curve by simply attaching the
normal vector de2 (t) (of length d) at c which gives a parametrization of
the offset (as shown in Figure 3.42)
cd (t) = c(t) + de2 (t). (3.43)
The tangent td to the offset at Pd is parallel to the tangent of c at P

independent of the choice of the value d ∈ R. Therefore, the one-parameter
family of curves cd (with d ∈ R) is also called the family of parallel curves.
Obviously, the offsets of a circle c are circles concentric with c. Circles are
P Q
cd P
R
c ⋆
P ⋆ =Q⋆ c
c−d c
cd
FIGURE 3.42. Left: The curve c and its offset cd at distance d share normals
and have parallel tangents. The offset d is measured along the common normals.
Right: The family of offset curves of c (including c) share the evolute c⋆ as the
envelope of the common normals.
the only conics whose non-trivial offset curves are conics.

Since the offset d can be chosen with different signs, we obtain two bran-
ches of an offset curve. One corresponds to +d, the other one to −d. Points
P and Q that lie on the same normal of c share the center P ⋆ = Q⋆ of
curvature (Figure 3.42, right).
The offset cd of a planar curve c can also be found as the envelope of all
circles of radius d centered at c. This approach to the offset is shown in
Figure 3.43, left.
◾ Example 3.2.1 Contour of a torus under an orthogonal projection. Assume that the ellipse
FIGURE 3.43. Left: The two branches of the offset of an ellipse e form the en-
velope of a one-parameter family of circles. Right: The contour of a ring-shaped
torus consist of an “inner” (red) and “outer” (cyan) branch.
e(t) = (a cos t, b sin t) is the orthogonal projection of a circle with radius a. We compute the
offset at distance d which can be considered the contour of a torus with major radius a and
minor radius d.
The torus can be generated in many different ways. For the moment, we consider the torus
as the envelope of the one-parameter family of spheres with radius d centered at the spine
curve, i.e., the circle with radius a. The contours of the spheres under orthogonal projection
are circles with radius d and centers on e(t). Thus, the equation of all theses circles reads
c ∶ (x − a cos t)2 + (y − b sin t)2 = d2 with t ∈ [0, 2π[. (3.44)
We compute the envelope of these circles by differentiating c with respect to t which gives
ċ ∶ a sin t(x − a cos t) − b cos t(y − b sin t) = 0. (3.45)
Eliminating t from (3.44) and (3.45), we arrive at an implicit equation of the contour of the
torus, and thus, of the offset curves of the ellipse e(t). With the abbreviations
A = a2 + b2 , E = a2 y 2 + b2 x2 , Ω = x2 + y 2
this equation reads
ed ∶ E 2 Ω2 + 4E 3 − 2(d2 + A)E 2 Ω + 2(a4 − A(a2 + d2 ))EΩ2 + 4a2 d2 (A − a2 )Ω3
(12a2 (a2 − A) − 10Ad2 + A2 + d4 )E 2 + (22a2 d2 (A − a2 ) + 4A(d2 + a2 )(d2 + b2 ))EΩ+
+Ω2 (a4 (a2 + 12d4 ) − 2Aa2 (a2 − 2d2 )(a2 − 3d2 ) + A2 (a4 − 10a2 d2 + 2d4 ))+
+2(a2 − b2 )((a2 + d2 )A2 − (5a4 − a2 d2 + 4d4 )A + 2a6 + 3a4 d2 + 2a2 d4 + d6 )E+
+((a4 − 4a2 d2 + d4 )A2 + (6a4 d2 + a2 d4 + d6 )A + a8 − 8a6 d2 + 3a4 d4 − 4a2 d6 )Ω
−2a2 x2 (a2 − d2 )3 + (b2 − d2 )2 (a2 − d2 )2 (a2 − b2 )2 = 0.
The parallel curves of ellipses are algebraic curves of degree eight. Only in the case of a circle,
i.e., a = b, the parallel curves degenerate into pairs of circles.
Consequently, we are able to construct points, tangents, and even oscu-

lating circles of a torus’s contour under an orthogonal projection.
The offset curves of hyperbolas are also of degree eight. Only in case of
the parabola, we can observe a reduction of the degree:
● Exercise 3.2.19 Offset curves of a parabola. Show that the offset curves pd of the parabola
p ∶ x2 − 2qy = 0 at distance d are algebraic curves of degree six and have the equation
pd ∶ 2P 2 (2Ω + P ) + 8d2 P Ω + 4d2 (d2 − 3q 2 − 4x2 )Ω − 4d2 (2d2 + 2q 2 − 3x2 )P
+(d2 + q 2 − 2x2 )P 2 − d2 (4(d2 + q 2 )2 − 16x2 − 7x4 ) = 0
where P = x2 −2qy and Ω = x2 +y 2 . Some offset curves of a parabola can be seen in Figure 3.44
(right).
Figure 3.44 shows some offset curves to an ellipse and a parabola. Offset
curves tend to have cusps which happens if at some point on the initial
curve the curvature radius equals the offset d. Usually, these cusps are
cusps of the first kind, i.e., like on the curve (t2 , t3 ) at (0, 0). Especially,
if the offset d is chosen equal to the curvature radius at a vertex, then the
cusps become cusps of the second kind, i.e., like on the curve (t3 , t4 ) at
(0, 0).
FIGURE 3.44. The offset curves of an ellipse (left) and a parabola (right) have
cusps. These cusps gather on the evolute of the original curve.
3.3 Conics in differential geometry of surfaces
Dupin indicatrix
n
n
1
P P
t1 t2
1 t1 t2
2 2
FIGURE 3.45. The principal curvature radii 1 , 2 are the radii of the osculating
circles of the normal sections in the principal directions t1 , t2 . Left: At an elliptic
point P , both osculating circles are on the same side of the tangent plane. Right:
At a hyperbolic point P , the osculating circles are on different sides of the
tangent plane.
Conics also play an important role in the study of the local normal curva-
tures of a surface at a regular point P . For that, we assume that S is a sur-
face in Euclidean three-space E3 given by a parametrization S ∶ U → E3
over some domain U ⊂ R2 . Let P = S(u0 , v0 ) be some point on the surface
with (u0 , v0 ) ∈ U . We use a common notation for partial derivatives:
∂S ∂S ∂2S ∂2S ∂2S
Su = , Sv = , Suu = , S uv = , Svv = .
∂u ∂v ∂u2 ∂u∂v ∂v 2
Points with Su × Sv ≠ 0 are called regular. In the following we consider
only regular points on S where the first and second fundamental form are
I = E(u, v)u̇u̇ + 2F (u, v)u̇v̇ + G(u, v)v̇ v̇,
II = L(u, v)u̇u̇ + 2M (u, v)u̇v̇ + N (u, v)v̇ v̇
where E(u, v) ∶= ⟨Su , Su ⟩, F (u, v) ∶= ⟨Su , Sv ⟩, G(u, v) ∶= ⟨Sv , Sv ⟩ are the
coordinate functions of the first fundamental form, L(u, v) ∶= ⟨Suu , n⟩,
3.3 Conics in differential geometry of surfaces 121
M (u, v) ∶= ⟨Suv , n⟩, N (u, v) ∶= ⟨Svv , n⟩ are the coordinate functions of

the second fundamental form, and n ∶ U → S2 is the unit normal vector
field on S parallel to Su × Sv .
For any vector t = u̇Su + v̇Sv in the tangent plane of S at the regular
point P , the normal curvature, i.e., the curvature of all planar sections of
S formed by planes through P spanned by the normal vector n and the
tangent vector t, can be found via
II
κn = . (3.46)
I
Obviously, at any point P , the normal curvature κn depends on u̇ ∶ v̇ only.
In other words: All curves on S with the same tangent line at P have the
same normal curvature there. The normal curvature can be positive, zero,
or negative.
Among the directions (u̇, v̇), we would like to find those which correspond
to the maxima and minima of κn . For the sake of simplicity, we define
E F L M
F1 ∶= ( ) and F2 ∶= ( ).
F G M N
u̇
The extremal value problem (u̇ v̇)F2 ( ) $→ extr. under the con-
v̇
u̇
straint (u̇ v̇)F1 ( ) = 1 is solved by introducing the Lagrange function
v̇
u̇
(u̇ v̇) (F2 − λF1 ) ( ) with the Lagrange multiplier λ. Differentiating
v̇
the Lagrange function with respect to the vector (u̇, v̇) shows that the
maxima or minima correspond to values of λ such that the 2 × 2-matrix
F2 − λF1 or equivalently (F2 ⋅ F−1

1 − λI2 )F1
becomes singular. Note that det F1 = ∥Su × Sv ∥2 > 0.

The matrix F1 is positive definite since P is assumed to be regular, and
so, the λs are eigenvalues of W ∶= F2 ⋅ F−11 . Since both matrices F1 and
F2 are symmetric, F−11 and W are symmetric, too. The linear mapping
of the tangent plane of S at P onto itself described by W is usually refer-
red to as the Weingarten map (after the German mathematician Julius
Weingarten, 1836–1910). Since W is symmetric, it can be diagonalized.

Using the basis (t1 , t2 ) of W’s eigenvectors, this diagonal form is
κ1 0
( )
0 κ2
with κ1 and κ2 are called the principal curvatures at P . Then,
H ∶= trW/2 = (κ1 + κ2 )/2 and K ∶= det W = κ1 κ2
are the mean curvature and the Gaussian curvature of S at P . The eigen-
vectors of W define the principal tangents t1 and t2 at P (Figure 3.45).
For the unit tangent vector we have t = u̇t1 + v̇t2 with u̇2 + v̇ 2 = 1. In
case κ1 = κ2 ≠ 0 and κ1 = κ2 = 0 the point P is called an umbilic or a flat
point, respectively. In these cases κn is indpendent of the tangent vector
at P . Written within the eigenvector basis of W (which is not uniquely
defined if κ1 = κ2 ), the expression for the normal curvature from (3.46)
simplifies to κn = κ1 u̇u̇ + κ2 v̇ v̇. Without loss of generality, we may set
(u̇, v̇) = (cos α, sin α), i.e., the tangent vector t encloses the angle α with
the first principal tangent. Then, we have
κn (α) = κ1 cos2 α + κ2 sin2 α (3.47)
which is called Euler’s formula, due to Leonhard Euler (1707–1783).
Now we study the following diagram (Figure 3.46): We look for the √points
Q on all (non asymptotic) surface tangents of S at P with P Q = ∣c ⋅ n ∣
where n = κ−1n is the radius of curvature defined by the tangent [P, Q].
Here, c ∈ R {0} is an arbitrarily chosen fixed constant. The set i(c) of
all points Q in the tangent plane to S at P is called the Dupin indicatrix
(Charles Dupin, French mathematician, 1784–1873). The diagram i(c)
shall be drawn in the Cartesian frame centered at P with the first and
second principal tangent for its x- and y-axes. Comparing with (3.47), we
can see that the x- and y-coordinates of Q, α, and n are related via
x y
cos α = √ and sin α = √ ,
∣c ⋅ n ∣ ∣c ⋅ n ∣
and in the case κ1 κ2 ≠ 0, we thus have
x2 y 2
i(c) ∶ + = ±c (3.48)
1 2
with an appropriate choice of the sign on the right-hand side. This is the
equation of the Dupin indicatrix which defines up to two conics (including
one singular type).
t2 t2
i(c) i(−c) t2
i(c) t
t
c⋅2
i(c)
√ c⋅ n
√ c⋅ n √ c⋅ n t
√
P
P
√ √ √
P c⋅1 t1 c⋅1 t1 c⋅1 t1
i(c)
i(c)
i(−c)
FIGURE 3.46. Dupin indicatrices at an elliptic (left), a parabolic (middle), and

a hyperbolic point P (right).
The type of conic showing up as the Dupin indicatrix depends on the

surface point P (which is still assumed to be regular). The point P is
called elliptic, if κ1 κ2 > 0 and then i(c) is an ellipse provided that c⋅ i > 0
for i ∈ {1, 2}. The point P is called hyperbolic, if κ1 κ2 < 0 and i(c) is a pair
of conjugate hyperbolas. If one principal curvature is zero while the other
one is not, then P is called a parabolic point. The case of a parabolic point
P leads to a singular conic: Without loss of generality, we can assume that
κ2 = 0. Then, the equation of the indicatrix changes to
i(c) ∶ x2 = c ⋅ 1
√
and i(c) is the pair of lines x = ± c ⋅ 1 parallel to the second principal
tangent. Note that c has to be chosen such that c ⋅ 1 > 0. Figure 3.46
shows the indicatrices of all regular types of surface points.
In the case of a hyperbolic point P , there are two hyperbolas shown in
Figure 3.46, depending on whether c is positive or negative. It makes sense
to draw both curves: As can be seen in Figure 3.45, the surface changes
the sides of the tangent plane at P . That means the surface intersects
the tangent plane at P along curves that touch the asymptotic tangents
which correspond to tangent vectors with κn = 0. These tangents are
the asymptotes of the indicatrix i(c) at a hyperbolic point P and define
the asymptotic directions at P . The integral curves of the two fields of
asymptotic tangent vectors are the asymptotic lines. Any normal section
of S in the asymptotic direction has a point of inflection at P .
Assume that the surface tangent t at P is rotating about the surface

normal n. There are two instances where t becomes an asymptote of i(c).
In between the two asymptotes, the center of the osculating circle defined
by t is on one side of the tangent plane. It changes to the other side of
the tangent plane if we rotate t to the next sector. So, the two parts i(c)
and i(−c) of the indicatrix at P allow us to decide on which side of the
tangent plane we have to fix the center of the osculating circle.
The two parts i(c) and i(−c) of the Dupin indicatrix at a hyperbolic point
are said to form a pair of conjugate hyperbolas, cf. Section 8.1.
When treating indicatrices constructively, we choose c = 1 (or c = 2 ).
Thus, one semiaxis of the indicatrix equals one principal curvature radius
√
and we only have to construct 1 2 , which is elementary.
Two surface tangents are called conjugate if they are conjugate diameters
of the indicatrix (cf. page 266), no matter if P is elliptic, parabolic, or
hyperbolic.
At an umbilical point, the indicatrix i(c) is a circle. There, any tangent
vector is an eigenvector of W and the only eigenvalue κ1 = κ2 has algebraic
multiplicity two. If the Weingarten map degenerates completely, i.e., W =
0 and then we call P a flatpoint. The Dupin indicatrix of a flatpoint is
either empty or the ideal line of the tangent plane, depending on whether
we have performed the projective closure of the tangent plane or not.
Osculating paraboloid
In a sufficiently small neighborhood of a regular surface point P , any

C 2 -surface S can be approximated by a quadratic function f (x, y) over
the tangent plane. We choose a Cartesian coordinate system such that
P equals the origin and such that the axes aim in the direction of the
principal tangents. Then, f (x, y) = h11 (0, 0)x2 +2h12 (0, 0)xy +h22 (0, 0)y 2 ,
and obviously, the Dupin indicatrices to variable constants are the level
sets of a paraboloid P with the equation f (x, y) = z. P shares P and the
tangent plane at P with S. Moreover, the first and second fundamental
forms of P and S agree at P . The paraboloid P is called the osculating
(vertex) paraboloid, for P is P’s vertex. The osculating paraboloid is an
elliptic or hyperbolic paraboloid if the point P is elliptic or hyperbolic. In
the case of a parabolic surface point P , the osculating paraboloid P is a
parabolic cylinder touching the tangent plane at P along the asymptotic
tangent. Figure 3.47 shows the three types of (regular) surface points
P
P
P
P S P
S S
P
FIGURE 3.47. Osculating paraboloids with their level sets (from left to right):
at an elliptic point, at a hyperbolic point, and at a parabolic point.
with their respective osculating paraboloids. In Remark 3.2.2, we have

derived the two-dimensional analogon (3.35) to the osculating paraboloid
by simply cutting off the local expansion (3.34) of a curve. Details on
the construction of hyperosculating parabolas of curves as well as the
osculating paraboliods of surfaces can be found in [45].
Meusnier’s theorem and the osculating circle of an ellipse

The following Theorem 3.3.1 is due to the French mathematician Jean
Baptiste Marie Charles Meusnier de la Place (1754–1793):
Theorem 3.3.1 Let S be a C 2 -surface in Euclidean three-space, let fur-

ther P be a point on S and let t be a non asymptotic surface tangent of
S at P . Then, all curves c on S that touch t at P have the same normal
curvature κn . The osculating circles of all such curves c trace a sphere Σ
if the osculating planes rotate about t.
Proofs of this important theorem can be found in almost all textbooks on

differential geometry, see e.g. [23, 58].
Figure 3.48 shows the consequences of Theorem 3.3.1, especially for the
orthogonal projection of a circle c. Here, the surface S is the cylinder
formed by the projecting lines through points of c. In Figure 3.48 (left),
we can see that the orthogonal projection (in the direction p) of a circle c
with radius a is an ellipse c′ . The osculating circle o of c′ at the auxiliary
vertex P ′ has the center O′ which is the intersection of c’s axis x with the
principal plane π through p. The ellipse c′ (orthogonal projection of the
circle c) has the semimajor axis length a and the semiminor axis length
a cos ϕ. According to (3.18), the radius of o equals a/ cos ϕ which equals
the length P ′ O ′ as can be read off from Figure 3.48 (left). Note that c′
and o are hyperosculating. That will be of importance in Section 4.4.
x p
a
Σ Σ
′′ ′′
c C c
P ′′ ϕ O ′′ π ′′ c
rc ϕ
rs ϕ
o t
P′ r C′ P r P
o
O′
c′ a
o
FIGURE 3.48. Left: The hyperosculating circle o of the orthogonal projection of

a circle c. Middle and right: The osculating circles of all regular surface curves
through the line element (P, t) cover the sphere Σ.
In the middle of Figure 3.48, we can see that the centers of the osculating
circles of all curves with the same normal curvature (at P in the direction
t) form a circle. Thus, all these osculating circles fill a sphere Σ which is
frequently called the Meusnier sphere. The right-hand side of Figure 3.48
shows these particular circles on Σ sharing the line element (P, t).
● Exercise 3.3.1 Hyperosculating circles of a hyperbola. Figure 3.49 shows a hyperbola as a
FIGURE 3.49. Meusnier’s theorem can be used to construct the centers of

curvature at the vertices of a planar section of a cone.
planar section of a right cone together with the Meusnier spheres at the vertices. Figure out
the construction of the centers of curvature at the vertices. By the same token, the two radii
of curvature are equal.
4 Euclidean 3-space
C
hc
c
p
ec
C′ 3c 2 c 1c
γ 1 e
p
2
The central projection of circles with different radii may result in conics of any
type. Depending on whether the projection cone C, i.e., the connection of the
circles and the center C of the projection, avoids, touches, or intersects the
vanishing plane, the image of the circle is an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola.

128 Chapter 4: Euclidean 3-space
4.1 Planar intersections of cones of revolution

Conics are also called conic sections, and this name expresses directly that
they are closely related to sections of a cone, more precisely, to planar
sections of quadratic cones. This is the topic of the present chapter. We
start with right cones C, i.e., with cones of revolution. Cones are always
understood as ‘double cones’, i.e., they are not bounded by their apex.
Furthermore, cones as well as spheres and cylinders are seen as surfaces
and not as solids.
Based on the Apollonian definition (Definition 2.1.1 on page 13), we still
prefer proofs which hold for all three types of conics simultaneously. But
now there is a difference to Chapter 2: the plane of the conic lies somewhe-
re in the three-dimensional space E3 . Hence, we use Cartesian coordinates
(x, y, z), and for the sake of simplicity we assume the z-axis in vertical
position. In order to visualize 3D-geometry, we sometimes take benefit
from elementary Descriptive Geometry and apply orthogonal projections,
in particular those into the coordinate planes (see Figure 4.1):
• the vertical projection P ↦ P ′ parallel to the z-axis generates the top
view in the horizontal xy-plane,
• the projection P ↦ P ′′ parallel to the x-axis generates the front view
in the vertical yz-plane,
• and the projection P ↦ P ′′′ parallel to the y-axis generates the side
view in the vertical xz-plane.
In order to be precise, we strictly distinguish between pre-images in the
3-space E3 and those obtained by a projection: The images are indicated
by primes. We omit the primes only, when the pre-image already lies in
the image plane of the projection, and therefore, image and pre-image are
coinciding.
In many cases, we use appropriate coordinate frames and corresponding
views, so that, e.g., the cutting plane appears as a line. Then, we speak
of an ‘edge view’ of the plane. Such particular views have the advantage
that they show immediately what is significant.
Cones with a vertical axis

We begin with the standard case: A cone of revolution (= right cone) with
a vertical axis has to be intersected with a plane.
4.1 Planar intersections of cones of revolution 129
z z
side view front view
z
P"’ P"
w front
vie view
side y
P" x
P"’ y
P
top
view
y
P’ P’
x
top view
FIGURE 4.1. Top view, front view and side view.
Theorem 4.1.1 The curve c of intersection between a right cone C and

a plane π is a conic, provided, the plane π does not pass through the
cone’s apex S and is not orthogonal to the cone’s axis s. When, under the
assumption of a vertical axis s of C, α and β are the angles of inclination
of π and of the generators of C, then the numerical eccentricity of c is
ε = sin α/ sin β.
Suppose, a sphere S contacts the cone along a circle k and touches the
plane π at a point F : Then, F is a focal point of c, and the line of in-
tersection between π and the plane of k is the associated directrix l. The
orthogonal projection onto π maps the cone’s axis s onto the principal
axis of c.
Proof: The axis s of the given right cone C is supposed to be vertical. We can ignore horizontal
cutting planes as they intersect along circles. Therefore, we may assume that the cutting plane
π is inclined at the angle α with 0 < α ≤ π2 . The generators of the cone C are inclined at β,
0 < β < π2 . Figure 4.2 shows the front view with the image plane passing through the cone’s
axis s. The cutting plane π is in an edge-view.
Let M be the center of a sphere S which is inscribed in the cone C and contacts π in the
point F . We call this sphere a Dandelin sphere, since the following proof dates back to G.P.
Dandelin1 . S contacts the cone along a circle k in a plane which intersects the given cutting
1
Germinal Pierre Dandelin, 1794–1847, professor of mathematics in Liège and lieutenant
of the Belgian army.
C
X
S
k
π ′′
T
E0 l′′ M
′′
E
p
M
A
S
XE
F
′′
c
β α β
′′ X0
X s
FIGURE 4.2. The planar sections of right cones are conics.
plane π along a line l. In Figure 4.2 the line appears as a point l′′ , and the contour of S is the
incircle of the triangle formed by π ′′ and the contours of the cone C.
In order to prove that the section c = C ∩π is a conic with focal point F and associated directrix
l, we utilize what is depicted in Figure 4.2 on the right-hand side: Given a sphere S = (M ; r)
and an exterior point X, for all tangents drawn from X to S, the points T of contact are at
2 2
the same distance to X. The square of this distance XT = XM − r 2 is the power of X w.r.t.
S (compare with Figure 2.31 on page 50).
Now we choose a point X ∈ π ∩ C. There are two particular tangents to the Dandelin sphere
S available through X: One touches at F , the other along the cone’s generator through X
contacts at a point E ∈ k. In our front view we see the “true” distance XE after rotating the
cone about its axis until X comes to X0 and E to E0 on the right contour line of C. On the
other hand, the front view shows already the “true” distance between X and the line l. Now
we apply the sine law to the triangle which is shaded in Figure 4.2 and obtain that for all
X ∈π∩C
XF ∶ Xl = XE ∶ Xl = X0 E0 ∶ X ′′ l′′ = sin α ∶ sin β = ε = const.
The quotient ε = sin α/ sin β is the numerical eccentricity of the conic c = π ∩ C. Hence, for
α < β we obtain an ellipse, for α = β a parabola, and for α > β a hyperbola (Figure 4.3). ◾
Figure 4.2 shows on the left contour line of C how the parameter p = ε⋅F l of
the conic c can be found. Another construction of p, based on Meusnier’s
Theorem 3.3.1, is presented in Exercise 4.1.2 (Figure 4.9, left).
The proof given above can easily be adapted to the limiting case β = π/2.
The limit of C is a right cylinder L (Figure 4.3, right). We leave the details
of the proof to the reader and claim as follows:
C C C L
′′ A2 π ′′
π
S S ′′ S
π ′′ π γ
A A1
A2
A1 c′′ A1 c′′
c′′ c′′
ellipse parabola hyperbola ellipse
FIGURE 4.3. The type of the conic section c = π ∩ C depends on how the
inclination of the cutting plane π relates to that of the cone’s generators.
FIGURE 4.4. Dandelin’s proof in the case of an ellipse: The intersecting plane
is less inclined than the tangent planes of the cone (Exercise 4.1.1).
Theorem 4.1.2 Let L be a right cylinder and π a plane which is neither

parallel nor orthogonal to the axis of the cylinder. Then, the curve c = L∩π
is an ellipse with its minor axis orthogonal to the cylinder’s axis.
In terms of the radius r of L and the angle γ between the cylinder’s axis
and π, the semimajor and semiminor axes, and the eccentricities of c are,
respectively,
a = r/ sin γ, b = r, ε = cos γ, e = εa = r cot γ.
FIGURE 4.5. Dandelin’s proof in the case of a hyperbola: The intersecting

plane is steeper than the tangent planes of the cone (Exercise 4.1.1).
● Exercise 4.1.1 Separate Dandelin proofs for ellipses and hyperbolas. In the proof above,
we presented a ‘Dandelin proof’ of Theorem 4.1.1 which works simultaneously for all types
of conics. Since ellipses and hyperbolas have two focal points, we can apply the fundamental
equation XF = XE (note Figure 4.2) two-times. In this way we directly obtain that the related
curves of intersection satisfy the standard definition of ellipses or hyperbolas. Formulate these
proofs on the basis of Figures 4.4 and 4.5.
Projection of a conic section parallel to the cone’s axis
Theorem 4.1.3 Let C be a right cone with a vertical axis s and with
generators with the inclination angle β. If the conic c = C ∩ π lies in a
z
π ′′
C
p X ′′ X0′′
c′′
A′′
s′′
l′′ α S β X1′′ π1′′
y
X ′F
X ′l
F =s′
A ′ S X0′
c′
l X′
X1
FIGURE 4.6. The top view c′ of the conic section c is a conic with the focus S.
plane π which is inclined under the angle α, α < π2 , then the top view c′
of c is a conic with F = s′ as a focus and with the numerical eccentricity
ε = tan α/ tan β. The horizontal plane π1 through the apex S intersects π
in a line l which appears in the top view as the directrix l associated with
the focus F .
Proof: As shown in Figure 4.6, we choose the apex S of C as the origin of our coordinate frame
and the cone’s axis as z-axis. In the front view, the cutting plane π appears as a line π ′′ .
For each point X ∈ C ∩ π with the pedal point X1 in the xy-plane, we obtain by virtue of
Figure 4.6
XX1 X ′′ X1′′ X1 l tan α X′S X1 S tan α
tan β = = = , hence = = = const.
X1 S X1 S X1 S X′l X1 l tan β
Contrary to the eccentricity ε = sin α/ sin β of the conic c itself, the top view c′ has the
numerical eccentricity tan α/ tan β. This shows that c and c′ are of the same type. Here we
excluded hyperbolas in vertical planes (α = π2 ); their top view is a line, of course. ◾
Figure 4.7 shows a right cone with a vertical axis and different planar
sections (compare also with the figure on page 11). All intersecting planes
FIGURE 4.7. A cone of revolution, intersected by a pencil of planes. In the

green area, all intersections are ellipses, in the yellow area, only hyperbolas
occur. When the intersecting plane is parallel to a tangent plane of the cone,
the intersection curve is a parabola (blue color).
pass through the same line in the horizontal plane through the apex. By
virtue of Theorem 4.1.3, the top views of the conic sections share a focus
and the associated directrix. Hence, the top views of these conics form
exactly the same family which has been depicted in Figure 2.3 on page
15.
Remark 4.1.1 Theorem 4.1.3 reveals that, once a cone C with a vertical axis s is fixed, all
conics c′ with focus s′ (including circles with center s′ ) show up as top views of appropriate
planar sections C ∩π. Hence, C induces a one-to-one correspondence between monofocal conics,
i.e., conics sharing one focus, and planes π in E3 not passing through S.
S
C ̃
S
S ε′′
C̃
A1 c′′
s′′ C
A2
̃
S
C̃ s′′
A′1 c′′
F1 F2 A′2
c′
FIGURE 4.8. The planar section c is symmetric w.r.t. its secondary axis s.
Therefore, the cone C still passes through c after a 180○ -rotation about s or
after reflection in the plane ε which contains s and is orthogonal to the plane
spanned by c.
Ellipses and hyperbolas c′ have also a second focus. Where does it come
from?
The conic c on the cone C has a second axis s of symmetry which appears
in the front view (Figure 4.8, left) as the midpoint between the vertices
A1 , A2 on the contour lines of C.2 A rotation about this axis s through
180○ maps c onto itself while the cone C is transformed into a second cone
C̃ with vertical axis which again passes through c. Therefore, the apex S̃
of C̃ has a top view which coincides with the second focus.
Figure 4.8, right, shows how the symmetry of the conic c with respect to
the plane ε through the minor axis s can be used to find another right
cone C̃ passing through the same conic c. This procedure can be iterated.
● Exercise 4.1.2 Parameter p of planar sections of cones. Confirm for the conic section c =
C ∩ π the construction of the parameter p, as demonstrated in Figure 4.9, left (compare with
Figure 4.2). By virtue of Theorem 2.1.5, this construction yields as a by-product also the
2
It is not so obvious that planar sections of a right cone have a second axis of symmetry. One
might conjecture that at the principal vertex which is closer to the cone’s apex, the radius of
curvature of the planar section is smaller than at the other vertex. It seems that even Dürer
had this expectation (see Figure 1.10, left). Figure 3.49 shows for a hyperbola the centers of
curvature at the two vertices. Of course, they deliver the same radius of curvature, though
the respective constructions look quite different.
S l2 C
S
k ′′ c2
l′′
k ′′
π ′′ S
A β
AF / sin β
α
β F N β
A∗
N α c′′1 A∗1 ′′
p
α l1
F
εA
C c′′ α β F1 A1 =F2
p1
FIGURE 4.9. Left: parameter p of the conic section c = C ∩ π. Right: universal
proof of Theorem 4.2.1 (Exercise 4.1.3).
center of curvature A∗ for the vertex A of c (Figure 3.49). The latter can also be concluded
by virtue of Meusnier’s Theorem 3.3.1.
Hint: Note that p = (1 + ε)AF and ε = sin α/ sin β.
● Exercise 4.1.3 Apollonian property of planar sections of cones. Let a conic c1 be given
with vertex A1 , focus F1 , and associated directrix l1 (Figure 4.9, right). Prove Theorem 4.2.1
simultaneously for all types of conics c1 by verifying that the apices S of right cones passing
through c1 satisfy the Apollonian definition SA1 = ε2 ⋅ Sl2 , where l2 is the axis of the circle
which osculates c1 at A1 . Hence, all points S lie on the focal conic c2 of c1 . The numerical
eccentricities ε1 and ε2 of c1 and c2 are reciprocal. As parameter p2 of c2 we obtain p2 =
p1 /ε1 = F1 l1 .
Hint: We choose any sphere S which contacts the plane of c1 at the given focus F1 . Then, we
determine a cone C which contacts S along a circle k in a plane passing through the given
directrix l1 , such that one contour line of C contains the vertex A1 . By virtue of Theorem 4.1.1,
in terms of the inclination angles α and β of the cone’s generators and the cutting plane
(relative to the plane of k), the excentricity of c1 is ε1 = sin α/ sin β. We apply the construction
presented in Exercise 4.1.2 (Figure 4.9, left) and conclude, using the notation of Figure 4.9,
right, that3
SA1 1
SN = , Sl2 = SN sin α, hence SA1 = Sl2 .
sin β ε1
3
By virtue of Theorem 3.3.1, the point N is the center of the Meusnier sphere corresponding
to the horizontal tangent at A1 .
4.2 Pairs of focal conics, Dupin cyclides 137
4.2 Pairs of focal conics, Dupin cyclides

We are going to report about a symmetric pairing of conics in E3 which
has some remarkable geometric properties. We will meet these pairs again
in volume 2 in connection with confocal quadrics in E3 .
Definition 4.2.1 Given a conic c1 in E3 , the conic c2 is called focal conic

of c1 if the two conics lie in orthogonal planes sharing the principal axis,
and on this common axis each vertex of one conic is a focus of the other.
c2
c1
FIGURE 4.10. A pair of focal conics.
The focal conic of an ellipse with semimajor √ axis a and semiminor axis
b is a√hyperbola with the semimajor axis a2 − b2 and the semiminor
axis a2 − (a2 − b2 ) = b (see Figure 4.10), and vice versa. The focal conic
of a parabola is a parabola with the same parameter; however, the two
parabolas open to different sides. We do not speak of a pair of focal conics
in the limiting case consisting of a circle c1 and its axis c2 , though some
of the following theorems are still valid in this case.
S
L b T2
ch
k ′′
S T1
c′′e
A2 F2 M F1 A1 y
b
c′h M S′
A2 F2 F1 A1 y
ce
x
FIGURE 4.11. Which cones of revolution pass through a given ellipse ce ?
FIGURE 4.12. The cones of revolution which pass through a given ellipse, have
their apices on the focal hyperbola.
Focal conics and cones of revolution
Theorem 4.2.1 For any given conic c1 in E3 , the locus of apices S of

right cones, which pass through c1 , is the focal conic c2 (up to the focal
points of ) c1 . The axis of the cone through c1 with apex S ∈ c2 is tangent
to c2 at S.
z
ch
F1 A1 M A2 F2 y
S ′′
c′′e
F1 A1 M A2 F2 y
T1 c′h
ce
S k′ S tS
T2 x
FIGURE 4.13. Which cones of revolution pass through a given hyperbola ch ?
Proof: At this time we discuss the three types of conics separately, since the universal proof of
Theorem 4.2.1 is a little bit tricky and not so instructive (see Exercise 4.1.3 and the related
Figure 4.9, right).
Case 1: c1 is an ellipse ce in the horizontal xy-plane with axes a, b and the y-axis as principal
axis (see top view and front view in Figure 4.11). By virtue of Theorem 4.1.1, it is necessary
that any right cone passing through c1 has its axis in the vertical plane through the principal
axis, i.e., in the yz-plane. Furthermore, there must be a sphere S inscribed in this cone and
contacting the xy-plane at one focus F1 of ce .
So, let us choose such a sphere S with radius r and inspect the front view in Figure 4.11.
The second tangents drawn from the vertices A1 and A2 of ce to the contour of S intersect
at a point S — except the case where these tangents are parallel, i.e., the sphere S has the
radius r = b. The lines [S, A1 ] and [S, A2 ] are the contour of a right cone which contacts S
along a circle k. In fact, this cone already passes through the ellipse ce , since by virtue of
Theorem 4.1.1 the curve of intersection with the xy-plane has the principal vertices A1 , A2
and the focus F1 . Thus, it is identical with ce .
Let Ti for i = 1, 2 denote the point of contact between [S, Ai ] and S. Then, we learn from the
front view a series of equal distances:
A1 T1 = A1 F1 , A2 T2 = A2 F1 , ST1 = ST2 .
FIGURE 4.14. All cones of revolution passing through a given hyperbola have
their apices on the focal ellipse.
In the depicted case r < b we conclude that

SA2 − SA1 = ST2 + T2 A2 − ST1 − T1 A1 = A2 F1 − A1 F1 = F1 F2 = const.
In the case r > b the point S lies closer to the second focus F2 . Therefore, we use the second
sphere: It is inscribed in the same cone but touches the xy-plane at the focus F2 , and it has
a radius smaller than b. Hence, we obtain a similar result, but under SA2 < SA1 . So, in all
cases the requested locus of apices satisfies the standard definition of a hyperbola ch in the
yz-plane with the foci A1 and A2 (see also Figure 4.12).
The asymptotes of ch are axes of right cylinders L passing through ce (Figure 4.11).
Case 2: Let the given conic c1 be a hyperbola ch in the yz-plane with the vertices A1 and A2 .
Then, the apices of the right cones passing through ch lie in the xy-plane. Figure 4.13 shows
from both the top and the front view only one half. The rest can be obtained by reflection in
the y-axis.
We follow the same strategy like in case 1: We specify a sphere S which is in contact with the
yz-plane at the focus F1 of ch and inspect the top view. The tangents drawn from the vertices
A1 and A2 to the contour of S (contact points T1 and T2 ) intersect at a possible apex S which
satisfies obviously the following conditions:
A1 S + A2 S = A1 T1 + ST1 + A2 T2 − ST2 = A1 F1 + A2 F1 = F1 F2 = const.
This characterizes the focal ellipse ce of the given hyperbola ch (see also Figure 4.14).
Case 3: Figure 4.15 shows that all right cones C passing through a given parabola c1 have
their apex S on the focal parabola c2 , since SA = ST1 + T1 A = ST2 + T2 l = Sl. ◾
We conclude this subsection with some additional theorems concerning
focal conics.
Theorem 4.2.2 Given a pair of focal conics (c1 , c2 ), each point Pi ∈ ci

for i = 1, 2 defines a point Qi on the common principal axis such that
l
C T2
S
k ′′
tS S
T1
A F c′′1
c1
c2
c′2 A F
S′
FIGURE 4.15. Which cones C of revolution pass through a given parabola c1 ?
P1 P2 = Q1 Q2 holds. The point Qi is a vertex of the second conic di which

is confocal with ci and passes through Pi (Figures 4.16 and 4.17).
Remark 4.2.1 In volume 2, we shall learn that this theorem is a special case of Ivory’s theorem
in three dimensions. It will be useful for proving thread constructions of quadrics.
Proof: We start with two parabolas, one in the xy-plane and the other in the yz-plane. We
adjust the standard parametrization of parabolas from (2.17) and set (Figure 4.16)
p
P1 = (2pu, 2pu2 , 0), P2 = (0, − 2pv2 , 2pv) , (u, v) ∈ R2 .
2
This yields
2 p 2
P1 P2 = 4p2 u2 + (2pu2 − 2
+ 2pv2 ) + 4p2 v2
p2 2
= 2p2 u2 + 2p2 v2 + 4p2 u4 + 4p2 v4 + 8p2 u2 v2 + 4
= p2 [2(u2 + v2 ) + 12 ]
Now, we verify that
1
P1 P2 = ∣p∣ [2(u2 + v2 ) + ] = ∣y1 − y2 + p∣ = Q1 Q2 , (4.1)
2
where y1 = 2pu2 and y2 = p2 − 2pv2 are the respective y-coordinates of P1 and P2 , Q1 =
(0, y1 + p2 , 0), and Q2 = (0, y2 − p2 , 0). The second parabola through P1 which is confocal
with c1 has the vertex Q1 . This follows for v = 0 from (4.1) since the directrix of this parabola
has the y-coordinate y1 + 2pu2 + p2 . Similarily we can confirm that Q2 is the vertex of the
confocal parabola through C2 .
z
c2
P2
d2
P1 P2
Q2 p/2
A F p/2 Q1
c1 d1 y
P1
x
FIGURE 4.16. P1 P2 = Q1 Q2 for points P1 and P2 on a pair of focal parabolas.
When c1 is assumed as an ellipse and c2 as its focal hyperbola, then we refer to the coordinate
frame of Figure 4.11 with the y−axis as the common principal axis and the origin at the
common center M . We recall the parametrization of ellipses given in (2.12) and of hyperbolas
given in (2.14). Thus we can set up the points P1 ∈ c1 and P2 ∈ c2 as
√
P1 = (b sin u, a cos u, 0), P2 = (0, ± a2 − b2 cosh v, b sinh v), u ∈ [0, 2π), v ∈ R,
where the upper sign at the y-coordinate of P2 defines the right branch and the lower sign the
left branch of the hyperbola c2 . Hence, we compute
2 √
P1 P2 = b2 sin2 u + (a2 − b2 ) cosh
√
2
v ∓ 2a a2 − b2 cos u cosh v + a2 cos2 u + b2 sinh2 v
= (a2 − b2 ) cos 2 u ∓ 2a a2 − b2 cos u cosh v + a2 cosh2 v.
√
With e = a2 − b2 we obtain
e a
P1 P2 = ∣e cos u ∓ a cosh v∣ = ∣ y1 − y2 ∣ , (4.2)
a e
where yi denotes the y-coordinate of the point Pi for i = 1, 2. The point Q1 = (0, ae y1 , 0) is a
vertex of the hyperbola which is confocal with ce and passes through P1 . This can be verified
by direct computation. But we can also recall the particular case of Ivory’s theorem which
is depicted in Figure 2.24: The scaling (x, y, 0) ↦ (0, ae y, 0) maps the ellipse ce onto the
segment bounded by its focal points while each point remains on the same hyperbola of the
confocal family. In the same way we can prove that Q2 is a vertex of the ellipse in the yz-plane
which passes through P2 and is confocal with the hyperbola c2 . ◾
Figure 4.16 shows the equal distances in the case of parabolas. The case
of an ellipse and its focal hyperbola is displayed in Figure 4.17, however
with a slightly modified notation. Here, Theorem 4.2.2 gives rise to a
generalization of the standard definitions of ellipses and hyperbolas, which

might explain the choice of the name ‘focal’ hyperbola or ellipse.
ch E
d2
S2
S1
d1
X ′′ A2 T2
T1 A1 F1 c′′e F2
S1 X S2 X
c′h F1 F2
A1 S1′ U S2′ A2
ce
X
FIGURE 4.17. Generalized gardener’s construction: For points S1 , S2 fixed on
different branches of the focal hyperbola ch we have S1 X + S2 X = const. for all
X ∈ ce .
Corollary 4.2.1 Given an ellipse ce , let S1 and S2 be points chosen on

different branches of the focal hyperbola ch of ce . Then, for all points
X ∈ ce , the sum S1 X + S2 X is constant. Conversely, given any two points
R1 , R2 ∈ ce , for all points Y ∈ ch the difference ∣R1 Y − R2 Y ∣ is constant.
Proof: With Theorem 4.2.2, we recognize in Figure 4.17 equal distances Si X = Ti U for i = 1, 2.
For S1 on the right branch and S2 on the left branch of the hyperbola ch , we obtain by (4.2)
S1 X = a cosh v1 − e cos u, S2 X = a cosh v2 + e cos u.
The sum S1 X + S2 X = T1 T2 is independent of the choice of X ∈ ce .
On the other hand, for the two points R1 , R2 ∈ ce with corresponding parameter values u1
and u2 we get for all Y ∈ ch ∣R1 Y − R2 Y ∣ = ∣e(cos u1 − cos u2 )∣. By the same token, such a
constant difference can also be identified at a pair of focal parabolas. ◾
The constant sum S1 X + S2 X = a(cosh v1 + cosh v2 ) gives rise to a gene-
ralized gardener’s construction (Figure 4.17). If we fix the endpoints of a
S2
ch
S1
v2 ce
ϕ ϕ
tX X v
v1
FIGURE 4.18. The constant length of the string from S1 via X to S2 is also a
consequence of congruent angles between S1 X or S2 X and the tangent tX .
string of length a(cosh v1 + cosh v2 ) at S1 and S2 on ch and pull the string

taut by a point X in the xy-plane, then X will trace the ellipse. Or, in
other words: Let us imagine the two curves as wires and choose a rubber
band instead of the string. Now we fix one endpoint at S1 ∈ ch , pull the
band around the ellipse ce and span it at the point S2 on the other branch
of ch . Surprisingly, the point X ∈ ce will not tend to a particular point on
ce where the total length attends its minimum, since for all X we get the
same length. This means, the point X can move on the ellipse without
changing the tension along the band (Figure 4.18). This phenomenon is
a consequence of the congruent angles between the tangent tX to ce at R
and the segments XS1 and XS2 . Both are lying on a right cone with apex
X and axis tX . Similar to the proof of Graves’s theorem (Theorem 2.2.5,
see Figure 2.29) we can conclude that the sum of distances S1 X + S2 R
must be constant, since the velocity vector v of X has equal components
v1 and v2 in direction of XS1 and XS2 , but with different sign.
What happens, when the point X which pulls the string between S1 and
S2 taut is not kept within the xy-plane? Then, in each plane through the
line [S1 , S2 ] the point X traces an ellipse with the foci S1 and S2 . Rotation
about S1 S2 generates an ellipsoid E of revolution which is depicted in the
front view of Figure 4.17. This ellipsoid E intersects the xy-plane exactly
along the ellipse ce .
Corollary 4.2.2 Let (c1 , c2 ) be a pair of focal conics. Then, for all com-
mon secants [X1 , X2 ] with Xi ∈ ci , i = 1, 2, the connecting planes with the
tangents ti at Xi to ci are orthogonal.
Proof: This is trivial when X2 is a focus of c1 since t2 is orthogonal to the plane of c1 .
Otherwise, by virtue of Theorem 4.2.1, there is a right cone C passing through c1 , with apex
X2 and axis t2 . The plane connecting [X1 , X2 ] with t2 is a diameter plane of C while the
connection with t1 is tangent to C along the generator [X1 , X2 ]. ◾
Remark 4.2.2 It can be proved (see vol. 2) that orthogonal projections map a pair (c1 , c2 ) of
focal conics onto confocal conics (see, e.g., Figures 4.16 and 4.18), when edge views of one of
the conics’ planes are excluded. By virtue of Corollary 4.2.2, we can already confirm that the
views of c1 and c2 under an orthogonal projection must intersect orthogonally. This follows,
since each point X of intersection is the image of any secant X1 X2 , and the tangents at X
are edge views of the orthogonal planes mentioned in the corollary above.
Theorem 4.2.3 Let the x-axis of a Cartesian coordinate frame be an axis

of symmetry of a conic c. If the normal line to c at the point P = (x, y)
intersects the x-axis at Pn = (xn , 0), then xn is a linear function of x. For
parabolas the difference xn − x is constant.
The point Pn is the center of a circle k which touches c twice: at P and
at its reflection in the x-axis. The squared radius r 2 of k is a quadratic
function of x.
Proof: By virtue of Theorem 2.1.2, conics are irreducible curves of degree two. When the x-axis
is an axis of symmetry of the conic c, then in the general equation (2.11) the unknown y shows
up only with an even exponent. Hence, we may set up
c ∶ F (x, y) = a11 x2 + a22 y 2 + 2a1 x + a = 0,
where a22 ≠ 0, since otherwise c would be reducible. The gradient
∂F ∂F
grad(F ) = ( , ) = (Fx , Fy ) = (2a11 x + a1 , 2a22 y)
∂x ∂y
at the point P = (x, y) ∈ c is orthogonal to c, since for each parametrization (x(t), y(t)) of c
the substitution F (x(t), y(t)) is the zero-function in t, and therefore, Fx ẋ + Fy ẏ = 0. We set
up the point Pn as
x 2a11 x + a1 xn
( ) + λ( )=( ).
y 2a22 y 0
This yields for points P with y ≠ 0
−1 a11 a1
λ= and xn = x − x− ,
2a22 a22 2a22
2
which is the stated linear function. The squared distance P Pn = (xn − x)2 + y 2 is a quadratic
function of x.
The signed distance xn − x is called the subnormal of point P . It is constant if, and only if,
a11 = 0, hence, by virtue of Theorem 2.1.2, the conic c is a parabola.
P ′′
c ′′
k ′′
π ′′ x
Pn x
c
k
P
FIGURE 4.19. For the conic c = C ∩ π the subnormal xn − x of P = (x, y) is a
linear function of x.
If the given axis of symmetry is the principal axis, then Theorem 4.2.3 can also be concluded,
when c is given as a planar section of a right cone C (see Figure 4.19).
We choose a sphere S which is inscribed in C and intersects the plane π along a circle k. This
circle with center Pn has a double contact with c. The points P of contact belong to the circle
of contact between S and C. Obviously, the point Pn is the point, where the normal line at P
intersects the axis of symmetry. In Figure 4.19, the front view shows the x-coordinates of P
and of Pn . Suppose, the inscribed sphere S varies. Then, the point P ′′ is mapped onto Pn by
a sequence of three parallel projections from lines to lines. This causes the stated linearity of
the function xn (x). ◾
● Exercise 4.2.1 A flexible bipartite framework. For any pair (c1 , c2 ) of focal conics, let points
X1 , . . . , Xn ∈ c1 and Y1 , . . . , Ym be the knots of a bipartite bar-and-joint framework with
m, n ≥ 2 such that no knot lies on the common principal axis of the conics. Why can all knots
move along their conics such that all mutual distances Xi Yj remain unchanged?
Hint: By virtue of (4.1), in the case of two parabolas the distance Xi Yj depends only on the
y-coordinates of the points Xi and Yj . Choose a sufficiently small k ∈ R and add k to the
y-coordinates of all Xi while k is subtracted from the y-coordinates of all knots Yj . Due to
(4.2), a similar method works for ellipses and hyperbolas.4
4
See W. Wunderlich: Fokalkurvenpaare in orthogonalen Ebenen und bewegliche Stabwerke.
Sitzungsber., Abt. II, österr. Akad. Wiss., Math.-Naturw. Kl. 185 (1976), 275–290.
Dupin cyclides
FIGURE 4.20. Dupin cyclides D are canal surfaces (cf. Remark 4.2.3) in two
ways. The spine curves are focal conics. The circles of contact with the enveloped
spheres form an orthogonal net.
We introduced non-parabolic Dupin cyclides on page 37 in the following

way. Given two circles g1 and g2 with different centers, the envelope of
a one-parameter family of spheres, whose equators h contact g1 and g2 ,
is called a Dupin cyclide, provided, the type of contacts between the
equators and the given circles is either everywhere the same or changes
simultaneously.
We can reformulate the restrictions on the kinds of contact by using sig-
ned radii for all involved circles. In accordance with (2.22), the equation
M1 M2 = ∣r1 − r2 ∣ characterizes the contact between the circles (M1 ; r1 )
and (M2 ; r2 ). In case of an interior contact the signs of r1 and r2 are equal,
while in the case of an exterior contact the signs differ. This convention
which will also be used for spheres in 3-space allows us to define Dupin
cyclides more precisely.
Definition 4.2.2 Let two circles gi = (Fi ; ri ), i = 1, 2 , be given with

signed radii r1 and r2 , where F1 ≠ F2 and r1 ≠ r2 . Then, the envelope of
the family of spheres, whose equators h = (X; ) satisfy XFi = ∣ri − ∣ for
i = 1, 2 , is a (non-parabolic) Dupin cyclide D, provided the set of equators
is not empty.
All equators h are in contact with g1 and g2 . For variable ∈ R, the

kind of contact can only change at = 0, and then this happens for
g1 and g2 simultaneously. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve. A
simultaneous change of signs for r1 and r2 has no effect on the cyclide D.
In order to obtain also parabolic cyclides, we have to replace in
Definition 4.2.2 the circle g2 by a line l such that Xl is the signed di-
stance from point X to l, i.e., positive in one half-plane of l and negative
in the other. Then, the circles h = (X; ) satisfying XF1 = ∣r1 − ∣ and
= Xl are the equators of a parabolic Dupin cyclide (see Figure 2.20).
Theorem 4.2.4 Each Dupin cyclide D is the envelope of two one-

parameter families of spheres. The centers of the spheres form a pair of
focal conics (c1 , c2 ). All normal lines of D are common secants of (c1 , c2 )
(Figure 4.20). Each sphere of one family contacts all spheres of the other
family.
For each family, the carrier planes of the circles of contact have a line in
common. Along each of these circles there is a right cone tangent to the
cyclide, and the apices of these cones are located on another line. When
one family is replaced by the other, the two lines change their roles. The
circles of contact constitute an orthogonal net on D.
Remark 4.2.3 The envelope of a one-parametric family of spheres is called a canal surface.
The centers of the spheres form the associated spine curve. Dupin cyclides together with the
torus are the only surfaces which are canal surfaces in two different ways. Another approach
to Dupin cyclides via pentaspheric coordinates can be found in [42, p. 53ff].
Proof: We proceed in six steps and treat only the non-parabolic case. A similar proof for
parabolic Dupin cyclides is left to the readers as Exercise 4.2.2.
1) Let two circles g1 = (F1 ; r1 ) and g2 = (F2 ; r2 ) with F1 ≠ F2 and r1 ≠ r2 be given in a
horizontal plane. The two radii are signed, and these signs remain fixed. We show first that
the circles h = (X; ) satisfying XFi = ∣ri − ∣ have their centers on a conic c1 with focal points
F1 and F2 (Figure 4.21).
To this end, we use the following transformation: We subtract from all involved circles the
signed radius r1 of g1 , while the centers remain fixed. This preserves each mutual contact, but
transforms the circles h into circles which pass through F1 and contact the circle (F2 ; r2 − r1 ).
The rest follows from Corollary 2.2.2.
2) The sphere S with equator h = (X; ) contacts the enveloped surface along a circle k. This
circle is defined as the limit of the circle of intersection between S and a neighboring sphere,
tY
c2
q
Y
′′
D
l′′
c′′1 p′′
A1 F1 F2 A2
k2
k1
g1
h K1
′
D
S
X C′ p
h1 c1 K2 k′ tX
c′2 g2 P
U2 V2 V1
U1 A1 F1 F2 A2 P0
Q =q ′ h2
FIGURE 4.21. Top and front view of the Dupin cyclide D which envelopes the
spheres with equators h being tangent to two given circles g1 and g2 .
when the latter tends towards S within the family of spheres. The plane of k is vertical.
Furthermore, the axis tX of k is tangent to the conic c1 at X. We know already two points
K1 , K2 ∈ k, the respective points of contact of the equator h and the given circles g1 and g2 .
The lines connecting the center X of the sphere S with points of the circle k ⊂ S are orthogonal
to S and to the envelope D. These lines form a right cone with apex X and axis tX . Since
the centers F1 and F2 of the given circles are focal points of the conic c1 , the comparison
with Figures 4.11, 4.13 and 4.15 reveals that this cone passes through the focal conic c2 of
c1 . Hence, all normals of the Dupin cyclide D are common secants of the pair of focal conics
(c1 , c2 ).
3) There is a right cone C which contacts S and D along k. Let P be its apex. The power
2
P K1 of P w.r.t. the equator h = (X; ) is the same as with respect to g1 and g2 . Hence, for
all X ∈ c1 , the apex P is a point of the horizontal radical axis p of the given circles g1 and g2 .
4) The common diameter [F1 , F2 ] of the given circles is the principal axis of c1 . At the
principal vertices A1 , A2 of c1 , the radii of the corresponding equators h1 , h2 attain extremal
values 1 , 2 , respectively. [F1 , F2 ] is also an axis of symmetry of the Dupin cyclide D.
The tangents to h at K1 and K2 are symmetric with respect to the axis tX of the cone C
(Figure 4.21). The line [K1 , K2 ] intersects g2 at a second point, and there the tangent to
g2 is parallel to the tangent to g1 at K1 . Therefore, the point Q of intersection between the

common diameter [F1 , F2 ] and the plane of k is the center of a similarity which maps g1 onto
g2 . Thus, the point Q is independent of the choice of X ∈ c1 . For all circles k, the spanned
planes share the vertical line q through Q.
Let Ui and Vi for i = 1, 2 denote the points of intersection between [F1 , F2 ] and gi . Then, the
point Q satisfies the equation QU1 ∶ QV1 = QV2 ∶ QU2 . This implies that QU1 ⋅QU2 = QV1 ⋅QV2 .
2
Hence, the power of Q with respect to h1 , i.e., QA1 − 21 = QU1 ⋅ QV2 , is the same as that
with respect to h2 . The vertical line q through Q is the radical axis of the two circles k1 , k2 of
contact with the centers A1 and A2 at the principal vertices of c1 . In the same way it follows
that the point P0 of intersection between the common diameter and the line p is the center of
a similarity with h1 ↦ h2 and k1 ↦ k2 .
5) We choose the principal axis [F1 , F2 ] of c1 as the y-axis and the secondary axis as x-axis of
a Cartesian coordinate frame (like in Figure 4.11). By virtue of Theorem 4.2.2, the distance
between any two points X ∈ c1 and Y ∈ c2 depends only on the respective y-coordinates y1
of X and y2 of Y . If c1 is an ellipse with semimajor axis a and numerical eccentricity e, then
according to (4.2) XY = ∣ ae y1 − ae y2 ∣.
Let all points X ∈ c1 and Y ∈ c2 be centers of spheres with respective signed radii
e a
rX = y1 + r 0 , rY = y2 + r 0 (4.3)
a e
with any real constant r0 . This defines two families of spheres, one centered on c1 and the
other centered on c2 . Because of XY = ∣1 − 2 ∣ any two spheres (X; rX ) and (Y ; rY ) taken
from different families are in contact. The point of contact lies on the connecting line [X, Y ].
In particular, all spheres centered on c1 contact the spheres with centers F1 and F2 , i.e., where
y2 = ±e. Their equators in the xy-plane have the radii rY = r0 ± a.
Conversely, if these two equators with centers F1 , F2 and respective signed radii r1 = r0 +a and
r2 = r0 −a are given, we obtain r0 = (r1 +r2 )/2 and a = ∣r1 −r2 ∣/2. According to Definition 4.2.2,
the envelope of both families of spheres is the same Dupin cyclide D which has been studied
above. By the same token, when the constant r0 changes, D is replaced by an offset surface.
6) The normal lines passing through a fixed point Y ∈ c2 form a cone of revolution. Its curve
of intersection with the sphere (Y ; rY ) is a circle l which is at the same time the circle of
contact between this sphere and D. For Y → ∞ the sphere becomes a plane. There are two
such planes passing through p. The top view in Figure 4.21 shows them in an edge view.
All spheres (X; rX ) of the first family contact these two planes which reveals again that the
radius rX is a linear function of the y-coordinate y1 of X.
Let T ∈ D on the normal line [X, Y ] be the point of contact between the two spheres (X; rX )
and (Y ; rY ). There are two circles of D passing through T : The circle k of contact between
(X; rX ) and D lies in a plane through the vertical line q; the circle l of contact between
(Y ; rY ) and D lies in a plane through the line p (Figure 4.22).
The tangents to k and l at T span the tangent plane of D which is orthogonal to [X, Y ]. The
tangent to l must intersect p and passes, therefore, through the apex P of the right cone C,
which contacts D along k (compare with Figure 4.21). The tangent to l at T is, therefore,
orthogonal to k. The circles of contact of both families of spheres form an orthogonal net on
D.5 ◾
5
In fact, the circles of contact between the spheres of both families and the Dupin cyclide D
are the curvature lines of D.
X P0
g1 Q0
g2
p
k P
Y
FIGURE 4.22. The circles of contact between the Dupin cyclide and its two
families of spheres constitute an orthogonal net.
Remark 4.2.4 According to the proof given above, the point Q has the same power with
respect to the two circles h1 and h2 (Figure 4.21). Therefore, Q is the center of an inversion
(see Section 7.5) which maps h1 onto itself as well as h2 . This inversion exchanges g1 with g2 ,
while all circles h remain fixed. Consequently, also in space there is an inversion with center
Q mapping D onto itself since all spheres of the first family remain fixed. Similarily, the point
P0 is the center of an inversion which maps each sphere of the second family onto itself.
By the way, Dupin cyclides can also be obtained by applying a 3D inversion onto a torus, a
right cone, or a right cylinder.
● Exercise 4.2.2 Parabolic Dupin cyclides. Modify the proof of Theorem 4.2.4 as provided
above, for the case of a parabolic Dupin cyclide.
● Exercise 4.2.3 Equation of Dupin cyclides. Prove that a Dupin cyclide D with an ellipse
c1 and its focal hyperbola c2 as spine curves satisfies in the coordinate frame of Figure 4.11
the equation
2
(x2 + y 2 + z 2 + b2 − r02 ) − 4b2 x2 − 4(ay + er0 )2 = 0
√
of degree four with e = a2 − b2 and any constant r0 ∈ R, when, by virtue of (4.3), the
enveloping spheres have the radii r1 = ae y1 + r0 and r2 = ae y2 − r0 .
Hint: The spheres centered on c1 satisfy the equation
(x − b sin u)2 + (y − a cos u)2 + z 2 = (e cos u + r0 )2 ,
with u ∈ [0, 2π[ as parameter. Because of (a2 − e2 ) cos 2 u + b2 sin2 u = b2 , we can rewrite it as
F (x, y, z, u) ∶= x2 + y 2 + z 2 − 2bx sin u − 2 cos u(ay + er0 ) + b2 − r02 = 0 .
The circles of contact with the enveloped cyclide D satisfy, beside F (x, y, z, u) = 0, also
∂
∂u
F (x, y, z, u) = 0 which leads to 2bx cos u − 2 sin u(ay + er0 ) = 0. The stated equation of
D is the result after the elimination of u from F (x, y, z, u) = 0 and its partial derivative.
We obtain the same equation when starting with the spheres centered on the focal hyperbola
c2 . This gives
x2 + y 2 + z 2 ∓ 2 cosh v(ey + ar0 ) − 2bz sinh v − b2 − r02 = 0 ,
and for the planes through the circles of contact 2 sinh v(ey + ar0 ) ∓ 2bz cosh v = 0 .
Hence, Dupin cyclides with an ellipse and hyperbola as spine curves are of degree four, while
parabolic cylides are cubic surfaces. The latter can be proved in a similar way.
4.3 Perspective images of conics 153
4.3 Perspective images of conics

The main goal of this section is to prove that not only circles, but all
conics have the property that their perspective images are again conics,
provided the carrier plane of the conic does not pass through the center
of the projection.
Quadratic cones
In analogy to the definition of curves of degree two on page 20, we call in
the Euclidean 3-space E3 the set Q of points whose Cartesian coordinates
(x, y, z) satisfy a given quadratic equation
b11 x2 + 2b12 xy + 2b13 xz + ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ + b33 z 2 + 2b1 x + 2b2 y + 2b3 z + b = 0 (4.4)
a surface of degree two. Again, the degree is invariant under changes
(x, y, z) ↦ (x′ , y ′ , z ′ ) of the Cartesian coordinate system, since the new
coordinates are linear functions of the initial coordinates, and vice versa.
The surface with the equation (4.4) is called reducible if the polynomial
on the left-hand side splits into two linear polynomials. Then, the surface
Q consists of two planes or only of one. Similarily to the planar case, a
polynomial can be irreducible over R, but reducible over C, and the point
set Q can be empty, e.g., in the case x2 + y 2 + z 2 + 1 = 0.
A surface Q of degree two is called a quadratic cone C if there exists
exactly one point S ∈ C such that with each point P ∈ C {S} all points of
the connecting line [S, P ] belong to C. The point S is called the apex of
C. A quadratic cone must be irreducible since otherwise the apex would
not be unique.
Let (4.4) be the equation of a quadratic cone C with its apex S at the
origin. Then, the polynomial F (x, y, z) on the left-hand side satisfies
F (0, 0, 0) = b = 0. Furthermore, P ∈ C {0}, i.e., F (xP , yP , zP ) = 0, must
imply
F (λxP , λyP , λzP ) = λ2 (b11 x2P + ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ + b33 zP2 ) + 2λ(b1 xP + b2 yP + b3 zP ) = 0
for all λ ∈ R. This is only possible, when for all P ∈ C in the equation
above the quadratic term and the linear term vanish. Being a quadratic
polynomial, F (x, y, z) must be homogeneous of degree two, and therefore,
b1 = b2 = b3 = 0.
The lemma below focuses on two important properties of quadratic cones.
Lemma 4.3.1 The lines in E3 connecting a given point S with the points
of a conic which is not coplanar with S, form a quadratic cone. Conver-
sely, a quadratic cone intersects all planes not passing through the apex
along conics.
Proof: We choose a Cartesian coordinate frame with the origin at the point S such that the
given conic lies in the plane z = 1. If the conic satisfies the equation
a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + a1 x + a2 y + a = 0,
then
a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + a1 xz + a2 yz + az 2 = 0
is the equation of a quadratic cone. In the reverse direction, this confirms the second statement
of Lemma 4.3.1, since without loss of generality the intersecting plane can be specified with
the equation z = 1. ◾
Remark 4.3.1 As a consequence of Theorem 2.1.2, each irreducible homogeneous quadratic

polynomial with any zero other than (0, 0, 0) defines as its set of zeros a quadratic cone.
By virtue of the principal axes transformation which will be provided

in volume 2, there is always an appropriate coordinate system such that
the corresponding homogeneous equation of the quadratic cone with apex
S = (0, 0, 0) contains only squares; all terms with mixed products xy, yz
or yz vanish. Since this equation must admit other zeros than the origin,
quadratic cones have the standard equation
x2 y 2
C∶ + − z 2 = 0 with a ≥ b > 0. (4.5)
a2 b2
It turns out that among the planar sections of quadratic cones there are
always circles. We can prove this by checking the intersection between the
cone C in (4.5) and the sphere
S ∶ x2 + y 2 + (z − 1 − a2 )2 = a2 (1 + a)2
(Figure 4.23). We eliminate x2 from the two equations and obtain
(a2 − b2 )y 2 − b2 (1 + a2 )(z − 1)2 = 0.
This is the equation of a pair of planes through the point (0, 0, 1) which
lies in the interior of S. Hence, the two planes which are displayed in red
color in Figure 4.23, intersect S along two circles which also belong to
C. All planes which are parallel to one of these two planes, intersect the
C
S
z z
z=1
S
x
S ′′ S ′′′ y
x S′
FIGURE 4.23. Each quadratic cone has circular sections and (at least) three
planes of symmetry.
quadratic cone C along circles. We call them circular sections of C. This

means also that each quadratic cone can be defined as the connection of a
circle with a non-coplanar apex S. Therefore, quadratic cones other than
right cones can also be called oblique circular cones.
Central projection of conics

The basic term in this subsection is the central projection. It is defined
by an image plane π and a center C ∉ π (Figure 4.24). The pedal point
of C with respect to π is called principal point H; the distance d = CH
is the principal distance. The image X c of any point X other than C is
the point of intersection between the ‘line of sight’ [C, X] and the image
plane π. The image of any scene is called (central or linear) perspective.
It can happen that [C, X] is parallel to π. Then, we define the image
X c as a point at infinity. In this case, X lies in the vanishing plane π v
which passes through C and is parallel to π. On the other hand, points
at infinity can have a finite image: Figure 4.25 shows that the images of
lines parallel to the z-axis have a common point Zuc whose pre-image is
at infinity (for the extension of the Euclidean plane by points at infinity
see Section 5.1).
va im
ni
sh ag
in e
g pl
πv pl π a ne
a ne
y y′
Xc X
C z H
x x′
FIGURE 4.24. Central projection X ↦ X c with center C, principal point H and

camera frame (x, y, z).
Theorem 4.3.1 Central projections map conics c onto conics cc , provi-

ded the plane of c does not pass through the projection center C. Depending
on the number 0, 1, or 2 of intersection points between c and the vanishing
plane, the image cc is an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola.
Proof: This follows directly from Lemma 4.3.1: The cone connecting the projection center with
the conic c is quadratic, and this cone intersects the image plane π along a conic cc . Exactly
the points of intersection between c and the vanishing plane are mapped onto the points at
infinity of the conic cc . ◾
Of course, Theorem 4.3.1 is also valid for circles. Figure 4.26 shows the
perspective of a packing of congruent circles over a square grid. The circles
depicted in Figure 4.27 form a parabolic pencil. They are located in the
xy-plane and contact the y-axis at the origin O. All types of conics can
be found among the images. Figure 4.25 shows a perspective of circle
packings in all three coordinate planes. The points Xuc , Yuc , and Zuc are
the images of the ideal points of the coordinate axes.
The central projection is the geometric idealization of the photographic
mapping with C as the focal center of the lenses, with π as the plane
carrying the film or the CCD sensor, and with d as focal length. However,
Yuc Xuc
Zuc
FIGURE 4.25. Perspective of unit circle packings in the coordinate planes.
one has to note that the central projection is defined for all points X ≠ C
in space, while the photographic mapping depicts only points inside a
four-sided pyramid with apex C in one half-space of the vanishing plane.
In Figure 4.27, some of the circles are mapped onto hyperbolas; their
second branch would not be visible under a photographic mapping.
It does not matter that — contrary to Figure 4.24 — at the photographic
mapping the image plane does not belong to this half-space. As demon-
strated in Figure 4.28, the plane π shows the same image as its reflection
π in the center C. There is just one difference: The negative plane π shows
the image upside down.
FIGURE 4.26. Perspective of a circle packing over a square grid.
Each photographic mapping defines an associated coordinate system in

space, the camera frame (x, y, z) (Figure 4.24). Its origin is placed at
the center C. The principal ray of sight pointing from C into the visible
halfspace is the z-axis. The horizontal and vertical directions of the image
sensor define the x and y-axis spanning the vanishing plane π v .
When the principal point H is specified as the origin of a coordinate
frame (x′ , y ′ ) in the image plane π, then the photographic mapping and
the associated central projection obey the matrix equation
⎛ x ⎞ x′
x x
d⎛ ⎞ d 1 0 0 ⎛ ⎞
⎜ y ⎟ ↦ ( ′ )= ⎜ y ⎟= ( )⎜ y ⎟.
⎝ z ⎠ y z⎝ ⎠ z 0 1 0 ⎝ ⎠
z z
Now, we bring this in a more general form: We replace the camera frame
by arbitrary world coordinates (x, y, z), namely
⎛ x ⎞ ⎛ a ⎞ ⎛ x ⎞
⎜ y ⎟ = ⎜ b ⎟ + R⎜ y ⎟,
⎝ z ⎠ ⎝ c ⎠ ⎝ z ⎠
FIGURE 4.27. Perspective of a parabolic pencil of circles.

ne va im
ga ni
tiv s ag
πv hing
CP
π e π e
pl pl
a pl a ne
ne a ne
X
CP
Xc
CP H C
H
Xc
d d
c
FIGURE 4.28. Central projection X ↦ X onto the negative plane π.
where R is an orthogonal 3×3-matrix. A similar coordinate transformation

(x′ , y ′ ) → (x′ , y ′ ) can be performed in the image plane π. This reveals
that finally the coordinates x′ and y ′ of X c can be expressed as rational
functions of the world coordinates (x, y, z) of the pre-image, such that
the numerator and the denominator are linear in x, y, and z, and the
denominators in x′ and y ′ are equal.
These formulas can be used to transform any rational parametrization of
a conic c onto a rational parametrization of the image cc .
C
H
C
F1c
u
F2 F1
π
uc S
πv
FIGURE 4.29. The perspective contour uc of the sphere S is a conic uc . The

points F1 , F2 ∈ S are projected onto the focal points of uc .
In order to obtain the perspective of any sphere S, we draw the tangents

from the center C to the sphere S. They form a right cone C, provided the
projection center C lies in the exterior of S. The cone C contacts S along
a circle u and intersects the image plane π in a conic uc , the contour of
S, whose principal axis passes through the principal point H. Figure 4.29
shows the orthogonal projection of the scene onto a plane through C, H
and the sphere’s center.
When S intersects the vanishing plane π v along a circle, then uc is a
hyperbola. In the case of contact between S and π v the contour uc is a
parabola. We obtain an ellipse uc under S ∩ π v = ∅ (note Figure 4.30).
By virtue of Theorem 4.1.1, the focal points of the contour uc = C ∩ π
are the points of contact of the image plane π and the Dandelin spheres.
Each Dandelin sphere can be transformed onto the given sphere S by a
similarity with center C. This similarity sends the corresponding focal

point onto a point on S, whose tangent plane is parallel to π. Therefore,
the projections of the points F1 , F2 ∈ S with extreme distance to the image
plane π are the focal points of the contour uc (Figure 4.29).
H p
e
FIGURE 4.30. Ellipse e, parabola p and hyperbola h as contours of spheres.
Similar results are valid for parallel projections which are the limiting
cases of central projections, when the center C tends to infinity: conics
are projected onto conics of the same type, and the perspective of a sphere
is an ellipse. We will get a deeper insight in chapter 8 which treats affine
geometry.
We speak of a linear image, whenever a scene in E3 is mapped into a
plane by a central or parallel projection.
4.4 Spatial interpretation of conic constructions

In this section, we shall learn that some constructions of conics and related
to conics can be solved by simply interpreting the given planar figures as
some projection of a geometric object in a three-dimensional space and
solving the transferred problem there. The projection of the solution to
the spatial problem yields the solution to the initial problem.
Unfortunately, there is no general concept for this method. Some inter-
pretations are obvious, some seem to be tricky. The method is restricted
to special problems: Any given configuration of points, lines, and conics
that can be interpreted as a linear image of points and conics on an au-
xiliary quadric (surface of degree two, including cones and cylinders) or
lines tangent to the auxiliary surface can be treated that way. The major
advantage of this method is that it allows us to find the solutions wi-
thout any knowledge in Projective Geometry and is, therefore, accessible
to everybody who is familiar with three-dimensional geometry.
In the following we shall solve some problems in order to show to which
problems the technique of spatial interpretation applies to.
Ellipses on three points and two parallel tangents
U1 s U1′ =s′
A′
A A′
1′
1 e e′ =Δ′
p p′
M M′
B ′
B B′
2 2′
C
C′ C′
U2 t U2′ =t′
FIGURE 4.31. The ellipses on three points A, B, C and two parallel tangents s, t
are orthogonal projections of four planar intersections of a cylinder of revolution.
How to find ellipses on three points A, B, C tangent to two tangents s,

t in admissible position? Figure 4.31 shows the initial situation: We are
4.4 Spatial interpretation of conic constructions 163
given three points A, B, C and two parallel tangents s, t. We assume that

none of the given points is incident with a given line. Further, A, B, and
C shall not be collinear and lie entirely in the strip bounded by s and t.
The key idea is the following: The two parallel tangents s and t can be
viewed as the contour of a cylinder Δ of revolution under an orthogonal
projection to some plane parallel to the cylinder’s axis. If s and t are
displayed in a side-view which is the result of an orthogonal projection
in the direction of s and t, then any generator of the cylinder Δ appears
as a point. Consequently, the cylinder Δ shows up as a circle Δ′ whose
radius is half the distance between s and t. The points A, B, C are now
considered to be images of points on Δ. Therefore, they can be seen in
the side-view as points A′ , B ′ , C ′ on the circle e′ = Δ′ , see Figure 4.31.
s A′
A e′ =Δ′
axis
B B′
C′
C
U2 t U2 =t′
FIGURE 4.32. There is a perspective affine mapping between the circle e′ and
the requested ellipse e. Pairs (A, A′ ) of corresponding points are joined by mu-
tually parallel fixed lines of the affine mapping. The axis of the affine mapping is
the locus of points that have coinciding images in both orthogonal projections.
Note that there are two choices for A′ ∈ Δ′ : on the left or on the right-hand
side (Figure 4.31), i.e., on the back or on the front side of the cylinder
Δ. This is also the case for the pre-images of B and C. We choose the
particular configuration of A′ , B ′ , and C ′ shown in Figure 4.31. The pair
(A, A′ ) determines a point P in Euclidean three-space which is located
on the cylinder Δ. The same holds true for (B, B ′ ) and (C, C ′ ). We call
these points Q and R.
The points P , Q, and R span a plane that meets Δ along an ellipse e. The
side-view e′ of e agrees with the side-view Δ′ of Δ. In order to complete
the conic e, i.e., the solution to the initial problem, one has to construct
at least the points U1 and U2 of contact of e with s and t. The latter
points are the contour points on e, and therefore, they are located on the
principal line6 with the side view p′ (cf. Figure 4.31).
Axes and vertices can be found in many ways. A constructive way is dis-
played and explained in Figure 9.7. We skip the details of the construction
here, since many CAD-systems have tools to construct ellipses from va-
rious pieces. On the other hand, there is a perspective affine mapping that
maps e′ onto e (Figure 4.32). It can be used to complete the drawing.
FIGURE 4.33. Eight ellipses on the cylinder Δ: Any two equally colored ellipses
map to the same ellipse under a certain orthogonal projection.
More important is the fact that there are, in general, four solutions. This
is clearly seen when we consider the following: As mentioned above, there
are two choices for the side-view of a given point. In Figure 4.31, the
different choices are distinguished by bars on top of the symbol. Thus,
there are eight planes that can be defined on these points and we have
eight intersections with Δ, see Figure 4.33. However, there are four pairs
of planes that result in coinciding images: For example the planes ε ∶=
[P, Q, R] and ε ∶= [P , Q, R] are symmetric with respect to the principal
6
In Descriptive Geometry, a principal line is a line that is parallel to the image plane of a par-
allel projection. Similarily, a principal plane is parallel to the image plane of any projection.
plane through Δ’s axis. Thus, the two curves ε ∩ Δ and ε ∩ Δ are mapped
to the same curve under the orthogonal projection that yields the initial
figure (Figure 4.31, left).
There exists no ellipse on three points touching s and t if at least one of
the given points lies outside the strip bounded by s and t.
The choice of the auxiliary surface for obtaining a spatial pre-image should
be made such that constructions become as simple as possible. In the
present example, we could also take an elliptic cylinder (different from
a cylinder of revolution), but this would not simplify the construction.
Only theoretically, it would be the same way of solving the problem, and
it would yield the same four ellipses.
B B′ B′
1 1′ Δ′
A
a A′
A′
U1 U1′
2 2′
b U2 U2′
Δ′
C
C′ C′
FIGURE 4.34. Hyperbolas on three points A, B, C and two parallel tangents s, t

may be found as an orthogonal projection of planar intersections of a hyperbolic
cylinder (cf. Exercise 4.4.1). The fat hyperbola on the left-hand side corresponds
to the particular choice of A′ , B ′ , C ′ in the side view on the right-hand side.
● Exercise 4.4.1 Hyperbolas on three points and two parallel tangents. Discuss the type and
number of solutions to the example displayed in Figure 4.31 depending on the position of A,
B, C relative to s and t.
● Exercise 4.4.2 Modify the configuration of given points and lines from Example 4.4.1:
Assume that the points A, B, C lie outside of the strip bounded by the parallel lines s and t.
Hint: In this case, the auxiliary cylinder is a hyperbolic cylinder, i.e., its base is a hyperbola.
A short version of the construction may look as shown in Figure 4.34.
● Exercise 4.4.3 Find all parabolas on three points and a given tangent. Use a parabolic
cylinder as the auxiliary surface. An example is shown in Figure 4.38.
U U′ b′
b c′
c
s A
2 2′ A′
S B B′
S′
a 1 l a′ 1′
t s =t′
′ C′
C
l′
V V′
FIGURE 4.35. The ellipse l is one of four conics passing through A, B, C

touching the lines s and t. It is the orthogonal projection of a planar intersection
of a cone or revolution.
Conics on three points and a pair of intersecting tangents

What happens if s and t are intersecting in a proper point? Then, we
cannot expect to find conics of a certain affine type interpolating the given
points and lines. From the constructive point of view, we have to replace
the auxiliary cylinder by a quadratic cone Γ. For the sake of simplicity, Γ
should be chosen as a cone of revolution.
Again the two given lines s and t are interpreted as the contour lines (see
Figure 4.35) and the conics (ellipses, hyperbolas, and, in some cases, even
parabolas) are found as the orthogonal projections of planar intersections
of the cone Γ with its axis parallel to the image plane.
Figure 4.35 shows the given lines s, t together with the points A, B, C. To
the given configuration of points and lines (interpreted as an orthogonal
projection of a cone of revolution), we attach another orthogonal view
in the direction of the cone’s axis. In the attached view, we can see the
parallel circles a, b, c on the cone Γ carrying the points A′ , B ′ , C ′ that
map to A, B, C. Like in the previous cases, there are two possible choices
for A′ , B ′ , and C ′ . For the moment, we treat one certain choice.
Our goal is to find two further points of a solution l. Then, the conic l
is well-defined (or even over-determined). Here, we pay attention to the
contour points U and V which are located on a principal line. Once the
contour points (points of contact of a solution l with s and t) are found,
the solution l is over-determined by two line elements and three further

points. As mentioned before, there are several different ways to find axes
and vertices of the solution l: the approach via Constructive Geometry, or
via Projective Geometry, or even with purely planar and elementary tech-
niques like the perspective affinity joining the two orthogonal projections.
We skip the details here.
s
A A′
B B′
C
t C′
FIGURE 4.36. All four solutions to the problem given in Figure 4.35 are ortho-
gonal projections of eight planar sections of the cone Γ. Curves with the same
color on the right-hand side map to the same curve on the left-hand side.
Figure 4.36 shows all four conics that touch the two intersecting lines s
and t and pass through the three points A, B, C. Any solution is the
image of two conics which are displayed in the same color in Figure 4.36.
In a similar way, i.e., using cylinders and cones as auxiliary surfaces, we
can solve the following problems: For the construction of conics on two
points and three tangents, we interpret two out of the three tangents as
the contour lines of a cone or cylinder (if two of these lines happen to be
parallel). For construction purposes it is much simpler to assume that the
contour is that of a surface of revolution. The third line is then considered
as a tangent of the auxiliary surface, and the two given points shall lie on
the surface.
● Exercise 4.4.4 Conics on line elements, points, and tangents. Apply the method of spatial
interpretation to the following configuration of given elements. Discuss the number of solutions
depending on the position of lines and points relative to each other: Figure 4.37 shall give an
idea how possible configurations and solutions may look like.
1. Find all conics on one line element (A, a) plus two tangents b, c, and one point B.
2. Find all conics on one line element (A, a) plus two points B, C, and one tangent b.
l2 l1
s1
l
B a
A
b
A s2
l1 l2
a
l1
c B C b
l2
FIGURE 4.37. Conics determined by given line elements, points or lines as

mentioned in Exercise 4.4.4: Left: Given one line element (A, a), two tangents
b, c, and one point B. Right: Given one line element (A, a), two points B, C,
and one tangent b. In both cases, some solutions are degenerate: a repeated l
(left-hand side) and a pair (s1 , s2 ) of lines (right-hand side). These lines meet
the requirements of solutions algebraically.
The example of ellipses tangent to two parallel lines given at the very
beginning of this chapter (see Figure 4.31) is somehow special. A priori,
the affine type of the conics showing up as solutions is known. Another
special case in the sense of affine geometry would be the following varia-
tion: Find all parabolas on one tangent (proper line) and three (proper
and non-collinear) points. In this case, the given line is interpreted as
the contour line of a parabolic cylinder. The solutions to the initial pro-
blem are orthogonal projections of planar intersections of the cylinder.
The image plane is parallel to the cylinder’s generators. An example is
displayed in Figure 4.38. The construction is indicated and reduced to
the construction of the contact point T1 of one particular solution l1 .
Conics on three points and touching a given conic twice

There is a second group of problems that can be solved by means of spatial
interpretation. However, there may be configurations of points that may
C′ C
l1
l4 l2
Δ′ =l1′ =l2′ =l3′ =l4′
B′
B
1′ 1
A′ l3
A
T1′ t T1
FIGURE 4.38. A parabolic cylinder Δ serves as an auxiliary surface when we
have to find all parabolas on three points A, B, C, and a given tangent t.
not yield a single solution. We only deal with those cases that show (real)
solutions and start with a circle c and three points A, B, C in the interior
of c (Figure 4.39, right). We are looking for all conics that pass through the
given three points and touch c twice. Consequently, we interpret c as the
contour of a sphere Σ (indeed any regular quadric of revolution with the
same contour would also be a possible choice provided that its points are
mapped to the interior of c). The points A, B, and C are the orthogonal
projections of points P , Q, R on Σ. (Again, there are two possible choices
of P as pre-images of A, and similar for Q and R.) The plane ε spanned
by P , Q, and R meets Σ in a circle k1 whose orthogonal projection gives
one solution l1 (see Figure 4.39, left). Note that the solution l1 touches c
twice while the pre-image k1 meets c transversely.
Again, the situation in three-dimensional space shows eight conics that
map to only four solutions. This is due to the symmetry of the auxiliary
surface Σ with respect to the carrier plane of c. The red solution l4 shown
in Figure 4.39 (on the right) is not a wrong solution. The double contact
happens in a pair of complex conjugate points joined by a real line.
Figure 4.40 shows that a one-sheeted hyperboloid of revolution can serve
as an auxiliary surface if the three given points are exterior points of c.
Again, one solution seems to be wrong. However, like in Figure 4.39, the
seemingly wrong solution is in double contact with c at a pair of complex
conjugate points.
● Exercise 4.4.5 What to do if c is not a circle? The technique of spatial interpretation is

not restricted to the case of a circle. If c happens to be an ellipse, the auxiliary surface may
no longer be a surface of revolution. However, in such cases it is useful to interpret c as the
l3
Σ R
c
k1 Q
k4
P
l1 l2 B
l4
k2
k3
c
C
A
P Q
R
FIGURE 4.39. Left: Eight circles on the sphere that map to four ellipses touching
the contour circle twice. Right: Four ellipses l1 , l2 , l3 , l4 are in double contact
with the circle c and pass through three points A, B, C. These ellipses are
obtained from the eight ellipses on the left by an orthogonal projection.
contour of an ellipsoid (which may still be one of revolution) or as the contour of a one-sheeted
hyperboloid (which cannot be of revolution in this case). An ellipsoid has to be chosen if the
given points A, B, and C are interior points of c. In case of exterior points, we have to use
the one-sheeted hyperboloid.
● Exercise 4.4.6 What to do if c is a parabola? If there is a parabola c to be touched twice

by conics on three points A, B, and C, there are again two cases to be distinguished: If the
given points A, B, and C are interior points, we interpret c as the contour of an elliptic
paraboloid (which could be, for the sake of simplicity, a paraboloid of revolution). In the case
of three exterior points, we view c as the contour of a hyperbolic paraboloid (which could be
an orthogonal one). The last case is illustrated in Figure 4.41. Figure 4.42 shows the four
conics l1 , l2 , l3 , and l4 on A, B, C that touch the parabola c. None of the four conics can be
an ellipse. Each solution is the orthogonal projection of a planar intersetion of a hyperbolic
paraboloid which carries only parabolas and hyperbolas.
Note that all examples given in this section have one property in common:
There are no real solutions if the given conic c separates one of the given
points from the others. A mixture of interior and exterior points of c
cannot be interpolated by a conic that touches a given conic twice.
In the case of lines and line elements, the given points have to lie in the
same wedge enclosed by two given tangents to allow real solutions.
B
c
FIGURE 4.40. Left: Eight conics (ellipses) on the one-sheeted hyperboloid that
map to four ellipses touching the contour circle c twice (cf. Exercise 4.4.5). Right:
The four ellipses on A, B, C in double contact with c are obtained from the
eight ellipses on the left by an orthogonal projection to the carrier plane of c.
Hyperosculating conics on two points touching a given conic

How to find conics which hyperosculate a given conic c and interpolate
two given points A and B. Hyperosculation can be viewed as a limi-
ting case of double contact: Let the two contact points converge towards
each other, and the double contact becomes one contact but with contact
order three, i.e., algebraically speaking, the two curves intersect at one
point with multiplicity four. Another important fact follows from Theo-
rem 3.3.1: Assume (P, t) is a line element on a sphere Σ. As already shown
in Figure 3.48, the planes through t intersect Σ along circles which share
the line element (P, t). The orthogonal projection onto the plane of the
great circle u through (P, t) yields ellipses with the common hyperoscula-
ting circle u. In Definition 6.4.1 (see Section 6.3), we shall give a different,
but nevertheless equivalent definition of hyperosculation.
Figure 4.43 shows the two conics that hyperosculate a circle c and pass
through two given points A and B. As in the aforementioned cases, we
cannot expect real solutions if one of the given points is an interior point
and the other one is an outer point of c.
FIGURE 4.41. The spatial interpretation (cf. Exercise 4.4.6) shows eight conics
(parabolas and hyperbolas) on a hyperbolic paraboloid meeting the contour
(cyan) transversely. Any pair of conics with the same color map onto one conic
under the orthogonal projection onto the contour’s plane.
Again the (affine) type of the auxiliary surface depends on the given
conic c and on whether the given points are interior or outer points.
For a circle c the simplest auxiliary surface is a surface of revolution:
a sphere (or ellipsoid) if A and B are interior points of c, a one-sheeted
hyperboloid otherwise. If c is a hyperbola, we use a hyperboloid, and if c is
a parabola, we choose a paraboloid as auxiliary surface. Figure 4.44 shows
the situation in three-space, i.e., the result of the spatial interpretation.
Here, the simple case of conics that osculate a circle c is treated. The
auxiliary surface is a sphere.
The key idea is to interpret the two given points A and B as points on
the auxiliary quadric Φ which again leaves two possibilities for each point
(Figure 4.44). The line s = [P, Q] connecting the pre-images of A and B
meets the carrier (principal) plane ε of c in a point T . The two tangents
from T to c touch c at the contact points H1 and H2 of the conics l1 and l2
l2
l3
l4 l1 l4
c
l2
A
l1 l3
FIGURE 4.42. Conics in double contact with a parabola (cf. Exercise 4.4.6). The
orange solution l4 is in double contact with c at a pair of complex conjugate
points.
we are looking for. Note that the position of T relative to c is responsible

for the number (or existence) of real solutions.
The choice of s = [P, Q], i.e., one point on either side of ε, results in
a point S = s ∩ ε in the interior of c. Consequently, there are no real
tangents from S to c. Therefore, the contact points as well as the conics
interpolating A and B and hyperosculating c are not real.
● Exercise 4.4.7 Parabolas or hyperbolas on two points which hyperosculate a given conic.
Replace the circle from above with an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola and look for all
conics on two points that hyperosculate the given conic c. What could possible auxiliary
surfaces look like depending on the affine type of the conic c?
Conics on three points with a given focus

Conics on three points A, B, C and a given focus F can also be found via
spatial interpretation. We consider the given three points as the top view
of three points on a cone Γ of revolution with vertical axis. The common
focal point F is the top view of Γ’s apex (cf. Theorem 4.1.3).
Figure 4.45 shows the construction of the conic on three points A′ , B ′ , C ′ ,
and prescribed focus F ′ . (The initial points got primes, because they are
H2
T
c
l2 l1 B
H1
FIGURE 4.43. Spatial interpretation also helps to find hyperosculating conics

interpolating two additional points. Note that the line [A, B] is concurrent with
the two tangents at the hyperosculation points H1 , H2 .
interpreted as the top view of three points in E3 .) The front view (points
labeled with a double prime) shows the straight contour of the cone and
the three points A′′ , B ′′ , C ′′ . The right-side view (triple primes) attached
to the top view is chosen such that the plane ε = [A, B, C] is in edge-view
and can be seen as a straight line ε′′′ . The right-side view l′′′ = ε′′′ of the
particular solution l coincides with the image of l. Vertices and the center
(if at all present) can be found in the side view.
Figure 4.45 shows the constructive approach to one particular solution
l. Once a choice is made whether the corresponding points A, B, C in
three-space are on the “upper” or “lower” half of the cone Γ, the plane ε is
determined. The intersection l = ε∩Γ maps to a conic that passes through
A′ , B ′ , C ′ and has F ′ for a focal point. Figure 4.46 shows all solutions
to the initial problem. As in some examples before, there are eight planes
determined by these two times three points in Euclidean three-space.
These planes can be arranged in four pairs of planes (ε, ε) such that ε
and ε are symmetric with respect to the horizontal plane through the
apex of Γ. Therefore, the curves ε ∩ Γ and ε ∩ Γ have coinciding top views
and we find four different solutions. Example 7.2.2 in Section 7.2 shows
a different way to find conics on three points with a common focal point
by using the polarity with regard to a circle centered at F .
Once the pre-images of A, B, C on Γ are specified on different half-cones,
the corresponding solutions are hyperbolas with A, B, C on different
Σ
P
k2
ε
k1
Q
l2 H2
A l1
B
H1 c s
k1
Q
P k2
FIGURE 4.44. Spatial interpretation also helps to find hyperosculating conics

interpolating two additional points: The dotted lines are the solutions to the
initial problem. The dashed lines are the symmetric copies of the two circles on
the upper hemisphere.
branches. Hence, there is only one solution out of the four that gives
a continuous transition between the given points along an ellipse, or a
parabola, or one branch of a hyperbola. This is the solution which was
mentioned in the preface on page vi concerning the dwarf planet Ceres.
Γ
′′′ ′′′
S 1
′′′ Γ
A ′′′
′′′ b
C
l ′′′ = ε ′′′ S ′′
′′′ A′′
′′′ =
M
4 H ′′ C ′′
′′′ = l′′
3
′′′
B
B ′′
A′
H′ 1′
′′′ ′
2 4
′
B F ′ =S ′
b′
M ′ C′
l′
3′
2′
FIGURE 4.45. Any conic on A′ , B ′ , C ′ with focus F ′ is a top view of a planar

section of a cone Γ of revolution. The focus F ′ is the top view of Γ’s apex S.
The constructive solution for one of the in total four solutions is shown.
B F
FIGURE 4.46. The top view of a point on Γ may correspond to two different
points in Euclidean three-space. Thus, there are eight different planar intersec-
tions which lead to four different conics with the focus F and passing through
A, B, C.
5 Projective Geometry
Projective Geometry is the proper frame work for understanding the geometry
of conics. It differs from Euclidean Geometry and allows us to treat points and
lines in a unifying way: There is no difference between points at infinity and
proper points. The lines in a projective plane are closed like any conic, and the
line at infinity is a line like any other. The above surface was discovered in 1901
by Werner Boy and is an immersion of the real projective plane into three-
space. Thus, Boy answered a question raised by David Hilbert whether the
projective plane can be embedded into a three-dimensional space or not.

178 Chapter 5: Projective Geometry
5.1 Projective planes
Models of projective planes

In this section, we shall briefly describe projective planes. Therefore, we
give a short overview of the axiomatic approach to projective planes. We
also describe the vector space model of a projective plane.
10 11
20 21 1
19 2
3
6 18
3 4
17
4 8 5
1 16
2 6
9 15
7
5 7 14
12 13
13 8
12 11 10 9
FIGURE 5.1. Models of finite projective planes. Left: The plane of order three
has thirteen points {1, 2, . . . , 13} and as many lines (drawn in different colors).
Right: The plane of order four has twenty-one points and lines.
From the incidence geometric point of view, a projective plane consists

of a set P of points and a set L of lines. Lines are always considered as
sets of points. Sometimes we emphasize this fact by calling them range of
points. Closely related to ranges of points are pencils of lines which are
defined as the set of all lines through a certain point, say V . The point
V is frequently called the vertex or carrier of the pencil. Briefly, we say
pencil V . Figure 5.1 shows two examples of finite projectve planes. Each
range of points has a certain color in order to emphasize that certain
points belong to this set.
If for some P ∈ P and some l ∈ L the relation P ∈ l holds, we say that
the point P is contained in the line l, or P is incident with l, or lies on l,
or l goes through P , or l passes through P . Any set of points on the same
5.1 Projective planes 179
line is called collinear. Any set of lines through the same point is called
concurrent.
What makes the pair (P, L) a projective plane P2 ? It is a list of axioms
which is as follows:
(A1) Any two different points P ≠ Q can be joined by a unique line
l = [P, Q], the line connecting P and Q.
(A2) Any two different lines l ≠ m intersect in one point S = l ∩ m, the
point of intersection of l and m.
(A3) There exists a quadrangle, i.e., four points no three of which are
collinear.
′
Two projective planes P2 = (P, L) and P2 = (P ′ , L′ ) are called isomorphic
if there exists a bijective mapping κ ∶ P → P ′ and L → L′ such that P ∈ l
holds if, and only if, κ(P ) ∈ κ(l) for all P ∈ P and all l ∈ L. Sometimes, we
say that (P, L) and (P ′ , L′ ) are models of the same abstract projective
plane.
From the axioms (A1) and (A2), we can deduce: Any two different lines
meet in precisely one point, otherwise, if they met in two different points,
these lines would be equal by (A1). Further, we can infer that any line
carries at least three points, or through any point, there are at least three
lines. A range of points carries as many points as there are lines in a pencil.
Moreover, the sets P and L are equipotent, i.e., there exists a bijective
mapping between P and L. A set of four lines with the property that no
three of them are concurrent, i.e., no three have a point in common, is
also called a quadrangle.
◾ Example 5.1.1 Some projective planes.

Projective minimal plane. The fact that there exists a quadrangle together with the unique point
of intersection of any two different lines allows us to infer that a projective plane has at least
seven points: the points A, B, C, D of the quadrangle together with the three diagonal points
[A, B] ∩ [C, D], [A, C][B, D], [A, D] ∩ [B, C]. Actually, there exists a projective plane with
exactly seven points. It is called the Fano plane, named after the Italian mathematician Gino
Fano (1871–1952). An example of the “minimal projective plane” can be seen in Figure 5.6.
For more details, see Example 5.1.2.
The projectively closed real plane. All the drawings we produce take place in the real plane
E2 . There, we observe that some lines are not intersecting, see Figure 5.2. Usually, we call
such lines parallel. Parallelity of lines in a plane is an equivalence relation.1 Therefore, we can
1
A relation on a set S is a subset R of the Cartesian product S × S, and therefore, R is the
union of ordered pairs of elements of S. With x ∼ y we indicate that (x, y) ∈ R or x is related
to y. An equivalence relation R satisfies the following conditions for all a, b, c ∈ S: (1) a ∼ a
real projective plane

L
M M
n m Q
L
P
l
k
FIGURE 5.2. A scene from the real projective plane: The unique line l connec-
ting P and Q intersects the parallel line k in the ideal point L. The parallels m
and n share the ideal point M . (In drawings, we indicate ideal points by arrows.
Note that arrows in opposite directions define the same ideal point.)
speak of classes of parallel lines. In order to perform the projective closure of the real plane,
we add a unique ideal point or point at infinity to each class of parallel lines. The set of all
ideal points is called ideal line or line at infinity. The thus extended plane is called the real
projective plane and we denote it by P2 (R).
The real projective plane is, indeed, a projective plane: The axiom (A1) is fulfilled since any
point P in the real projective plane can be joined with any other point. In practice: To join P
with an ideal point means to draw a parallel to some line through P (cf. figure 5.2). Further,
the axiom (A2) is fulfilled since any two lines are either intersecting or parallel. If two lines
are parallel, then they intersect in the common ideal point. Finally, there is no doubt about
the existence of a quadrangle.
The bundle model of a projective plane. From the real plane P2 (R), we can easily create a
further model of a projective plane. Let O be a point which is not contained in P2 (R). Then,
we project the points and lines in the projective plane from O. This means that we connect
the points and lines of P2 (R) with the point O. Of course, points at infinity yield line parallel
to P2 (R). Any point P ∈ P2 (R) is now “blown up” to a line [O, P ] through O; and any line
l ∈ P2 (R) becomes a plane [O, l] through O. The points and lines of the real projective plane
are in a one-to-one correspondence with the lines and planes through O. We call this the
bundle model of the real projective plane.2 The point O is sometimes called the carrier of the
bundle. Figure 5.3 shows points, lines, and a quadrangle in the bundle model of a projective
plane.
(reflexive), (2) a ∼ b implies b ∼ a (symmetric), and (3) a ∼ b and b ∼ c together imply a ∼ c

(transitive). These three conditions are completely independent.
2
The name bundle is a translation of the German word Bündel. The word Bündel is used for
two or more-parametric linear families of geometric objects. The manifold of lines through a
common point in a three-dimensional space is called a star. Hence, one could also speak of
the star model of a projective plane.
O O
po
int
line
R
P
pro jec Q pro jec
tive pl tive pl
ane ane
FIGURE 5.3. The bundle in E3 is a projective plane isomorphic to the real

projective plane. Left: The “lines” and “points” are represented by planes and
lines through the vertex O of the bundle. Right: A “quadrangle” of the projective
plane is a four-sided pyramid with apex O.
It is not hard to verify that the bundle also serves as a model of a projective plane: For
any two points p and q in the bundle (lines through O), there is a unique line in the bundle
(plane through O) joining these two, and thus, (A1) is fulfilled. Any two lines in the bundle
(planes through O) intersect in a point (line through O) which fits to axiom (A2). Four planes
through O constitute a quadrangle in the bundle model provided that no three of these planes
are coaxial (have a common line). So, the existence of quadrangles (as requested in (A3)) is
guaranteed, too.
Σ Σ
P
D
m
A
S Q
l C
FIGURE 5.4. Left: Two lines l and m in the spherical model intersect at a point
S. Right: The lines of a quadrangle in the spherical model are great circles of
the sphere Σ.
The sphere model of a projective plane. From the bundle model, we can create a further model
of a projective plane. We take a sphere Σ centered at the carrier O of the bundle. It means
no restriction to assume that the radius of Σ equals one. Any line p in the bundle intersects
Σ in a pair of opposite or antipodal points. Thus, the points in the sphere model are the pairs
of opposite or antipodal points on Σ. The lines in the bundle are planes through the carrier
O. Since O is the center of Σ, any plane of the bundle intersects Σ along a great circle which
represents a line in this model. The quadrangles in this model appear as the intersection of a
four-sided pyramid with apex O with the sphere Σ, see Figure 5.4.
The vector space model of a projective plane. Let F be an arbitrary field3 and F3 a three-
dimensional vector space over F. It can be shown that the set P of one-dimensional subspaces
together with the set L of two-dimensional subspaces defines a projective plane. We call it the
vector space model of a projective plane and denote it by P2 (F). Points P spanned by non-zero
vectors p ∈ F3 . Instead of P = {λp∣λ ∈ F} we write P = pF or briefly even P = p.
Later, we shall use a vector space in order to find an algebraic model of a projective plane.
The bundle model of a projective plane is the geometric realization of a vector space model,
cf. page 194.
A very important concept of Projective Geometry is the

Principle of Duality. Any valid theorem that is formulated in terms of
points, lines, connection, intersection, and incidence remains true if we
interchange the words points and lines, intersection and connection, but
keep incidence between points and lines.
This “new” theorem is called the dual theorem. The fact that dualizing
valid theorems produces new valid theorems in Projective Geometry was
possibly first observed by the French mathematician Joseph Diaz Ger-
gonne (1771–1859).
In order to make the geometry of a projective plane more meaty, one has
to add further axioms:
The axiom of Fano, as given below, is added to the list of axioms if the
projective plane should display a property of quadrangles that is known
from P2 (R):
3
A (non-empty) set F with an operation + is called a (commutative) group if for all x, y, z ∈ F:
(1) x + y ∈ F and x + y = y + x for commutativity, (2) there is a unique element 0 (zero
element), such that x + 0 = 0 + x = x, (3) there is a unique element −x (additive inverse)
such that x + (−x) = 0, (4) and x + (y + z) = (x + y) + z (associativity), and additionally, for
commutativity x + y = y + x. A (non-empty) set F is called a (commutative) field if there are
two different operations, say + and ⋅, acting on F such that F together with + is a commutative
group and F {0} together with ⋅ fulfills for all x, y, z ∈ F: (1) x ⋅ y ∈ F. (2) There is a unique
element 1 ≠ 0 (neutral element) such that x ⋅ 1 = 1 ⋅ x = x, (3) there is a unique element
x−1 (left multiplicative inverse element) such that x−1 ⋅ x = 1, (4) x ⋅ (y + z) = x ⋅ y + x ⋅ z and
(x+y)⋅z = x⋅z +y ⋅z (distributive laws), and additionally, for commutative fields x⋅y = y ⋅x ∈ F.
Q Q Q R C C D D
D P D D
R C C C R
P R Q
A B P
A B A B P A B P Q
Q R
Q Q C C C
D C P D C P C D P
D R
R B
P R P Q A
P Q
A B A B A B P
FIGURE 5.5. Quadrangles in the real projective plane: The diagonal points P ,
Q, and R, are never collinear.
(FA) The three diagonal points of a quadrangle, i.e., the points of inter-
section of opposite sides of the quadrangle are never collinear.
In Figure 5.5, we can see different appearances of quadrangles in the real
projective plane. It does not matter if vertices or diagonal points are
ideal points (lie at infinity) or not. The three diagonal points are never
collinear. So, in the real projective plane the axiom (FA) is fulfilled.
The dual of a quadrangle is called a quadrilateral. It is a set of four lines
such that no three of them are concurrent. A quadrilateral defines six
vertices and three diagonals. The axiom (FA) implies that the diagonals
of a quadrilateral are never concurrent.
◾ Example 5.1.2 The Fano plane. We shall continue the first item of Example 5.1.1.
Synthetic approach. In this example, we use the notation given in Figure 5.6. According to the
axiom (A3), there exists a quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P7 in the Fano plane together with the diagonal
points P4 = [P2 , P3 ]∩[P1 , P7 ], P5 = [P3 , P1 ]∩[P2 , P7 ], and P6 = [P1 , P2 ]∩[P3 , P7 ]. The axiom
(A1) says that there is a unique line l7 joining P4 and P5 . Further, l7 has to have a unique
point P6 of intersection with [P1 , P2 ].
Analytic approach. We identify the points of the Fano plane with the following vectors, cf.
Figure 5.6 (right):
P1 = (1, 0, 0), P2 = (0, 1, 0), P3 = (0, 0, 1), P4 = (0, 1, 1),

P5 = (1, 0, 1), P6 = (1, 1, 0), P7 = (1, 1, 1).
We use 0 and 1 as the elements of the field Z2 , i.e., they satisfy the following rules: 0 + 0 =
1 + 1 = 0, 0 + 1 = 1 + 0 = 1, 1 ⋅ 1 = 1, 0 ⋅ 0 = 0 ⋅ 1 = 1 ⋅ 0 = 0. Now, we apply the usual addition of
vectors. By the latter rules, we find that three points are collinear if, and only if, any two of
the corresponding vectors sum up to the third. This allows us to prove all collinearities shown
in Figure 5.6. The fact that the diagonal points of a quadrangle are collinear is equivalent to
P3 (0, 0, 1)
l3
(0 ,
)
0, 1
P5 l6 P4
1, 1
(1 ,
P7 (1, 1, 1)
)
l5
l2
l4
l7
P1 l1 P6 P2 (1, 0, 0) (1, 1, 0) (0, 1, 0)
FIGURE 5.6. Left: The Fano plane with its seven points P1 , . . . , P7 and its
seven lines l1 , . . . , l7 . In the Fano plane, the axiom of Fano is not valid. Right:
The analytic model of the Fano plane.
the fact that the characteristic4 of the field, upon which the algebraic model is built, equals
two. The coordinatization of a projective plane will be described on page 194.
The axiom (FA) is not valid. The two equivalent models of the Fano plane given above show
the characteristic property of this projective plane: The three diagonal points P4 , P5 , and P6
of the quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P7 are collinear, and thus, the Fano axiom (FA) is not fulfilled in
the minimal projective plane. It can be shown that P2 (F) is a Fano plane if, and only if, the
characteristic of the field F equals 2.
In this book, we mainly concentrate on Fano planes without mention.

Only in exceptional cases, we will assume that (FA) does not hold.
For the axiomatic approach to Projective Geometry, the axiom of De-
sargues (named after the French architect and mathematician Gérard
Desargues (1591–1661)) and the axiom of Pappus are very important.
Both axioms are usually stated as theorems which are, indeed, theorems
in the real projective plane. A proof of the latter will be given on page
191.
Desargues’s axiom reads:
(DE) If two triangles are perspective to a point, then their sides are
perspective to a line (note Figure 5.7).
4
The characteristic of a field F is denoted by charF. The symbol charF = n means that the
n-fold sum of the unit element 1 equals 0, i.e., 1 + 1 + . . . + 1 = 0 and n ∈ N {0} is the smallest
:;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ?;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; @
n times
number with this property.
p
A1
A2
C1
C2
B2
B1
FIGURE 5.7. A Desargues configuration: The triangles A1 B1 C1 and A2 B2 C2

are perspective. The point P is the perspector. The sides are perspective with
the perspectrix p.
The axiom (DE) together with the axioms (A1) – (A3) implies its du-
al which is exactly its converse. The configuration described in the axi-
om/theorem of Desargues is frequently called a Desargues configuration or
Desargues figure. The point to which the triangles are perspective is cal-
led the perspector. The line where assigned sides of the triangles intersect
is called the perspectrix. Figure 5.7 shows such a configuration including
the perspector and the perspectrix. It is self-dual, since each line (in the
configuration) carries three points of the configuration, and through each
point (of the configuration) there pass exactly three lines. We call a pro-
jective plane a Desarguesian plane if the axiom of Desargues holds. In
fact, (DE) holds in any projective plane P2 (F).
The axiom of Desargues guarantees the existence of perspective colli-
neations (cf. page 233). Furthermore, it can be proved that in any De-
sarguesian plane coordinates from a field F can be introduced such that
there is an isomorphism to a projective plane P2 (F) over a field F which
needs not be commutative (see [11]).
Figure 5.8 shows special forms of Desargues figures in the real projective
plane and their relations to elementary transformations. A translation is
defined by a Desargues figure with an ideal point P as the perspector and
the ideal line as perspectrix.
The two triangles in the middle of Figure 5.8 are similar, i.e., corre-
sponding sides are parallel and the lengths of corresponding sides have a
p
C2 P C2
B2
C1
C2 P
P C1
C1 B P
B2 1
B1 B1 B2
A2 P A2 P
A1 P A1 A1 A2
FIGURE 5.8. Some versions of Desargues configurations in the (projectively
extended) Euclidean plane and their relations to elementary transformations:
translation (left), central similarity (middle), shearing (right).
constant ratio. Since this is a Desargues figure, corresponding points are

collinear with the perspector P , and thus, P is the center of a central
similarity. The perspectrix p coincides with the ideal line.
On the right-hand side of Figure 5.8, we see a shearing or shear transfor-
mation relating the two triangles of the Desargues figure. The perspectrix
p is a proper line and the perspector P is the ideal point of the perspectrix.
Finally, we formulate the axiom of Pappus. Pappus of Alexandria

(290–350) was a Greek mathematician who left us an eight-volumes book
on geometry and mathematics. The following axiom was originally for-
mulated as a theorem. It is closely related to projectivities and to conics.
It states:
(PP) Assume that 1, 3, 5 are three points on a line l, and let further 2,
4, 6 be three points on another line m. Then, the points
A ∶= [1, 2] ∩ [4, 5], B ∶= [2, 3] ∩ [5, 6], C ∶= [3, 4] ∩ [6, 1]
are collinear.
Later, we shall see that (PP) also holds for six points on a conic. So, the
union of the two lines mentioned in (PP) can be seen as a conic.
Figure 5.9 illustrates the axiom (PP). It further displays the dual versi-
on of Pappus’s theorem which is usually ascribed to Charles Julien
Brianchon (1783–1864) and is related to Pappus’s theorem in a natural
way. We call a projective plane a Pappian plane if the axiom of Pappus
is valid.
6 M
m
2 6
4 2
p 4
A C P
c b
B
3
1 a
1 5
5
l L
3
FIGURE 5.9. Pappus’s theorem (left) and its dual form (right).
The axiom (PP) is stronger than (DE). A classical result which is due to
Gerhard Hessenberg (1874–1925) states that (A1) – (A3) and (PP)
imply (DE). Hence, each Pappian projective plane is also isomorphic to a
projective plane P2 (F). Furthermore, it can be proved that the projective
plane P2 (F) is Pappian if, and only if, F is commutative. This means
that the axiomatic approach to Pappian projective planes is equivalent
to the analytic approach via coordinates which come from a commutative
field. In the sequel, we will use both, because each of them, the analytic
approach as well as the so-called synthetic approach, has its advantages. If
not stated otherwise, the projective planes we are dealing with are always
Pappian.
5.2 Perspectivities, projectivities
C P C1
C2
l m
m x
L l l X a
FIGURE 5.10. The basic mappings in Projective Geometry (as described in

C
= m with perspector C. Middle: the
Definition 5.2.1): Left: the perspectivity l ∧
=
perspectivity l ∧ P between a range of points and a pencil of lines. Right: the
a
perspectivity C1 ∧= C2 between two pencils of lines with perspectrix a.
The basic mappings in Projective Geometry are perspectivities. These

mappings are one-to-one and onto, and they relate ranges of points with
pencils of lines, pencils with pencils, and ranges with ranges. The simplest
among these mappings (as shown in Figure 5.10, in the middle) relates
a line l and a pencil of lines with carrier P ∉ l such that corresponding
elements X ∈ l and x ∋ P are incident. Here are the fundamental notions:
Definition 5.2.1 A perspectivity α ∶ l → m with the center C ∉ l, m

sends L ∈ l to M ∈ m whenever L, M , and C are collinear. We use the
symbol
C
= m.
l∧
The dual version is also called a perspectivity and the symbol
a
=T
S∧
means that corresponding elements are lines s ∋ S and t ∋ T sharing a point

on an axis a. We also call the pencil of lines through P perspective to the
range l (P ∉ l) of points if for each line x through P the corresponding
point X ∈ l is incident with x. In this case, we use the symbol
= P
l∧ or = l.
P∧
5.2 Perspectivities, projectivities 189
Figure 5.10 illustrates the contents of Definition 5.2.1. In the middle, we

see the basic mapping l ∧= P . The inverse mapping is symbolized by P ∧ = l.
The left-hand side shows the action of the perspectivity α ∶ l → m which
can be viewed as the composition of two perspectivities of the basic type.
The right-hand side shows a perspectivity between two pencils of lines.
The vertices of the pencils are the points C1 and C2 , while the axis of the
perspectivity is the line a.
C2 M
c2 N
b′
′
a=a c′
n ′ m
A =A′ B′ C
b
B c1
A
B C
C c
a b c
C1 l L
FIGURE 5.11. The reduction of projectivities. Left: A projectivity between two

lines l and m given by A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , C ↦ C ′ can be realized as the com-
C1 C2
position of only two perspectivities: l ∧ = n ∧= m. Right: The dual version, the
projectivity between two pencils of lines with vertices L and M given by a ↦ a′ ,
c1 c2
=N ∧
b ↦ b′ , c ↦ c′ , can be realized as a composition of two perspectivities L ∧ = M.
Perspectivities between ranges/pencils are uniquely defined by prescribing

two pairs of corresponding elements. In general, the composition of two
perspectivities is no longer a perspectivity:
Definition 5.2.2 The composition of finitely many perspectivities bet-

ween ranges of points and pencils of lines is called a projectivity.
In order to indicate that two ranges of points l and m are joined by the
projectivity α (different from a perspectivity) we write l −
α
∧ m. The symbol
(A, B, C) − ∧(A′ , B ′ , C ′ ) means that A, B, and C are mapped to A′ , B ′ ,
and C ′ , respectively, via a projectivity.
The projectivities act transitively on ordered triplets of collinear points

(or concurrent lines), i.e., there is a projectivity for prescribed three mu-
tually distinct collinear points (or concurrent lines) and their images. In
Pappian planes, i.e., in projective planes where Pappus’s theorem (cf.
page 191) is valid, this projectivity is even uniquely determined, i.e., pro-
jectivities act sharply transitive on ordered triples of collinear points and
pencils of concurrent lines. Hence, the following “fundamental theorem”
((FT) in brief) is valid:
Theorem 5.2.1 (FT) A projectivity α ∶ l → m in a Pappian projective

plane is uniquely defined by prescribing three pairs (Ai , A′i ) of points with
α(Ai ) = A′i for all i ∈ {1, 2, 3, }.
In any projective plane, (PP) is equivalent to (FT), for details, see [11, 36].
The chains of subsequent perspectivities can be arbitrarily long, but only
finitely many perspectivities are allowed. However, in any Pappian plane,
there is a possibility to shorten chains of perspectivities with the help of
the following reduction theorem:
Theorem 5.2.2 In projective planes with (FT), any projectivity between

two different ranges l and m of points can be realized as the product of at
most two perspectivities between ranges.
A projectivity α ∶ l → m whith l ≠ m is a perspectivity if, and only if, the
point l ∩ m is mapped onto itself.
Proof: Assume A, B, C are three different points on a line l, and A′ , B ′ , C ′ are three different
points on a line m. Without loss of generality, we can suppose A ∉ m and A′ ∉ l. By (FT),
there exists exactly one projectivity α ∶ l → m with α(A) = A′ , α(B) = B ′ , and α(C) = C ′ .
In order to show that α can be decomposed into two perspectivities between ranges of points,
we choose a line n ≠ m, n ≠ [A, A′ ] through A′ and further a point C1 on the line [A, A′ ] with
C
C1 ≠ A, A′ as can be seen in Figure 5.11 (left). Now, we have a first perspectivity β1 ∶= l ∧=1 n
that maps A, B, C to A = A′ , B ∶= [C1 , B] ∩ n, C ∶= [C1 , C] ∩ n. Because of the choice of C1
and n, the points B, B, B ′ , C ′ form a quadrangle, and the point C2 ∶= [B, B ′ ] ∩ [C, C ′ ] is
different from all other points and can, therefore, serve as the center of a second perspectivity
C2
= m that maps A = A′ , B, C to the points A′ , B ′ , C ′ , respectively. Thus, α = β2 ○ β1 .
β2 ∶ n ∧
(FT) guarantees that for any suitable choice of n and C1 the product of the two corresponding
perspectivities remains the same.
The case of a projective mapping between two pencils of lines can be treated in the same way
by simply dualizing the construction as illustrated in Figure 5.11 (right).
If α(l ∩ m) = l ∩ m, then we may set C = C ′ = l ∩ m. Now, A, A′ , B, B ′ is a quadrangle and for
C
=1 m.
C1 = [A, A′ ] ∩ [B, B ′ ] we get α as the perspectivity l ∧ ◾
The statements of Theorem 5.2.2 are also valid in their dual formulation
(illustrated in Figure 5.11). In the case l = m the minimal number of
perspectivities is two only if there is a point which is mapped onto itself.
Otherwise, we need at least three perspectivities.
Later, we shall use the following result:
Theorem 5.2.3 For any four collinear points A, B, C, D there exists a

projectivity with the following property
A ↦ B, B ↦ A, C ↦ D, D ↦ C.
Proof: Let m ≠ l be a line through D and Z ∉ {l ∪ m}. Now, we define the points A = [Z, A]∩ m,
B = [Z, B] ∩ m, C = [C, Z] ∩ m, and B ′ = [A, B] ∩ [C, Z], as displayed in Figure 5.12. The
existence of m and Z and all further points is guaranteed by the axiom (A3).
m
A
B B′
A l B C D
FIGURE 5.12. The proof of Theorem 5.2.3.
Then, we follow the chain of perspectivities

Z A B
=m∧
l∧ = [Z, C] ∧
=l
with A ↦ A ↦ Z ↦ B, B ↦ B ↦ B ′ ↦ A, C ↦ C ↦ C ↦ D, and D ↦ D ↦ C ↦ C and the

proof is finished. ◾
Pappus’s theorem and the axis of a projectivity

A useful result on projectivities between lines depends on whether the
theorem of Pappus is valid in the underlying projective plane or not. In
the real and complex projective plane, Pappus’s theorem holds because
the underlying fields R and C are commutative. However, there are some
projective planes which are not Pappian, e.g., the projective plane P2 (H)
′ =2
C m ′
′ C
m ′ Y
′ X
′ =6 B
B ′
′ =4 A
A
pα C
A pα
B
A=1 A
B =3 B
l X
Y l
C =5 C
FIGURE 5.13. The proof of Theorem 5.2.4: the construction of the axis of a
projectivity (left), the important property of the axis (right).
where H denotes the Hamiltonian quaternions. When dealing with conics,

we always assume that the axioms of Pappus and FANO are valid.
The original version of the axiom (PP) (cf. page 186) is in close relation
to projectivities between two different ranges of points. We show
Theorem 5.2.4 Let α ∶ l → m with l ≠ m be a projectivity between two

ranges of points in a Pappian projective plane. For any two pairs (X, X ′ )
and (Y, Y ′ ) of corresponding points with X, Y ∈ l, X ≠ Y , and X ′ = α(X),
Y ′ = α(Y ), the lines
[X, Y ′ ] and [X ′ , Y ]
meet on a fixed line pα called the axis of the projectivity.
In the case of a projectivity α between two different pencils of lines, we
can find a center Pα of the projectivity.
Proof: Let α ∶ l → m be given by A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , C ↦ C ′ with A, B, C ∈ l and A′ , B ′ , C ′ ∈ m

where C ∉ m and C ′ ∉ l, cf. Figure 5.13. According to Definition 5.2.2, the projectivity α
should decompose into a finite sequence of perspectivities.
C′ C
= pα ∧
In fact, when we set A = [1, 2]∩[4, 5], B = [2, 3]∩[5, 6], and pα = [A, B] we have α ∶ l ∧ =m
because A ↦ A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ↦ B ′ , and C ↦ C = [C, C ′ ] ∩ pα ↦ C ′ .
For any two points X, Y ∈ l {C} we find X ′ = α(X) by running through the chain of
perspectivities (fig 5.13, right). Thereby, we find that [X, C ′ ] ∩ [X ′ , C] and [Y, C ′ ] ∩ [Y ′ , C]
are points of pα . Now, we label the points in the way Y ′ = 1, C = 2, X ′ = 3, Y = 4, C ′ = 5,
X = 6 and conclude by (PP) also [X, Y ′ ] ∩ [X ′ , Y ] ∈ pα . ◾
A projectivity may not always map points from one line to another line.
When we deal with conics, we are sometimes concerned with the case
of projectivities on a line or in a pencil. This will be of importance in
Section 7.3, especially in Theorem 7.4.1. For more clarity, we shall analyze
some examples on page 210.
As a consequence of the Fundamental Theorem 5.2.1, we can say: If a
projectivity α ∶ l → l has three mutually distinct fixed points, i.e., points
F with the property α(F ) = F , then α is the identity mapping idl on l.
The mapping idl has only fixed points.
5.3 Coordinatization
In Projective Geometry, there is a need for a suitable coordinatization
that allows us to describe the objects and transformations in a simple
way. Homogeneous coordinates turned out to be the right choice. This
kind of coordinates goes back to August Ferdinand Möbius (1790–
1868), a German mathematician and astronomer. In his famous book Der
barycentrische Calcul (cf. [48]), he introduced barycentric coordinates as a
method to assign coordinates to points in a plane with respect to a base
of three points.
In the following, we show how to assign homogeneous coordinates to
points which are given in Cartesian coordinates. Thus, we perform the
projective extension of the Euclidean plane E2 analytically and reveal in
a constructive way its isomorphy to P2 (R). Before that, we give a very
short summary on affine and Cartesian coordinates.
Inhomogeneous and homogeneous coordinates on a line

Let us first explain the term affine coordinates of a point X on a line l.
We fix two different points O and E on l, as can be seen in Figure 5.14.
The point O is called the origin and E is called the unit point. (It means
no restriction to assume that O is on the left-hand side of E as shown in
Figure 5.14.) We assign the coordinates 0 and 1 to the points O and E.
If X is a point on the line l = [O, E], then its inhomogeneous coordinate
x is defined as the affine ratio
x ∶= OX ∶ OE =∶ ar(O, E, X) (5.1)
provided the distances are signed: The coordinate x is negative if we find

X left from O; and it is positive, if it is right from O. If the point X lies
between O and E, then 0 < x < 1.
Now, we turn to the case where X is a point in a plane and use two
coordinate axes, i.e., a pair of non-parallel lines. One of them shall be the
x-axis, the other one shall be the y-axis. Though it does not really matter,
we may assume that the x-axis is “horizontal” and the y-axis is “vertical”
as illustrated in Figure 5.14. Their point of intersection O is called origin
of the coordinate system.
On the x-axis, we pick a point Ex ≠ O; similarly, we choose Ey ≠ O on the
y-axis. These two points are usually referred to as the unit points on the
5.3 Coordinatization 195
y
P
Py
Ey
0 1 x x
O E X O Ex Px
FIGURE 5.14. Affine coordinates on a line and in the plane.
coordinate axes and the lengths OEx and OEy are called the unit lengths
(on the axes and on all lines parallel to the axes).
The coordinates (xP , yP ) of a point P in the plane are now found in the
following way: Draw two lines through P , one parallel to each axis. The
respective intersections with the coordinate axes shall be labeled with Px
and Py . Then, the coordinates xP and yP are the coordinates of Px and
Py on the lines [O, Ex ] and [O, Ey ], i.e.,
xP = ar(O, Ex , Px ) and yP = ar(O, Ey , Py ). (5.2)
The generalization to affine coordinates in n-dimensional (n > 3) space is

straightforward.
Note that the x-axis and the y-axis are not necessarily orthogonal. The
coordinates xP and yP are defined as ratios in (5.2). The pair (xP , yP ) is
called affine coordinates of the point P , in general. If the two axes enclose
a right angle and the two unit lengths are equal, then we speak of Carte-
sian coordinates named after the French mathematician, philosopher, and
writer René Descartes (1596–1650).
Homogeneous coordinates
Affine coordinates are no longer useful in the projective extension P2 (R)
of E2 since points at infinity would get coordinates (∞, ∞) and could not
be distinguished. Therefore, we introduce homogeneous coordinates. The
previously mentioned coordinates are called inhomogeneous just in order
to emphasize the difference.
We start with homogeneous coordinates of points on a line l. We assume
that a projective line, i.e., a line in a projective plane is embedded as
the line with the equation x0 = 1 in the x1 x0 -plane, as can be seen in
)
b0 =(0, 1) (0 ∶1)
v2
b0 =(1, 0, 0)
1,
,v
)
p1
v0
(1 ∶0 ∶0)
=(
0,
(p
v
y
P =(p0 ∶p1 ) V =(v0 ∶v1 ∶v2 )
x (0 ∶ 0 ∶
1)
0)
(1 ∶0) (0 ∶1∶
(0, 0) b1 =(1, 0) (0, 0, 0)
b2 = (
0) 0, 0,1
,1, )
x0 =1 = (0
b1
FIGURE 5.15. Homogeneous coordinates on a line and in a plane.
Figure 5.15. Any vector (p0 , p1 ) ∈ R2 {(0, 0)} starting from (0, 0) aims
at a point on the line l. For p0 ≠ 0 this point on l is finite and has the
coordinates (1, p1 p−1
0 ) considered as a point in the x1 x0 -plane. However,
the vector p = (p0 , p1 ) points in the same direction as any of its scalar
(non-zero) multiple does. We say that p represents the point P on the
line, but also any scalar multiple of p can serve as a representative of
P . So, only the ratio p0 ∶ p1 matters and we say that (p0 ∶ p1 ) are the
homogeneous coordinates of P on l and write briefly P = (p0 ∶ p1 ). We
call p coordinate vector of P and use the notation P = pR in order to
express that we have chosen some representative of P . More precisely,
pR = {p ⋅ λ ∣ λ ∈ R}
is a one-dimensional subspace of R2 . Note that (λp0 ∶ λp1 ) are the homo-
geneous coordinates of the same point for any λ ∈ R {0}. On the other
hand, any vector (p0 , p1 ) ≠ (0, 0) defines a unique point on l. The vector
(0, 0) must be excluded since it does not define a line through (0, 0) and
is not directed to a point on l.
Because of the special choice of the coordinate system in the x1 x0 -plane,
the line l is parallel to the x1 -axis. Thus, the vector b1 = (0, 1) points to
the direction of l. Therefore, b1 = (0, 1) is a representative of the ideal
point or point at infinity of l. The homogeneous coordinates of l’s point
at infinity are thus (0 ∶ 1).
The key idea of the coordinatization with homogeneous coordinates of
points on a line can now easily be carried over to a homogeneous coordi-
natization of the points in the real projective plane. All the vectors v in
the three-dimensional vector space R3 are triplets (v0 , v1 , v2 ) of numbers

taken from R. For practical reasons, we assume that the projective plane
is embedded as the plane x0 = 1 into the space E3 . In order to support
our imagination, the x0 -axis shall point upwards as shown in Figure 5.15,
on the right-hand side.
(0 ∶0 ∶1)
(0 ∶1 ∶1)
(1 ∶1 ∶1)
(1 ∶0 ∶0) (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) (1 ∶ 2 ∶ 0) (1 ∶ 3 ∶ 0) (0 ∶1 ∶0)
FIGURE 5.16. The fundamental triangle and a projective scale on one side.
Any point P in the plane x0 = 1 has coordinates (1, px , py ). However, it is

not only the vector v = (1, px , py ) emanating from (0, 0, 0) that points to
P . Any scalar multiple (λ, λpx , λpy ) points in the same direction and the
line spanned by this vector intersects the plane x0 = 1 in the same point
P . As in the previous case, we shorten notations by writing P = pR as
abbreviation for {p ⋅ λ ∣ λ ∈ R}. Once again, only the ratio (1 ∶ px ∶ py )
matters, and thus, we define (1 ∶ px ∶ py ) as the homogeneous coordinates
of P . As indicated in Figure 5.15, there is an affine coordinate system in
the plane x0 = 1. The axes are labeled with x and y. Thus, (px , py ) are
the inhomogeneous coordinates of P .
On the other hand, we can extract the homogeneous coordinates of a
point from the vector (v0 , v1 , v2 ): We simply write (v0 ∶ v1 ∶ v2 ) in order
to emphasize that these are homogeneous coordinates and only the ratio
of these three values matters. If v0 ≠ 0, we can easily switch to a homo-
geneous coordinate representation of the point V = vR determined by v
with (v0 ∶ v1 ∶ v2 ) = (1 ∶ v1 v0−1 ∶ v2 v0−1 ).
There is one major advantage of homogeneous coordinates: Ideal points
(points at infinity) can be described by homogeneous coordinates. The
vectors (0, f1 , f2 ) are parallel to the plane x0 = 1. To any of these vectors,

we find a one-parameter family of parallels in the plane x0 = 1. Thus,
(0 ∶ f1 ∶ f2 ) are the homogeneous coordinates of an ideal point in the plane
x0 = 1. The vector f = (0, f1 , f2 ) is a representative of the common ideal
point of all lines parallel to the vector (f1 , f2 ) ∈ R2 , considered as a vector
in the plane x0 = 1.
We call the triangle with vertices (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) the
fundamental triangle of one particular coordinatization, (cf. Figure 5.16).
The point (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) is called unit point. We will see that any four points
that form a quadrangle can be chosen as the vertices of a fundamental
triangle plus the unit point.
We know that instead of the standard basis {b1 , b2 , b3 } of R3 any three
linearly independent vectors a, b, c can be used as a basis of a coordi-
natization. This leads to another system of homogeneous coordinates in
P2 (R) with the fundamental points A = aR, B = bR, C = cR, and the
unit point E = (a + b + c)R which is never collinear with any two of the
points A, B, C. When in particular a, b, c are orthonormal in E3 , we call
the coordinates homogeneous Cartesian coordinates.
If we replace the fundamental points A, B, C by any other three non-
collinear points A′ , B ′ , C ′ , then we replace the basis {a, b, c} by another
basis, say {a′ , b′ , c′ }. From Linear Algebra, we know that the coordinates
(x0 , x1 , x2 ) are then replaced by the coordinates (x′0 , x′1 , x′2 ) which are
given in matrix form by
′
⎛ x0 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞
⎜ x′1 ⎟ = T ⎜ x1 ⎟ .
⎝ x′2 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
Therein, T is a regular 3 × 3-matrix with entries from R. The columns of

T are the ‘new’ coordinates of the previous basis vectors a, b, c. Because
of the homogeneity of the coordinates, the matrix T is unique only up to
a non-zero real factor. When using the matrix notation, it makes sense to
write the homogeneous coordinates as columns. Therefore, from now on
we insert the symbol T for ‘transposed’ when we write the coordinates of
a column vectors in a line.
Because of (DE) it is easy to see that all this works in the same way when
R is replaced by any commutative field F, e.g., by C.
Computing with homogeneous coordinates

How to make calculations with homogeneous coordinates? Two points P
and Q are represented by their homogeneous coordinates (p0 ∶ p1 ∶ p2 )
and (q0 ∶ q1 ∶ q2 ) or, equivalently, P = pF and Q = qF. In the following,
coordinates and scalars are taken from any commutative field F. The
points X on the line l = [P, Q] spanned by P and Q can be parametrized
with the help of homogeneous parameters (λ ∶ μ). For the point X = xF,
we have
x(λ, μ) = {p ⋅ λ + q ⋅ μ ∣ (λ, μ)T ∈ F2 {(0, 0)T }}.
Proportional pairs (λ ∶ μ) represent the same point on l. Sometimes, we

shall write pF + qF instead of {p ⋅ λ + q ⋅ μ ∣ (λ, μ)T ∈ F2 {(0, 0)T }}. Note
that pF + qF ≠ (p + q)F.
For variable (λ, μ) ∈ F2 the linear combination x(λ, μ) is a two-
dimensional subspace of the vector space F3 . Thus, it can also be described
by a linear equation of the form
⟨l, x⟩ ∶= l0 x0 + l1 x1 + l2 x2 = 0, (l0 , l1 , l2 ) ≠ (0, 0, 0). (5.3)
We call (l0 ∶ l1 ∶ l2 ) the homogeneous coordinates of the line l since scaling

the equation of l in (5.3) does not change its solutions. As we have done
with points, we shall also write l = lF and call l a representative of l.5 Note
that the incidence between the point xF and the line lF is expressed by
⟨l, x⟩ = 0, which in E3 would mean the orthogonality lBx between vectors
l and x.
Let X = xF with x = (x0 , x1 , x2 )T be a point on l = [P, Q], where P = pF
and Q = qF (Figure 5.17). Then, the vectors p, q, and x are linearly
dependent. Consequently, we have
det(p, q, x) = 0
which is again an equation of l. The latter determinant can be written in

a different form as
det(p, q, x) = ⟨p × q, x⟩,
5
In the case a of non-commutative field F, there is a difference between left and right multipli-
cation. Therefore, we have to differ between a left and a right vector space on F. Consequently,
lines should then be written as Fl if points are written as pF.
x0 q
l =p×q y
Q
p
l P ne
j. pla
pro
x
x1
FIGURE 5.17. The line l = [P, Q] through P = pF and Q = qF has the represen-
tative l = p × q which satisfies ⟨l, p⟩ = ⟨l, q⟩ = 0.
where ⟨a, b⟩ = a1 b1 +a2 b2 +a3 b3 is the canonical scalar product of vectors in

F3 and a × b = (a2 b3 − a3 b2 , a3 b1 − a1 b3 , a1 b2 − a2 b1 ) is the induced exterior
product of vectors in F3 . Thus, a coordinate vector l of the line l = [P, Q]
can be found via
l = p × q. (5.4)
Replacing p and q by non-zero multiples means changing the representa-
tives of P and Q. The cross product of p and q then changes to a multiple
of l and yields another representative of the same line.
Linearly dependent vectors p and q describe the same point and p× q = 0
expresses the fact that there is no unique line joining a point with itself.
Obviously, in homogeneous Cartesian coordinates, the ideal line or line
at infinity spanned by two (different) points (0 ∶ f1 ∶ f2 ) and (0 ∶ g1 ∶ g2 )
with f1 g2 − f2 g1 ≠ 0 has the homogeneous coordinates (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) and has,
thus, an equation of the form x0 = 0.
In the dual version, assume that two lines l and m are given by the
respective homogeneous coordinates l and m (Figure 5.18). A coordinate
vector s of the point S of intersection is given by
s = l × m. (5.5)
This is clear since S is incident with both lines, and thus, we have
⟨l, s⟩ = 0 and ⟨m, s⟩ = 0,
and consequently, s is a non-trivial scalar multiple of l × m provided that
l and m are linearly independent. Linearly dependent vectors l and m
y
x0 m
l×
l s=
S
m ne
j . pla
l pro
m
x
x1
FIGURE 5.18. The point S = sF of intersection of two lines l = lF and m = mF

can be found as s = l × m.
are coordinates of the same line, and consequently, there is more than a
single common point. This statement is expressed by l × m = 0.
Lemma 5.3.1 For any two different points P = pF and Q = qF in P2 (F),

the connecting line is [P, Q] = (p × q)F. For any two different lines l = lF
and m = mF, the point of intersection is (l × m)F.
Any line l in a projective plane is spanned by two points P and Q. Any

point X = xF on l can also be described by the two homogeneous coordi-
nates (x0 , x1 )T ∈ F2 {(0, 0)T } on the line l, if there are representatives p
and q such that p ⋅ x0 + q ⋅ x1 = x.
This also holds for lines in a pencil: Any point S = sF is the carrier of a
pencil of lines spanned by two different lines l = lF and m = mF through
S. If u = uF is any line through S, then there are representatives l and
m such that l ⋅ u0 + m ⋅ u1 = u. Then, (u0 ∶ u1 ) are the homogeneous
coordinates of the line u = uF in the pencil about S.
Affine ratios, cross ratios, and projective frames

In E2 , the inhomogeneous coordinate x of a point X on a line l = [0, E]
with respect to the coordinate system with origin O and unit point E
has been defined as the affine ratio x = ar(O, E, X) as given in (5.1).
The name affine ratio indicates that ar(O, E, X) is invariant under affine
transformations, i.e., transformations that map any point X with inho-
mogeneous coordinate vector x to x′ = Ax + a. Here, A is a regular 2 × 2
matrix and a ∈ R2 is a vector.6 The invariance of ar(O, E, X) under affi-

ne transformations is easily checked: If ar(O, E, X) = λ = OX/OE, then
OE ⋅ λ = OX, and equivalently, (e − o) ⋅ λ = x − o with o, e, and x being
the inhomogeneous coordinate vectors of O, E, and X. Thus, x can be
expressed in terms of o and e by
x = o ⋅ (1 − λ) + e ⋅ λ
which is a so-called affine combination. Now, we apply the affine trans-

formation to O, E, X which gives o′ = a, e′ = Ae + a, and x′ = Ae ⋅ λ + a.
Then, we compute
o′ ⋅ (1 − λ) + e′ ⋅ λ = a ⋅ (1 − λ) + (Ae + a) ⋅ λ = Ae ⋅ λ + a = x′
which shows that the affine images O ′ , E ′ , and X ′ define the same affine
ratio as O, E, and X, i.e., ar(O, E, X) = ar(O ′ , E ′ , X ′ ).
Now, we extend E2 to the real projective plane P2 (R). Let O, U , and E
be three points on a line l. We assign homogeneous coordinates to these
points on the line l by setting O = (1 ∶ 0) and U = (0 ∶ 1). Without
loss of generality, we can assume that E = (1 ∶ 1). This is possible since
the homogeneous coordinate vectors of three collinear points are always
linearly dependent. However, sometimes the homogeneous representatives
o, u of O, U have to be rescaled in order to fulfill o + u = e. If X with
representative x is a further point that is collinear with O, U , and E,
then it has homogeneous coordinates (x0 ∶ x1 ) if x = vx0 + ux1 . All this
works in P2 (F) in the same way.
We define the cross ratio cr(A, B, C, D) ∈ F ∪ {∞} of four collinear points
(on a line l) A = aF, B = bF, C = cF, and D = dF with A ≠ D and B ≠ C
in P2 (F) by
det(a, c) ⋅ det(b, d)
cr(A, B, C, D) ∶= . (5.6)
det(a, d) ⋅ det(b, c)
If A= D or B = C and no other two points coincide, we set cr(A, B, C, D)=
∞. Rescaling of vectors, i.e., changing the representatives of points, does
not alter the cross ratio. When we deal with projectivities (cf. page 210)
and projective collineations (cf. page 233), we shall see that the cross
6
The definition of an affine transformation in the n-dimensional space Fn over any field F is
analogous: Take some regular n × n matrix A and some vector a ∈ Fn .
ratio is invariant under projective transformations. Thus, it is defined in

a useful and proper way.
We observe that special values of cr(A, B, C, D) appear if D attains spe-
cial positions with respect to the points A, B, C, e.g., cr(A, B, C, A) = ∞,
cr(A, B, C, B) = 0, and cr(A, B, C, C) = 1. Note that 0 and 1 always exist
independently of the underlying field F.
The base points of our coordinatization on l, O = (1 ∶ 0) and U = (0 ∶
1) together with E = (1 ∶ 1) and X = (x0 ∶ x1 ) have the cross ratio
cr(O, U, E, X) = xx01 . We call F ∶= (O, U ; E) a projective frame or projective
coordinate system on a line. The cross ratio x0 x−1 1 formed by O, U , E,
and X can be interpreted as a coordinate of X in the given projective
frame. In this sense, cr(A, B, C, D), as defined in (5.6) can be viewed as
projective coordinate of D with respect to the frame (A, B; C).
When O, U , E are replaced with three other points, then the basis {o, u}
of the two-dimensional subspace is replaced by another basis {o′ , u′ }. We
know from Linear Algebra that the coordinates (x0 ∶ x1 ) for points X on
the line l are replaced with (x′0 ∶ x′1 ) satisfying
x′0 x
( ) = T( 0 )
x′1 x1
with a regular 2× 2-matrix T ∈ F2×2 which is unique only up to a non-zero

scalar from F. Now it is easy to prove that for the new coordinates a′ , b′ ,
c′ , d′ of the four points A, B, C, D the formula (5.6) delivers the same
result since det(a′ , c′ ) = det T ⋅ det(a, c) and det T ≠ 0.
Any four ordered collinear points define a unique cross ratio. On the other
hand, the cross ratio does not uniquely define a quadruple of collinear
points. However, it is surprising that the 24 permutations of four collinear
points yield only six different cross ratios: If δ = cr(A, B, C, D), then the
five other values of the cross ratio are 1 − δ, δ−1 , (1 − δ)−1 , δ(δ − 1)−1 ,
and (δ − 1)δ−1 . For example, cr(B, A, C, D) = cr(A, B, C, D)−1 , due to
(5.6). Another consequence of (5.6) is the product rule for cross ratios
concerning five collinear points A, B, C, D, E:
cr(A, B, C, D) = cr(A, E, C, D) ⋅ cr(E, B, C, D). (5.7)

Suppose that in the real projective plane P2 (R) the point U is the ideal
point of the line [O, E]. Then, for any finite point X = xR, we have
x = ox0 + ux1 = x−1 −1
0 (o + x0 x1 u) with u = o − e. Therefore, we have
x−1
0 x1 = ar(O, E; X) = cr(O, U, E, X)
−1
= cr(U, O, E, X). (5.8)
Let A, B, C, D be four finite points on the line [O, E]. Then, by virtue
of (5.8) and (5.7), we find
ar(B, C, D)
cr(A, B, C, D) = cr(A, U, C, D) ⋅ cr(U, B, C, D) = . (5.9)
ar(A, C, D)
Finally, it should be said that cross ratios can also be defined for qua-
druples of concurrent lines. It is easy to prove that the cross ratio of four
concurrent lines a, b, c, d equals the cross ratio of the four points l ∩ a,
l ∩ b, l ∩ c, l ∩ d for any line l which is not incident with the common point
of a, b, c, and d. With the help of the cross ratio formula (5.6), one can
show that the cross ratio of four concurrent lines a, b, c, and d equals
sin(<) a, c) ⋅ sin(<) b, d)
cr(a, b, c, d, ) = . (5.10)
sin(<) a, d) ⋅ sin(<) b, c)
Theorem 5.3.1 The cross ratio of four collinear points (four concurrent
lines) is invariant under perspectivities and projectivities.
A projectivity π ∶ l → m that maps points A, B, C to A′ , B ′ , C ′ maps a
point X to a point X ′ if, and only if, cr(A, B, C, X) = cr(A′ , B ′ , C ′ , X ′ ).
Proof: We show that cr(A, B, C, D) is invariant under perspectivities. Let A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0),
B = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), C = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), D = (d0 ∶ d1 ∶ 0), i.e., the four points are lying on the line
l with homogeneous equation x2 = 0, see Figure 5.19. Without loss of generality, we can use
Z = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) as the center of a perspectivity from l to the line m with homogeneous equation
x1 − λx2 = 0 with λ ∈ F. The choice of m means no restriction. Due to the product rule (5.7),
we can express each cross ratio in terms of cross ratios where A = l ∩ m is involved.
Z
= m sends A, B, C, and D to the points
The perspectivity l ∧
A′ = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), B ′ = (0 ∶ λ ∶ 1), C ′ = (λ ∶ λ ∶ 1), D ′ = (λd0 ∶ λd1 ∶ d1 ).
We introduce homogeneous coordinates on the line m and let A′ = (1 ∶ 0) and B ′ = (0 ∶ 1). Then,
C ′ = (λ ∶ 1) and D ′ = (λd0 ∶ d1 ). With (5.6), we find cr(A′ , B ′ , C ′ , D ′ ) = dd0 = cr(A, B, C, D).
1
Each projectivity is a finite sequence of perspectivities (cf. Definition 5.2.2). Consequently, the
cross ratio of four points (lines) is not altered by projectivities.
It is also clear that the cross ratio between the lines in a pencil is invariant under projectivities
because the coordinatization on the line m is equivalent to the aforementioned coordinatization
in the pencil about Z.
Z =(0 ∶0 ∶1)
D l ∶ x2 = 0
∶ 0)
C = (1 ∶ 1
∶ 0)
B = (0 ∶ 1
A=A′ B ′
=(1 ∶0 ∶0) C′ m∶ x −
1 λx2 = 0
D′
FIGURE 5.19. Proper choice of a coordinate system, cf. proof of Theorem 5.3.1
For given mutually distinct collinear points A, B, C and a given cross ratio δ = cr(A, B, C, D),
the fourth point D is uniquely determined. This follows from (5.6), since the given δ leads to
a linear homogeneous equation for the coordinates of D. If now A′ , B ′ , C ′ are the images of
A, B, C, under a projectivity, then there is a unique point D ′ satisfying cr(A, B, C, D) = δ =
cr(A′ , B ′ , C ′ , D ′ ). Since projectivities are bijective, D ′ is the image of D. ◾
Let π ∶ l → m be a projectivity between two lines l and m that maps the
points A, B, C to the points A′ , B ′ , C ′ . If a point X has homogeneous
coordinates (x0 ∶ x1 ) with respect to the frame F = (A, B; C), then its
image point π(X) = X ′ has homogeneous coordinates (x′0 ∶ x′1 ) with
respect to the frame F ′ = (A′ , B ′ ; C ′ ). Since cross ratios are invariant
under projectivities, we have cr(A, B, C, X) = cr(A′ , B ′ , C ′ , X ′ ), and thus,
x1 ∶ x0 = x′1 ∶ x′0 .
If A = aF, B = bF, C = cF, X = xF, A′ = a′ F, B ′ = b′ F, C ′ = c′ F,

X ′ = x′ F and a + b = c, a′ + b′ = c′ , then in the case x = ax0 + bx1 , we can
set x′ = a′ x0 + b′ x1 which shows the linearity of the induced mapping of
vectors.
5.4 Harmonic quadruples
Definition of harmonic quadruples
The harmonic conjugate D of a point C with respect to a pair of points

(A, B) is closely related to reflections in points or lines. If not stated
otherwise, from this section on we assume that Fano’s axiom holds true,
or in terms of algebra, that the characteristic of the field F is different
from 2. We shall see that harmonic quadruples of collinear points can be
easily characterized and the construction of a harmonic conjugate, i.e.,
the construction of the “fourth harmonic point” is linear. First, we give a
purely synthetic definition:
P3 P3 P3 P3
P4
P4 d
g3
a
P2 g4
P2
P1 g1 P1
g2 c b
A C B D A C B D
FIGURE 5.20. Left: Construction of a the fourth harmonic point D for given
A, B, and C. Middle: Harmonic quadruple of lines obtained by the dualized
construction. Right: Constructing the fourth harmonic point using an ideal point
P3 simplifies the construction in P2 (R).
Definition 5.4.1 Let A, B, C, D be four collinear points. The pair

(C, D) lies harmonic to the pair (A, B) if A and B are opposite verti-
ces of a quadrilateral while C and D lie on the remaining diagonals. We
denote harmonic quadruples by H(A, B, C, D).
How to find the ”fourth harmonic point” if A, B, and C are given? Assume
the three given points are mutually distinct. Then, we choose two points
P1 and P3 which are collinear with C, as can be seen in Figure 5.20 (left).
The lines [A, P1 ] and [B, P3 ] intersect in P2 . Finally, the lines [A, P3 ]
and [B, P1 ] intersect in P4 . Now, we have a quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P4 , and
obviously, A and B are two of its diagonal points. The point C lies on the
5.4 Harmonic quadruples 207
diagonal [P1 , P3 ] of the quadrangle. Then, D ∶= [A, B] ∩ [P2 , P4 ] is the

harmonic conjugate of C with respect to (A, B).
In order to find the harmonic conjugate of a line for three concurrent
lines, we dualize the construction of the harmonic conjugate point (see
Figure 5.20, middle). It will turn out that the harmonic conjugate D does
not depend on the choice of P1 , P3 as long as C, P1 , and P3 are mutually
distinct because (DE) holds. Sometimes, things become simpler if P3 is
chosen as an ideal point (cf. Figure 5.20).
A closer look at Figure 5.20 shows that H(A, B, C, D) is equivalent
to H(A, B, D, C), and further, H(A, B, C, D) implies H(B, A, C, D).
Moreover, H(A, B, C, D) also implies H(C, D, A, B). Consequently, there
are eight permutations of the four points A, B, C, D which do not harm
harmonic quadruples.
P3 P3 P3
P4 P2
D l
b
P1 m
A C B D b
FIGURE 5.21. Left: C is the midpoint of AB and the ideal point D is the
harmonic conjugate of C with respect to (A, B). Right: Two lines l and m
together with their interior and exterior angle bisectors b and b form a harmonic
quadruple.
In P2 (R), harmonic conjugates are closely related to midpoints of lines.

Assume C is the midpoint of AB (see Figure 5.21): If C is the midpoint
of a line segment AB, then the line [P2 , P4 ] that meets [A, B] in the
harmonic conjugate D is parallel to [A, B]. Therefore, D is the ideal
point of the line [A, B].
The pair (b, b) of angle bisectors of two non-parallel lines l and m is the
set of all points which are equidistant to the lines l and m. The lines b
and b intersect at l ∩m (for this point has zero distance to both lines l and
m), and b and b are orthogonal. Any line parallel to b or b meets l and
m in a pair of points which are equidistant to b or b. Thus, H(l, m, b, b)
holds for any pair (l, m) of non-parallel lines and the pair (b, b) of angle
bisectors.
From Theorem 5.2.3 we know that there exists a projectivity from a line
l onto itself with A ↦ B, B ↦ A, C ↦ C, and D ↦ D for any four
mutually distinct points A, B, C, and D. Therefore, δ = cr(A, B, C, D) =
cr(B, A, C, D) = 1/cr(B, S, C, D) = 1/δ. Harmonic position implies δ2 = 1,
hence δ = ±1. However, δ = +1 would mean C = D which is impossible in
a Fano plane. We obtain
H(A, B, C, D) 1⇒ cr(A, B, C, D) = −1.
Also the converse is valid, since the cross ratio defines D uniquely and
there is also just one harmonic conjugate.
Lemma 5.4.1 Four mutually different collinear points A, B, C, D and

four mutually different concurrent lines a, b, c, d are harmonic if, and
only if, cr(A, B, C, D) = cr(a, b, c, d) = −1.
This shows that the harmonic position is invariant under projectivi-

ties, and the construction of the fourth harmonic conjugate, as shown
in Figure 5.20, gives a unique result independent on the choice of the
points P1 and P3 .
Note that permutations of A, B, C, and D yield only three different values
for the cross ratio: −1, 2, 12 . From the algebraic point of view, we can say:
A harmonic quadruple of points or lines can be characterized by the fact
that three pairs of cross ratios (on any choice of ordering in the quadruple)
are equal, i.e., δ = δ−1 , 1 − δ = (δ √− 1)/δ, and (1 − δ)−1 = δ/(δ − 1). The
case δ = (δ − 1)/δ leads to δ = 2 ± i 23 . These complex values characterize
1
equi-anharmonic quadruples. These do not play an important role in the

theory of conics, but in the theory of cubics.
If AB = b, AC = c, and D is the fourth harmonic, then we have
bc
AD =
2c − b
which can easily be shown with (5.6) or (5.9). This shows that d = ∞
if c = 2b , i.e., the point at infinity D is the harmonic conjugate of the
midpoint C of AB. Of course, this can be concluded from Figure 5.21.
◾ Example 5.4.1 On a line in the complex projective plane P2 (C), let four points with
homogeneous coordinates (1 ∶ x), (1 ∶ −x), (1 ∶ ix), and (1 ∶ −ix) with i2 = −1 be given. Show
that they form a harmonic quadruple.
These four points (like any other) can be considered as points in the complex plane C ≅ R2 .
We identify a point (x0 , x1 ) with the complex number x0 + ix1 . Then, (1 ∶ ±x) yields 1 ± ix and
(1 ∶ ±ix) leads to 1 ∓ x. These four points lie on a circle with the equation (x0 − 1)2 + x21 = 1.
It can be shown that four points in the Euclidean plane E2 considered as the complex plane
C are concyclic if, and only if, their cross ratio is real.
◾ Example 5.4.2 Harmonic quadruples in some finite projective planes. In the Fano plane there
are only three points on each line and the same number of lines incident with each point. Thus,
a fourth point or line that completes a harmonic quadruple does not exist. The cross ratio of
three points (lines) in the Fano plane can attain only the values 0, 1, ∞ (provided that we
have used an analytic model, such as P2 (Z2 )).
In the projective plane of order three, each line carries four points (and each pencil consists
of four concurrent lines). The choice of any three points on a line (lines in a pencil) yields
the fourth point (line) as the harmonic conjugate independent from the ordering of points
(lines). Synthetically and without any computation, this can be verified with the help of the
incidence diagram given in Figure 5.1. If one prefers the analytic approach, then we build
the vector space model P2 (Z3 ). There, Z3 consists of the elements 0, 1, 2. In order to meet
the requirements of the definition of the cross ratio, we add ∞ to the field Z3 . For any four
mutually distinct points, the cross ratio has to be different from 0, 1, and ∞. Thus, it has
to be 2. Actually, 2 ≡ −1 (in Z3 ). Moreover, we have 2 ≡ −1 ≡ (2)−1 . Consequently, any four
(mutually distinct) points (lines) form a harmonic quadruple.
Harmonic conjugate lines and points - Triangle polarity
In Projective Geometry as well as in Triangle Geometry there appears a

mapping which is sometimes called the triangle polarity.
PB′ C
PA′
C
l l′
p PB PA
P
PC′ A PC B A B
FIGURE 5.22. Left: The line p is the polar line of P with regard to the base
triangle ABC. The line p carries the three harmonic conjugates PA′ , PB′ , and
PC′ of P ’s projections PA , PB , and PC of P from the triangle’s vertices to the
opposite lines. Right: The triangle polarity maps the points of a line l to the
tangents of a conic l′ .
We start with a triangle ABC in P2 (F). It means no restriction to assume

that A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), B = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), and C = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Let further
P = (ξ ∶ η ∶ ζ) be a point in the plane with P ∉ [A, B] ∪ [B, C] ∪ [C, A].
We project P from each vertex onto the opposite side and obtain PA ,
PB , and PC . Then, the harmonic conjugates PA′ , PB′ , and PC′ with
H(B, C, PA , PA′ ), H(C, A, PB , PB′ ), and H(A, B, PC , PC′ ) are located on
a line p which is called the polar line of p w.r.t. the triangle ABC
(Figure 5.22).
It is left as an exercise to the reader to verify that the triangle polarity
maps the point P = (ξ ∶ η ∶ ζ) to the line according to
P = (ξ ∶ η ∶ ζ) ↦ p = (ηζ ∶ ζξ ∶ ξη). (5.11)
Obviously, this mapping is not linear in the coordinates of the point P

and the name triangle polarity is misleading since in Section 7.1, we shall
see that polarities (with regard to conics) allow a linear representation in
terms of homogeneous coordinates.
Later, we shall see that the triangle polarity is not a polarity as defined in
Section 7.1. However, we shall learn in Section 7.5 that it is a quadratic
Cremona transformation.
Analytic representation of projectivities

Later, when we derive the equation and a parametrization of a conic,
we need to have an analytic description of a projectivity. The case of a
projectivity π ∶ l → m is already described on page 205. It is sufficient to
deal with projectivities between two ranges of points. The dual case does
not differ very much.
In the following, we treat the case of a projectivity π ∶ l → l. We have
already learned that, due to Theorem 5.3.1, for all points X ∈ l the homo-
geneous coordinates of X ′ = π(X) in the frame (A′ , B ′ ; C ′ ) equal that of
X in the frame (A, B, C). Therefore, in any fixed frame on l, the coordi-
nates of X ′ can be obtained from the coordinates of X by multiplication
with a regular matrix. The following theorem clarifies how to obtain this
matrix:
Theorem 5.4.1 In any projective coordinate frame on a line l, each pro-

jectivity π ∶ l → l is described by a bijective linear mapping, and conver-
sely, each bijective linear map defines a projectivity on l.
Proof: We can represent the given points A, B, C and A′ , B ′ , C ′ in P2 (F) by homogeneous

coordinates as A = aF, B = bF, C = cF and A′ = a′ F, B ′ = b′ F, C ′ = c′ F.
Since scalar multiples do not matter when dealing with homogeneous coordinates, we can
rescale the representatives of all given points. Therefore, we can replace a and b by ̃ a =a⋅α
and b̃ = b ⋅ β such that ̃ ̃ = c. The scaling factors α and β can be found as the solutions of a
a+b
system of three inhomogeneous linear equations. This system is guaranteed to have a unique
solution since A, B, C are different but collinear points, and thus, only one representative is
linearly dependent from the others. We also rescale the representatives of the image points
such that ã′ + b̃′ = c′ . Hence, π ∶ l → l is represented by the linear map ̃ ̃ 1↦̃
ax0 + bx ̃ ′ x′
a′ x′0 + b 1
for all (x0 , x1 ) ∈ F2 .
In any frame F = (P0 , P1 ; P ) on l, the given points can be represented by vectors aF , . . . ,
c′F ∈ F2 obeying aF + bF = cF and a′F + b′F = c′F . When we write these vectors as columns in
matrices, the projectivity π can be represented as
y0′ y
( ) = T( 0 ) with T = (a′F b′F ) (aF bF )−1 . (5.12)
y1′ y1
The coordinates of X = ̃ ̃ 1 and X ′ = ̃

ax0 + bx ̃′ x′ in the frame F = (P0 , P1 ; P ) are
a′ x′0 + b 1
y0 x y0′ x
( ) = (aF bF ) ( 0 ) and ( ) = (a′F b′F ) ( 0 ) .
y1 x1 y1′ x1
Obviously, the multiplication of (y0 , y1 )T with the matrix T as given in (5.12) yields the
requested result (y0′ , y1′ )T for all (x0 , x1 ) ∈ F2 . ◾
◾ Example 5.4.3 Projective mappings on a line in the real projective plane. We look at some
projective mappings on a line. Their actions can be seen in Figure 5.23. First, we shall write
these mappings in affine coordinates as functions over the real numbers in order to convince
ourselves that these are elementary and well-known functions. After rewriting these mappings
in terms of homogeneous coordinates, we shall see that we are dealing with projective map-
pings. Along the way, we can introduce some new vocabulary and study some special types of
projective mappings:
(a) (b)
Z=Z ′ X=X ′ Y =Y ′ F1 X Y F2 Y′ X′
(c) (d)
X X′ Y Y ′ Z Z′ F X Y F1 Y′ X′ F2
(e) (f) F2
Y ′=Z X Z ′=Y X′ F1 A B C ′ B′ C A′
FIGURE 5.23. The projectivities from Example 5.4.3: (a) the identity mapping,
(b) an inversion, (c) a translation, (d) the reflection in F1 , (e) the anti-inversion,
(f) a further hyperbolic projectivity.
The identity mapping id ∶ R → R is given by x ↦ x for any x ∈ R. We introduce homogeneous

coordinates, and thus, any point with inhomogeneous coordinate x is now represented by
(1 ∶ x). Since x is sent to x via id, the homogeneous representation is given by
p0 1 0 p
(1 ∶ x) ↦ (1 ∶ x) ⇐⇒ ( )↦( )( 0 ).
p1 0 1 p1
Thus, the identity mapping on a projective line is described by the identity matrix I2 or by
one of its non-trivial scalar multiples, for multiples of representatives do not change the points.
Any point F that coincides with its image is called a fixed point. It is obvious that each point
is a fixed point under id.
On page 247, we shall see how to find fixed points by ruler and compass, even if the projectivity
is not the identity mapping. Geometrically speaking, the compass is replaced by an arbitrary
conic.
Inversion. Now, we study the mapping x ↦ x1 which, considered as a mapping over the real or
complex numbers, causes troubles at x = 0. We shall see that on the projective line, there are
no exceptional points. In terms of homogeneous coordinates, we write
1 p0 0 1 p
(1 ∶ x) ↦ (1 ∶ ) = (x ∶ 1) ⇐⇒ ( )↦( )( 0 ).
x p1 1 0 p1
From this, we learn that the point x = 0 is mapped to the point with homogeneous coordinates
(0 ∶ 1) which is the ideal point of the line.
The computation of fixed points is equivalent to the determination of the eigenvectors of the
matrix. We find e1 = (1, −1) and e2 = (1, 1) which correspond to the points x = −1 and x = 1.
Thus, the projectivity has two fixed points and is, therefore, called hyperbolic. The mapping
x ↦ x1 is also called inversion. It is the one-dimensional analogue to the reflection in a circle.
Note that the center of inversion, i.e., the point x = 0 and the ideal point are interchanged.
It is worth saying that the inversion is involutive, i.e., the mapping itself is not the identity,
but applying it twice yields the identity. Involutive mappings are sometimes called involutions
and play an important role in the theory of conics.
Translation. Let us now consider the mapping x ↦ x + 1. In fact, this is a translation. All points
on the line are translated about one unit. If we use homogeneous coordinates, we can describe
this mapping with the help of a linear mapping, though a translation is not linear considered
as a mapping on the real line. We find
p0 1 0 p
(1 ∶ x) ↦ (1 ∶ x + 1) ⇐⇒ ( )↦( )( 0 ).
p1 1 1 p1
We immediately see that this linear mapping has only one eigenvector, and thus, the projective
mapping has only one fixed point; the point (0 ∶ 1) which corresponds to the ideal point x = ∞.
Projectivities with precisely one fixed point/line are called parabolic.
Reflection in a point. The reflection in a point can be given by x ↦ −x. Without loss of
generality, we have chosen the point x = 0 for the center of the reflection. The corresponding
linear mapping is given by
p0 1 0 p
(1 ∶ x) ↦ (1 ∶ −x) ⇐⇒ ( )↦( )( 0 ).
p1 0 −1 p1
Again, we find two fixed points: (1 ∶ 0) and (0 ∶ 1) or, in terms of inhomogeneous coordinates,
x = 0 and the ideal point x = ∞, and thus, the reflection is a hyperbolic projectivity.
There is an obvious advantage in considering a line to be projectively closed. Otherwise, we
would not have seen that a reflection has two fixed points.
The reflection in X is involutive which is clear from its definition. On the other hand, this
property can also be seen from the matrix representation: The square of the transformation
matrix is a scalar multiple of I2 .
Anti-inversion. The mapping x ↦ − x1 is a composition of an inversion and the reflection in a
point. In the older literature, one can find the name anti-inversion. The matrix representation
of this projectivity is given by
1 p0 0 1 p
(1 ∶ x) ↦ (1 ∶ − ) = (x ∶ −1) ⇐⇒ ( )↦( )( 0 ).
x p1 −1 0 p1
This mapping has no real fixed point, since (1, i) and (1, −i) are the two linearly independent
eigenvectors of the linear mapping. Because of the absence of real fixed points, the anti-
inversion is called an elliptic projectivity. If we consider this mapping as mapping over the
complex number field, then it would be hyperbolic.
Some projective mapping. In Figure 5.23 (f), there is one more projectivity. After fixing an
origin x = 0 and further a unit point x = 1 of an affine coordinate system, we can assign
homogeneous coordinates to all points given there. Suppose, we have
A = (1 ∶ −2), B = (1 ∶ −1), C = (1 ∶ 2),
′ ′
A = (1 ∶ 6), B = (1 ∶ 1), C ′ = (1 ∶ 0).
As we have shown above, we rescale the coordinate vectors of A and B so that they sum up to
a representative of C; and we do the same with A′ , B ′ , and C ′ : Since −3 ⋅ (1, −2) + 4 ⋅ (1, −1) =
(1, 2) = C and −1 ⋅ (1, 6) + 6 ⋅ (1, 1) = (5, 0) = 5 ⋅ C ′ , we arrive at
̃ ̃ = (4 ∶ −4), ã′ = (−1 ∶ −6), b̃′ = (6 ∶ 6),
a = (−3 ∶ 6), b
and with (5.12) this yields
−1
−1 6 −3 4 −1 6 4 4 16 7
T=( )( ) ̂
=( )( )̂
=( ).
−6 6 6 −4 −6 6 6 3 6 −3
We have used the symbol ̂ = in order to indicate that the left-hand side and right-hand side
are equal up to a non-zero factor. It is left to the reader as an exercise to show that there are
two fixed points F1 = (7 ∶ 2) and F2 = (1 ∶ −3).
Theorem 5.4.1 relates linear mappings and projectivities. From Linear

Algebra we know that the regular linear mappings of a vector space F2
form the general linear group GL(F, 2). This gives rise to the following
result:
Theorem 5.4.2 The set of projective mappings on a line l in P2 (F) to-

gether with the composition of projectivities forms a group PGL(l). The
group PGL(l) is isomorphic to the factor group GL(F, 2)/D(F) where
D(F) is the group of dilations formed by the set of scalar multiples of the
unit matrix I2 .
Proof: According to Theorem 5.4.1 we can formulate everything in terms of matrices: Two
projectivities α, β correspond to two regular matrices A, B ∈ F2×2 . The matrices are unique
up to a non-zero factor from F and, provided that α ≠ β, the matrices A and B are not
proportional. Now, we only have to verify the laws (except the commutativity) of a group as
given in the footnote on page 182. The proof of the isomorphy PGL(l) ≅ GL(F, 2)/D(F) can
be found in any textbook on algebra, e.g., [54], because it is the content of the homomorphism
theorem for groups: If f ∶ A → B is a homomorphism with kernel ker f , then A/ ker(f ) is
isomorphic to the image f (A). ◾
The cross ratio can be used to define an invariant of projective mappings:
Theorem 5.4.3 If π ∶ l → l is a projectivity with two fixed points F1 and

F2 , then the cross ratio δ = cr(F1 , F2 , X, π(X)) is called the characteristic
cross ratio of the hyperbolic projectivity. It is independent of X.
Proof: Without loss of generality, we may assume that F1 = (1 ∶ 0) and F2 = (0 ∶ 1) are the
fixed points of π. Then, the transformation matrix T of π is a diagonal matrix, and we may
set
δ 0
T=( )
0 1
with δ ≠ 1. For any point X = (x0 ∶ x1 ) ≠ F1 , F2 we have π(X) = (δx0 ∶ x1 ), and thus,
cr(F1 , F2 , X, π(X)) = δ. ◾
The projectivity π is involutive if, and only if, δ = −1. Therefore, a hy-
perbolic projectivity is involutive, i.e., π 2 = idl and π ≠ idl if, and only
if, H(F1 , F2 , X, π(X)) for any X. According to (FT), an involutive pro-
jectivity (or involution in brief) π (on a line) is uniquely determined by
prescribing two pairs (X, X ′ ) and (Y, Y ′ ) (which are four mutually dis-
tinct points) since π(X ′ ) = X and (X ′ , X) is the third pair of assigned
elements. By virtue of Theorem 5.2.3 (with A = X, B = X ′ , C = Y ,
D = Y ′ ), π also satisfies the condition π(Y ′ ) = Y .
A hyperbolic involutive projectivity is uniquely determined, if we prescri-
be the two fixed points F1 ≠ F2 because, for any pair (X, X ′ ) of assigned
points, we have H(F1 , F2 , X, X ′ ), i.e., the points F1 , F2 , X, and X ′ form
a harmonic quadruple.
Parabolic projectivities have only one fixed point, and instead of a cha-
racteristic cross ratio we can state:
Lemma 5.4.2 If π ∶ l → l is a parabolic projectivity on a line l with fixed

point F , then we have
H(F, π(X), X, π(π(X)))
for all X.
Proof: We assume that F = (1 ∶ 0) is the only fixed point of π. Therefore, the transformation
matrix T of π is an upper triangular matrix of the form
1 c
T=( )
0 1
with c ≠ 0. If X = (x0 ∶ x1 ) ≠ F , then π(X) = (x0 ∶ x0 + cx1 ) and π(π(X)) = (x0 ∶ x0 + 2cx1 ).
So, we have cr(F, π(X), X, π(π(X))) = −1. ◾
◾Example 5.4.4 The trace of T. Here and in the following, trT denotes the trace of the
matrix T, i.e., the sum of the diagonal elements:
t00 t01
trT = tr ( ) = t00 + t11 .
t10 t11
Lemma 5.4.3 A projectivity π ∶ l → l, π ≠ idl with x ↦ Tx is involutive if, and only if,
trT = 0.
Proof: First, let us assume that π is involutive. Then, π ○ π = idl , and consequently, T2 = cI2 .
The square of T equals
t200 + t01 t10 t01 (t00 + t11 )

T2 = ( ).
t10 (t00 + t11 ) t01 t10 + t211
The right upper entry of T has to be zero, and thus, t01 (t00 + t11 ) = 0. Now, we have two
subcases: If t00 + t11 = trT = 0, the square of T becomes a scalar diagonal matrix with entry
c = t200 + t01 t10 ≠ 0 and is, thus, a scalar multiple of I2 . The second case corresponds to t01 = 0.
In this case, T2 is a lower triangular matrix
t200 0
( )
t10 (t00 + t11 ) t211
which becomes diagonal if, and only if, either t10 = 0 or t11 + t00 = 0. If now t10 = 0, then T2
is a scalar multiple of I2 and T describes an involutive projectivity if, and only if, t200 = t211 ,
i.e., in case t00 = t11 or t00 = −t11 . The case t00 = t11 is excluded by assumption (π ≠ idl ) and
the case t00 = −t11 is equivalent to trT = 0. ◾
A comparison with Lemma 5.4.2 reveals that involutions can never be parabolic in Fano planes,
i.e., if charF ≠ 2
Commuting involutions.
Lemma 5.4.4 Assume α, β ∶ l → l are involutive projectivities on a line l with respective

transformation matrices A and B, and α ≠ β.
The two involutive projectivities α, β ∶ l → l commute, i.e., they fulfill α ○ β = β ○ α if, and
only if, their product is involutive:
AB = BA ⇐⇒ (AB)2 = cI2 , c ∈ F {0}.
Proof: First, we assume that α and β commute: AB = BA. We have to show that this implies
(AB)2 = cI2 with some c ∈ F.
Since A and B are matrices of involutions, we have A2 = aI2 and B2 = bI2 , and consequently,
A = aA−1 and B = bB−1 with some a, b ∈ F {0}. Now, we compute (AB)2 = AB ⋅ AB =
AB ⋅ BA, where the latter makes use of the assumption. Now, we use the fact that α and β
are involutive: ABBA = AbI2 A = bAA = abI2 .
Conversely, we assume that (AB)2 = cI2 and show that α and β commute:
We start with (AB)2 = cI2 and multiply with the inverses of B and A from the right and
find ABA = cB−1 and AB = cB−1 A−1 . Since α and β are involutive, we have A = aA−1 and
B = bB−1 and find AB = a−1 b−1 cBA. ◾
● Exercise 5.4.1 Prove the following statement: Two involutions commute if the fixed points
of one involution are corresponding under the second involution.
6 Projective conics
Studying conics in the framework of Projective Geometry leads to a much deeper

understanding of their properties. The results are independent on the choice of
the model as is the case for example with Pascal’s theorem stating that any six
points on a conic define a Pascal axis. The distinction between the three affine
types (ellipse, parabola, hyperbola) is no longer necessary.

218 Chapter 6: Projective conics
6.1 Steiner’s definition of a conic

We will stick to the convention that our projective planes are Pappian
so that the fundamental theorem (FT) (Theorem 5.2.1 on page 190) is
always valid. Following J. Steiner,1 we use his definition given in 1832:
T
S T S T
S s −1 t
c′ α(s)=α (t)
a
c
a′ P3 P3
P1 b b′ P1
R
P2 P2
FIGURE 6.1. Steiner’s definition of a conic: Left: Five points in an admissible

position define a conic. Middle: the unique conic on five points. Right: Two line
elements plus one point also define a unique conic.
Definition 6.1.1 Steiner’s definition: Assume we are given two pen-

cils of lines with respective carriers S ≠ T . Let σ ∶ S −
∧ T be a projectivity
that cannot be reduced to a single perspectivity from the pencil S to the
pencil T . The set of all points of intersection
X = l ∩ σ(l)
of all lines l through S with their σ-images is a conic.

A line t that contains only one point P of a conic c is called a tangent of
c at P and the pair (P, t) is called a line element.
The points S and T are sometimes referred to as the base points of the
generation of c. However, the term base point will also appear in a different
meaning when we treat pencils of conics in Section 7.3.
From Definition 6.1.1 we can conclude that there is no restriction to the
base points on a conic:
1
Jakob Steiner (1796–1863) was a Swiss mathematician.
6.1 Steiner’s definition of a conic 219
Theorem 6.1.1 Any two points on a conic c can serve as the base points
of a projective generation of c according to Steiner’s definition.
Proof: The theorem is valid if lines in the underlying plane contain 3, 4, or 5 points, since then
conics carry as many points.
P3
T
P2
X P1
FIGURE 6.2. The base points of a conic’s projective generation can be chosen
freely, cf. Theorem 6.1.1.
Let now S and T be the base points of a projective generation of a conic c. Further, let P1 , P2 ,
P3 be three mutually distinct and non-collinear points which, together with S and T , meet the
requirements of Definition 6.1.1, compare Figure 6.2. The generating projectivity α is defined
by [S, Pi ] ↦ [T, Pi ] with i ∈ {1, 2, 3}, and we call c the unique conic on S, T , P1 , P2 , and P3 .
Now, replace S with P3 (for example) and show that the projectivity from the pencil P3 to
the pencil T generates a conic c which contains all the points of c, and thus, c = c. For the
technical details, we refer to [11]. ◾
In principle, the above results enables us to show the following:
Theorem 6.1.2 A conic is defined by five points no three of which are

collinear.
Proof: We specify two of the five points as the base points S and T . Then, we use the three
remaining points P1 , P2 , P3 in order to define two times three lines for the projectivity σ
(cf. Figure 6.1): Both triplets {[S, Pi ]∣i ∈ {1, 2, 3}} and {[T, Pi ]∣i ∈ {1, 2, 3, }} consist of three
mutually distinct lines. Thus, the projectivity σ is defined by [S, Pi ] ↦ [T, Pi ] with i ∈ {1, 2, 3}.
According to Theorem 6.1.1, the choice of the base points doesn’t matter.
If P1 , P2 , and P3 are collinear, then σ is a perspectivity with axis [P1 , P2 ] and there is no
conic at all. ◾
6.2 Pascal, Pappus, Brianchon
P6 A P2
A P4
P3 P2
P5 C P3
B P2 P5
P1 c
A B
C P1
P6
c
P4 c
FIGURE 6.3. In the real projective plane P2 (R), Pappus’s theorem may appear
in different forms: Left: The ideal line is tangent to c at P2 . Right: The line
[P1 , P2 ] coincides with the ideal line.
Pappus’s theorem (cf. Figure 6.3) gives an incidence geometric, and thus,
a simple criterion for six points to lie on a conic:
Theorem 6.2.1 Let P1 , P2 , P3 , P4 , P5 , and P6 be six points on a conic,

then the three points
A ∶= [P1 , P2 ] ∩ [P4 , P5 ], B ∶= [P2 , P3 ] ∩ [P5 , P6 ], C ∶= [P3 , P4 ] ∩ [P5 , P6 ]
are collinear.
But even the converse is true, and so we state:
Theorem 6.2.2 Six points P1 , P2 , P3 , P4 , P5 , P6 , no three of which are

collinear, lie on a conic if, and only if, the three points
A ∶= [P1 , P2 ] ∩ [P4 , P5 ], B ∶= [P2 , P3 ] ∩ [P5 , P6 ], C ∶= [P3 , P4 ] ∩ [P5 , P6 ]
are collinear.
Proof: The synthetic proof consists of two parts:

6.2 Pascal, Pappus, Brianchon 221
1. First, we assume that the six points lie on a conic c, and we show that A, B, and C, as
defined above, are collinear.
We use the notation from Figure 6.4 and relabel two of the six points by letting S ∶= P1
and T ∶= P3 . The projectivity α from the pencil about S to the pencil about T generates
c. The pencil about S is perspective to the line g = [P4 , P5 ], and the pencil about T is
perspective to the line h = [P5 , P6 ]. Consequently, the two ranges g and h are linked by a
projectivity
=S −
β ∶ g∧
α
∧T ∧ =h
which turns out to be a perspectivity since α(P5 ) = P5 , according to Theorem 5.2.2. The
projectivity β sends A = [P1 , P2 ] ∩ g to B = [P2 , P3 ] ∩ h, for α([P1 , P2 ]) = [P2 , P3 ].
Since β is a perspectivity, A and β(A) = B have to be collinear with the center C of the
perspectivity. Let now Q ∶= [P1 , P6 ] ∩ g and R ∶= [P3 , P4 ] ∩ h. Since α([P1 , P6 ]) = [P3 , P6 ],
we have β(Q) = P6 . Further, β([P1 , P4 ]) = [P3 , P4 ], and therefore, β(P4 ) = R. Thus, the
center of perspectivity is found as C = [P3 , P4 ] ∩ [P6 , P1 ] and is collinear with A and B.
P4
P1 =∶S A P2
c
C
P3 =∶T
B R h P6 P5
FIGURE 6.4. The synthetic proof of Theorem 6.2.2.
2. Now, assume that the six points P1 , . . . , P6 lie such that A ∶= [P1 , P2 ]∩g, B ∶= [P2 , P3 ]∩h,
and C ∶= [P3 , P4 ] ∩ [P6 , P1 ] are well defined and collinear. We have to show that the six
points belong to one, and only one, conic.
The chain β of perspectivities from the pencil about S to the line g and further to the
line h (center C) and then to the pencil about T is a projectivity, for it is a finite chain
of perspectivities. It can be shown by contradiction that β is well defined. It acts in the
following way: [S, P4 ] ↦ [T, P4 ], [S, P5 ] ↦ [T, P5 ], and further [S, P2 ] ↦ [T, P2 ], for A,
B, and C are collinear. Therefore, this chain is a factorization of the projectivity α and
[S, P6 ] is mapped to [T, P6 ], and thus, the point P6 also lies on the same conic c on P1 ,
. . . , P5 .
So far we have used P1 and P3 as the vertices of the pencils generating the conic. If
we replace P1 with P5 , the line [A, B] remains unchanged und the generation of c is
independent of the choice of the base points. For details we refer to [11]. ◾
There is also an analytic proof of Pascal’s or Pappus’s theorem which

is given in Example 6.4.3. However, the synthetic proof seems to be more
powerful since it covers also the converse statement.
The dual of a conic defined by Definition 6.1.1 is a set of lines. It can be
proved that in Fano planes this dual conic consists of the tangents of a
conic. For a proof, we again refer to the literature (e.g. [11]). Later, in
Section 7.1 on polarities this result becomes obvious.
The Theorems 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 have their dual versions. The dual version of
the theorem by Pappus is usually referred to as Brianchon’s theorem.
It is due to the French mathematician Charles Julien Brianchon
(1783–1864).
Theorem 6.2.3 Six lines l1 , l2 , l3 , l4 , l5 , l6 , no three of which are con-

current, are tangents of one conic c if, and only if, the three lines
a ∶= [l1 ∩ l2 , l4 ∩ l5 ], b ∶= [l2 ∩ l3 , l5 ∩ l6 ], c ∶= [l3 ∩ l4 , l6 ∩ l1 ]
are concurrent.
Both theorems, Pappus’s and Brianchon’s, are still valid if some points
or lines happen to coincide. We formulate these special cases for the case
of Pappus’s theorem. The special cases of Brianchon’s are nothing else
but the dual counterparts, illustrated in Figure 6.6.
B C t3 P3 =P4
P5
P3 t5 P1
B
P2 P2 A P4
A
P1 A P5
C
C P2
P6 P1
P4 P3 P5 =P6 t5 B
FIGURE 6.5. Pappus’s theorem and its special forms: Left: the original version.
Middle: The point P6 has moved towards P5 . Now, the tangent t5 at P5 plays
the role of the former line [P5 , P6 ]. Right: A further coincidence, say P3 = P4 ,
replaces the pair (P3 , P4 ) by the line element (P3 , t3 ) and Pappus’s theorem
still holds.
Figure 6.5 (on the left) shows a Pappus figure in the generic case. All
six points on the conic c are mutually distinct, and in the closed polygon
P1 . . . P6 there are the three collinear crossing points A, B, and C. Assume
now that the point P6 is moving on c towards P5 . The theorem still
remains valid if we replace the pair of points (P5 , P6 ) by the line element
consisting of the point P5 and the tangent t5 to c at P5 , see Figure 6.5
(in the middle). With the point B ∶= [P2 , P3 ] ∩ [P5 , P6 ], we have P5 =
[P2 , P3 ] ∩ t5 . Now, we assume that a further pair of points on c coincides:
Let P3 = P4 and replace the pair (P3 , P4 ) by the line element (P3 , t3 ) with
the tangent t3 at P3 . Now, B = [P2 , P3 ] ∩ t5, and additionally, the point C
which was defined by C = [P3 , P4 ] ∩ [P6 , P1 ] is found as C = t3 ∩ [P6 , P1 ].
However, the three points A, B, and C are still collinear.
l5 l4 l3 l2 l2 l1
c a a
b l3 b c l1 c
a B5 b B5
l6
B4
l5 =
l2 l4 l5
l1 l3 =
l6 l4
FIGURE 6.6. Some versions of the theorem by Brianchon, cf. Theorem 6.2.3:
Left: the generic case with six mutually distinct tangents. Middle: One pair of
coinciding tangents somehow “converges” to a line element. Right: Two pairs of
tangents are replaced by two line elements.
The dual and degenerate versions of the Pappus configurations are illus-
trated in Figure 6.6. Note that pairs of lines are again to be replaced by
line elements, i.e., pairs (P, t) consisting of a tangent t and the point of
contact P .
Both theorems, Pappus’s and Brianchon’s, apply to the most dege-
nerate configurations where three pairs of points or three pairs of lines
collapse as shown in Figure 6.7. The configuration on the left-hand side
of Figure 6.7 is self-dual. The lines connecting the vertices of the tangent
triangle of the conic with the opposite contact points are concurrent in
the Brianchon point B.
t2
P
t1 =
5 =P
6
t5
=t
2 6
B
=P
G
P1
t4
t3 = i
P4
P3 =
A B
FIGURE 6.7. The theorems of Pappus and Brianchon in the most degenerate
form: Left: The self-dual configuration of three line elements of a conic. Right:
The Gergonne point of a triangle ABC equals the Brianchon point of the
incircle i.
The right-hand side of Figure 6.7 shows a well-known example of a Brian-

chon point from triangle geometry. The contact points of the incircle i
of a triangle ABC define three concurrent Cevians. The locus of concur-
rency is the Gergonne point named after Joseph Diaz Gergonne. In
Triangle Geometry, this point is usually labeled with X7 , see [40]. The
Gergonne point can also be found in some Cayley-Klein geometries, e.g.,
in pseudo-Euclidean or Minkowski-geometries since it is defined in a
projective way. For these generalizations, we refer to [50].
◾ Example 6.2.1 Find the intersection of a conic and a line through a given point of the conic.
The construction of the common points of a line x and a conic c is a quadratic problem, i.e.,
algebraically speaking, one has to solve a quadratic equation in order to find the points of
intersection. If one of the common points is already known, then the problem reduces to the
search of the remaining intersection. This construction is linear. It is the solution of a linear
equation.
Assume we are given five points and a line x through one of them, say S. We want to find the
point of intersection of the conic on the five given points and the line x without drawing the
conic itself. In the first step, we define a projectivity from the pencil of lines about S to the
pencil about one of the remaining four points, say T (cf. Figure 6.8). The remaining points
shall be labeled with 1, 2, and 3. The projectivity α from the pencil about S to the pencil
about T is uniquely defined by
g1 ∶= [S, 1] ↦ [g1′ ∶= T, 1], g2 ∶= [S, 2] ↦ g2′ ∶= [T, 2], g3 ∶= [S, 3] ↦ g3′ ∶= [T, 3].
In the next step, we construct the center Pα of the projectivity α. Following Theorem 5.2.4,
we have
Pα = [[g1 ∩ g2′ , g2 ∩ g1′ ], [[g2 ∩ g3′ ], [g3 ∩ g2′ ]].
1 1 1
3 Pα 3 3
2 2 2
T S T
x T x x
S S X
X
FIGURE 6.8. Construction of the remaining point of intersection of a line x

with a conic. Left: The initial situation shows five points and a line through
one of them. Middle: The generating projectivity is determined and the center
Pα of the projectivity is constructed. Then, the line x through S is mapped to
x′ = α(x) through T , and according to Steiner’s definition of a conic, x∩′ x = X
is the desired point of intersection. Right: The conic on the given five points,
the line x, and the point X.
The third and last step is the construction of α(x). Again, we apply Theorem 5.2.4. Thus, we
have
X = [[x ∩ g2′ , Pα ] ∩ g2 , T ] ∩ x.
Note that every step of the construction is linear.
By constructing the remaining point of intersection, we have also shown how to find further
points on a conic that is given by five of its points. Following the Definition 6.1.1, we just have
to turn x around the one a priori known point of intersection and then construct the second
one. In this way, we can find infinitely many further points of c beside the given ones.
◾ Example 6.2.2 Elementary generation of conics in the projective extension of E2 .

Assume S ≠ T are proper (finite) vertices of two pencils of lines in P2 (R), and let further P1 be
a point which is not collinear with S and T . Now, we define a projectivity α in the following
way: Let l ≠ [S, P1 ] be a line through S. The image m = α(l) of l under α runs through T and
) ([P1 , S], l) = <
it satisfies < ) ([P1 , T ], m). Take care of the orientation of angles! If the line l
traverses the pencil about S, then we see that the points l ∩ m trace the circumcircle of ST P1
because the angles measured at S and T are the angles of circumference (Figure 6.9, left).
The pencils of lines about S and T can be mapped via a Euclidean congruence transformation
onto each other such that each line in the pencil about S coincides with its image under
alpha in the pencil about T . Therefore, we call these pencils a pair of congruent pencils
of lines. In other words: A circle can be generated with the help of congruent pencils of
lines. For the sake of completeness, one should show that this congruence transformation is a
projectivity: We use Theorem 5.3.1 and (5.10), and thus, cr([S, P1 ], [S, P2 ], [S, P3 ], [S, X]) =
cr([T, P1 ], [T, P2 ], [T, P3 ], [T, X ′ ]).
What happens if we change the orientation of the angles? With the same prerequisites, assume
now that the image of a line l is defined by < ) ([P1 , S], l) = − <
) ([P1 , T ], m). In Figure 6.9
(right), we can see the resulting curve. However, here we also have to show that the mapping
α ∶ l → m is a projectivity. We can be sure that if congruences are projectivities, then their
S T
S T
P3
P2
P1
P1
P2 P3
FIGURE 6.9. Elementary generation of conics: Left: A circle is generated by

“congruent pencils of lines”. Right: An equilateral hyperbola results if the pen-
cils are congruent but the orientation of angles is reversed as described in
Example 6.2.2.
compositions with reflections are also projectivities. Or else, we can translate the point T into
T such that S and T are mirrors with respect to a line.
Further, we can state and prove what is illustrated in Figure 6.1 (right):
Theorem 6.2.4 Let (S, s) and (T, t) be two line elements with S /∈ t,
T ∈/ s, and let further R ∈/ {s ∪ t} be a point. Then, there is a unique conic
c through the two line elements (S, s), (T, t), and R.
Proof: If (S, s), (T, t), and R are in an admissible position, then there is a uniquely defined
projective mapping α from the pencil of lines about S to the pencil of lines about T rendering
s ↦ [S, T ], [S, T ] ↦ t, and [S, R] ↦ [T, R].
According to the construction of α, the thus generated conic c passes through S, T , and R.
We only have to show that s and t are tangents to c at S and T . We recall Definition 6.1.1: A
line s is a tangent of c if it contains precisely one point of c. The pre-image under α of [S, T ]
equals s and is unique. There is no further point of c, except S, on s. If there was such a point
X ∈ s with X ≠ S, then [S, X] = s would have two images under α: [S, T ] and [X, T ]. This
contradicts the bijectivity of α. Similar arguments apply to the line element (T, t). ◾
As already mentioned, the dualized Definition 6.1.1 yields a dual conic,
i.e., the set of tangents of a conic in Fano planes. In other words: The set
of tangents of a conic can be generated by a projective mapping α ∶ l → m
between two ranges of points l and m provided that α is not a perspec-
tivity. Consequently, a conic is also uniquely defined if we prescribe five
tangents t1 , . . . , t5 where no three are concurrent. A conic on five tangents
is illustrated in Figure 6.10.
g1 t =g5 g1 g5
′ 4
A′ =B
B
1
=g
g
g2 g2 s=
′ S =A
t = g2
C
′
A g3 g3 C T =B ′
= g5
r=
B C g3
s =g4 g4
A C′
FIGURE 6.10. Applying the principle of duality: Five tangents in an admissible

position define a unique conic (left) because they determine a projectivity. The
conic on five tangents (middle). Two line elements plus one tangent also define
one, and only one, conic if they lie in an admissible position (right).
Recall that a line element is self-dual for it is a line with an incident

point. Applying the principle of duality to Theorem 6.2.4 shows that a
conic is uniquely defined by prescribing two line elements, say (S, s),
(T, t), and a further tangent r. Figure 6.10 shows the conic which is given
that way. The generating projectivity s −∧ t is defined by S = A ↦ s∩t = A′ ,
s ∩ a = B ↦ T = B ′ , and s ∩ r = C ↦ t ∩ r = C ′ .
6.3 Equation and parametrization of a conic

In this section, we shall see that the conics defined via projectivities are
algebraic curves of degree two. Therefore, we obtain a parametrization
and an equation.
From Theorem 6.2.4, we know that two line elements (S, s) and (T, t)
together with a point R ∉ {s ∪ t} define a unique conic c. The projectivity
α that generates c is defined by
s ↦ [S, T ], [S, T ] ↦ t, [R, S] ↦ [R, T ]. (6.1)
We can impose a projective frame on the given points and lines as indi-
cated in Figure 6.11: S = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), T = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), and R = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1).
Further, it is no restriction to assume that the tangents s and t meet
at the point (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), and therefore, s and t have the homogeneous
equations s ∶ x2 = 0 and t ∶ x0 = 0. In our setting, the line [S, T ] has the
equation x1 = 0, and finally, the lines [S, R] and [T, R] have the equations
x1 − x2 = 0 and x0 − x1 = 0.
T =(0 ∶0 ∶1)
T =(0 ∶0 ∶1)
T T
x0 =x1
c
x1 =0
R =(1 ∶1 ∶1) R
2
=x
1
x
s ∶ x2 =0
S =(1 ∶0 ∶0) s S
FIGURE 6.11. The proper choice of a coordinate frame simplifies the equation
of the conic c. Left: the chosen frame. Right: the unique conic c on (S, s), (T, t),
and R.
In order to find an analytic representation of α, we recall that the equa-

tions of the three pairs of lines determining α can be given in terms of
their homogeneous coordinate vectors which are nothing but the coef-
ficient vector of their equations. Note that non-trivial multiples of the
equations stand for the same geometric objects. Consequently, (6.1) can
be written either in terms of equations
−x2 = 0 ↦ −x1 = 0, x1 = 0 ↦ x0 = 0, x1 −x2 = 0 ↦ x0 −x1 = 0
6.3 Equation and parametrization of a conic 229
or in terms of homogeneous coordinate vectors
(0∶0∶−1) ↦ (0∶−1∶0), (0∶1∶0) ↦ (1∶0∶0), (0∶1∶−1) ↦ (1∶−1∶0). (6.2)
Here, some equations are multiplied by −1. This turns out to be useful,
since (0, 0, −1) + (0, 1, 0) = (0, 1, −1) and (0, −1, 0) + (1, 0, 0) = (1, −1, 0).
If we impose a frame on both pencils, we can assign the homogeneous
coordinates (1 ∶ 0) to s and [S, T ] and the coordinates (0 ∶ 1) to the lines
[S, T ] and t in the second pencil. Therefore, the mapping α from the
pencil about S to the pencil about T is described via equal coordinates.
This means that a line g through S with coordinate vector g(λ, μ) =
λ(0, 0, −1)+μ(0, 1, 0) = (0 ∶ μ ∶ −λ) is mapped to the line g with coordinate
vector g′ (λ, μ) = λ(0, −1, 0) + μ(1, 0, 0) = (μ, −λ, 0) where (λ, μ) ≠ (0, 0).
The points of c are the intersection of the lines gF and g′ F. With formu-
la(5.5) we have
c(λ ∶ μ) = (0, μ, −λ)T × (μ, −λ, 0)T ̂

= (λ2 ∶ λμ ∶ μ2 ) (6.3)
Summarizing these calculations yields:
Corollary 6.3.1 In a suitable coordinate frame, all points of a conic c

in the projective plane P2 (F) can be parametrized by a homogeneous para-
meter (λ, μ) ≠ (0, 0) as (λ2 ∶ λμ ∶ μ2 ). The homogeneous parameter ranges
in a projective line.
The homogeneous parameter (λ, μ) in (6.3) can be replaced by an affine

parameter t = μλ−1 provided that λ ≠ 0. Thus, we obtain the “standard
parametrization” of a conic which reads
c(t) = (1, t, t2 )F.
In this parametrization, we have lost one point of c, i.e., the point cor-
responding to t = ∞. Since the first coordinate function is constant and
equals 1, we choose in P2 (R) the lines x0 = 0 as the ideal line and arrive
at a representation of the affine part of c in terms of affine coordinates
c(t) = (t, t2 ).
From the parameter representation of c, we can deduce an equation in

terms of homogeneous coordinates. With x0 = λ2 , x1 = λμ, and x2 = μ2 ,
we find
λ2 ⋅ μ2 − (λμ)2 = x0 x2 − x21 = 0. (6.4)
Conversely, for any point (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) with x0 ≠ 0 satisfying (6.4), we
can set (x0 , x1 ) = (λ, μ) and obtain x2 = μ2 λ−1 , hence (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (λ ∶
μ ∶ μ2 λ−1 ). For x0 = 0, only (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) solves (6.4) which corresponds to
(λ ∶ μ) = (0 ∶ 1).
Here, we should emphasize that a change of the frame does not change
the algebraic degree of the curve: This change is performed by multiplying
coordinates with a suitable matrix, i.e., the change of coordinates is linear.
So, we have:
Corollary 6.3.2 The coordinates of the points of a conic in the projective

plane P2 (F) satisfy a quadratic equation.
On page 239, we shall show that there is only one type of conic in any
projective plane.
◾ Example 6.3.1 The circle, rational parametrization, and Thales’s theorem.

Assume S = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ 0) and T = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) are the base points of a Steiner generation in the
projective extension of E2 . Further, let s ∶ x0 + x1 = 0 and t ∶ x1 − x0 = 0 be the tangents
at the base points. Finally, the point R = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) helps to define the projectivity. In terms
of Cartesian coordinates, these points are given by (−1, 0), (1, 0), and (0, 1). Now, it is clear
that S, T , and R lie on the unit circle with the inhomogeneous equation x2 + y 2 = 1, and the
lines s and t are tangents (cf. Figure 6.12, left).
R
c T T
t
S T R
c S
s t s S
FIGURE 6.12. The conics from Example 6.3.1.

The projectivity α from the pencil about S to the pencil about T is defined by the following
three lines and their respective images:
x0 + x1 = 0 ↦ x2 = 0,
− x2 = 0 ↦ −x0 + x1 = 0,
x0 + x1 − x2 = 0 ↦ −x0 + x1 + x2 = 0.
Since the equations of these lines are scaled such that the sum of the first two equals the third,
we have a mapping via equal coordinates, and thus,
l ∶ λ(x0 + x1 ) + μ(−x2 ) = 0 is mapped to l′ ∶ λx2 + μ(−x0 + x1 ) = 0. (6.5)
We intersect corresponding lines, i.e., lines with equal coordinates
(λ ∶ λ ∶ −μ) ∩ (−μ ∶ μ ∶ λ) = (λ2 + μ2 ∶ μ2 − λ2 ∶ 2λμ)
with λ ∶ μ ≠ 0 ∶ 0. If we replace the homogeneous parameter (λ ∶ μ) by the affine parameter

t = λ−1 μ and switch to inhomogeneous coordinates by setting x = x1 x−1 −1
0 and y = x2 x0 , then
we arrive at
1 − t2 2t
( , ). (6.6)
1 + t2 1 + t2
The latter is a rational parametrization of the unit circle, as we expected. Moreover, this
parametrization is usually found via the stereographic projection from the line x = 0 to the
unit circle c as shown in Figure 6.13: We parametrize the line x = 0 (y-axis of a Cartesian
frame) by P = (0, t) and project the points P from T = (1, 0) ∈ c onto c. This means that the
lines (1 + λ, −tλ) have to be intersected with c. This yields exactly the parametrization of the
unit circle as given in (6.6).
y
C
c c
P
O
x
O
C
O′ l P
FIGURE 6.13. Stereographic projection with center O: Left: Deriving the ratio-
nal parametrization of the unit circle. Right: A stereographic projection from an
arbitrary conic c to a line l maps any point C ∈ c to a unique and well-defined
point P on the line l. One hole is to be filled: The stereographic image of the
center O ∈ c is the intersection O′ of c’s tangent at O with the line l.
The construction of the unit circle as the locus of all points l ∩ l′ (as given in Equation
(6.5)) shows the following which is called Thales’s theorem (Thales of Miletus, Greek
philosopher, 624 BC–546 BC):
Corollary 6.3.3 In E2 , the locus of all points from which a line segment ST is seen at right
angles is a circle.
Proof: We use homogeneous Cartesian coordinates with S = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ 0) and T = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0).

Coefficient vectors of the equations of l and l′ are (⋆ ∶ λ ∶ −μ) and (⋆ ∶ μ ∶ λ). The normal
vectors to these lines are given by the second and third entry, so the first entry does not
matter. The Euclidean scalar product of the normal vectors vanishes:
λ μ
⟨( ),( )⟩ = 0,
−μ λ
and consequently, l and l′ are orthogonal. Exactly the same coordinates were used before.
Therefore, we obtain the homogeneous equation −x20 + x21 + x22 = 0. ◾
We can generalize the stereographic projection from a line to the unit circle in the following
way (Figure 6.13): The circle c can be replaced with any conic in the projective plane P2 (F),
and the center O may be an arbitrary point on c. The line l can be chosen freely, however, it
is not allowed to coincide with c’s tangent tO at O. The mapping c → l is one-to-one and onto
if we additionally define O ↦ O ′ ∶= l ∩ tO (see Figure 6.13, right). Later, we shall learn that
there are n-dimensional analogues of the planar stereographic projection.
From the definition of a stereographic projection, we obtain:
Corollary 6.3.4 There are as many points on a conic as there are lines in a pencil or points
on a line.
Equilateral hyperbola.
Now, we return to the projective extension of E2 . Let’s generate a conic with ideal base points
S = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) and T = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). If we interpret x0 = 0 as the ideal line, then S and T are the
ideal points of the axis of a Cartesian frame. We cannot choose a further ideal point since no
three points on a conic are collinear. Let R = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1), i.e., the unit point in the frame, and
assume further that s ∶ x2 = 0 and t ∶ x1 = 0 are the tangents at the base points S and T , as
shown in Figure 6.12, right.
Similar to the example above, the projectivity α from the pencil about S to the pencil about
T is defined by the following three lines and their respective images:
− x2 =0↦ x0 = 0,
x0 =0↦ − x1 = 0,
x0 − x2 =0↦ x0 − x1 = 0.
Again, the mapping between the pencils is described via equal coordinates and so the lines
l = (μ ∶ 0 ∶ −λ) and their images l′ = (λ, −μ, 0) (under α) have to be intersected. This yields
l ∩ l′ = (λμ ∶ −λ2 ∶ −μ2 )
with (λ, μ) ≠ (0, 0). The coordinates of the points on this conic satisfy the homogeneous
equation x1 x2 − x20 = 0. In terms of inhomogeneous coordinates, we have xy − 1 = 0 which
is the well-known graph of the rational function x ↦ x1 . The resulting conic is an equilateral
hyperbola, i.e., a hyperbola with orthogonal asymptotes.
● Exercise 6.3.1 Hexagrammum mysticum.

According to Theorem 6.2.1, any six points on a conic define a Pascal line. What happens if
we fix the points but change their labels? At first glance, we would expect to find 6! = 720
FIGURE 6.14. The 60 Pascal lines of an unlabeled hexagon inscribed in a conic.
Pascal lines, i.e., for each permutation a new Pascal line. However, this is not the case. There
are only 60 of them (Figure 6.14).
The 60 Pascal lines of a hexagon inscribed in a conic intersect three at a time in 20 Steiner
points, and also three at a time in 60 Kirkman points. Each Steiner point lies together with
three Kirkman points on 20 Cayley lines. Between the 60 Kirkman points and the 60 Pascal
lines there is a relation that seems to be a duality. The 20 Cayley lines generated by a hexagon
inscribed in a conic pass four at a time through 15 points known as Salmon points. There is
a dual relationship between the 15 Salmon points and the 15 Plücker lines.
Find out which are the essential permutations of P1 , . . . , P6 . Without loss of generality, the
conic (1 ∶ t ∶ t2 ) (or x0 x2 − x12 = 0) can be used and it means no restriction to assume
P1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), P2 = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1), and P3 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Let u, v, w ≠ 0, 1, ∞ be the parameters that
correspond to the points P3 , P4 , P5 . For further details see [63].
Perspective and projective collineations

Perspectivities and projectivities between ranges of points and pencils
of lines are the basic building blocks in Projective Geometry. However,
there are further interesting and important mappings between projecti-
ve planes, namely collineations. In this section, we shall describe these
mappings and show their relations to conics and their action on the set
of conics. We make use of
Definition 6.3.1 A collineation from one projective plane to another

projective plane is a mapping that sends points to points and satisfies
the following two axioms:
(K1) Collinear points are mapped to collinear points.
(K2) The mapping is one-to-one and onto.
We call a collineation projective if its restriction to any range of points or

pencil of lines is a projectivity. It can be shown that in the real projective
plane P2 (R) every collineation is projective.
c c′
D′
D C
C′
d
B′
A B A′
FIGURE 6.15. A projective collineation in P2 (R): In general, parallels are not

preserved and even orientations may change. The circumcircle c of the square
ABCD is not mapped to the circumcircle of A′ B ′ C ′ but to some curve c′ .
We have seen that, in a Pappian projective plane, a projective map bet-

ween lines or pencils is uniquely determined if we prescribe three elements
with their images (cf. page 191). A projective collineation is uniquely de-
termined if we prescribe a labeled quadrangle and its labeled image. We
say that projective collineations act sharply transitive on labeled qua-
drangles. Figure 6.15 shows the action of a collineation in P2 (R). We
observe some phenomena:
• Parallel lines can be mapped to non-parallel lines.
• Affine ratios are not preserved: As can be seen in Figure 6.15, the
square ABCD is mapped to an arbitrary quadrangle A′ B ′ C ′ D ′ which
has no center, in the elementary sense.
• The circumcircle c of ABCD is not mapped to the circumcircle d of

ABC. It is mapped to some curve c′ .
A point F that is mapped to itself under a collineation κ is called a fixed
point of the collineation. A line f can be fixed pointwise under κ, i.e.,
all points on f are fixed points of κ. Such a line is called an axis of the
collineation. If a line is fixed and not all points on it are fixed, we call it
a fixed line. A point C is called a center of a collineation if it is a fixed
point and every line through C is a fixed line but not necessarily an axis.
f P′
P′ P
v P′ P
P
C C C
Q Q′
V
a a F a
FIGURE 6.16. Left: A perspective collineation is defined by prescribing a center
C, an axis a, and a pair (P, P ′ ) of assigned points such that C, P , P ′ are
collinear. We can also see that a Desargues figure and a perspective collineation
determine each other mutually. Middle: In the real plane P2 (R) we find the
vanishing line v as the set of images of ideal points under the collineation. The
line f is mapped to the ideal line. Right: Conics are mapped to conics via
perspective collineations, as we shall see later.
A collineation with a center is called perspective collineation. Any per-

spective collineation has exactly one center and one axis. The center C of
a perspective collineation κ may be incident with the axis a. In this case,
we call κ an elation, otherwise a homology. Perspective collineations will
be the key to the definition of osculating and hyperosculating conics in
Section 7.3, especially in Definition 6.4.1. Figure 6.16 shows the action of
three homologies in P2 (R). The left-hand side of Figure 6.16 illustrates
the close relation of Desargues configurations and perspective collineati-
ons. In the middle of Figure 6.16, the vanishing line v as well as the image
f of the line at infinity are displayed. The right-hand side of Figure 6.16
shows a circumconic of a triangle and its image.
Perspective collineations are uniquely determined by prescribing a center
C, an axis a, and a pair (P, P ′ ) of assigned points such that C, P , P ′ are
Q′
B Y ′ =Z
Q B ′
Y =Z
C C
P
X A
A
P′
a a X′
FIGURE 6.17. The characteristic cross ratio δ = cr(C, A, P, P ′ ) = cr(C, B, Q, Q′ )

of a homology is, indeed, a characteristic of the collineation and independent of
the choice of assigned points P and P ′ (left). Harmonic homologies are involu-
tive, and cr(C, A, X, X ′ )=cr(C, B, Y, Y ′ )=−1, i.e., X↦X ′ andX ′ ↦X (right).
collinear and P, P ′ ∉ a. Therefore, in case of a homology, we can assign a

characteristic cross ratio δ to a perspective collineation. If A = [P, P ′ ] ∩ a,
then δ = cr(C, A, P, P ′ ) and is independent of the choice of the assigned
pair of points, see Figure 6.17. A perspective collineation is involutive if,
and only if, the characteristic cross ratio equals −1, i.e., in this case, we
have H(C, A, P, P ′ ) for all P, P ′ ≠ C and P, P ′ ∉ a. This can easily be read
off from Figure 6.17. In Fano planes, harmonic perspective collineations
are homologies. Harmonic homologies are also called projective reflections
since they generalize the concept of the elementary reflection in a point or
in a line. Projective reflections are important in connection with conics:
There exist projective reflections that leave conics invariant (Figure 6.18).
In P2 (F), the projective collineations are represented by linear mappings

F3 → F3 . Therefore, in any coordinate frame, we can describe them by
regular 3 × 3 matrices.
The analytic representation of collineations is given with the help of ma-
trices. The computation of the transformation matrix T of a projective
collineation κ for given quadruples of corresponding points is similar to
that of a projectivity as described on page 210.
Assume A = aF, B = bF, C = cF, and D = dF are four given points.
Further, the points A′ = a′ F, B ′ = b′ F, C ′ = c′ , and D ′ = d′ F shall be
the respective κ-images. Then, we rescale the representatives a, b, c such

that they sum up to a multiple of the representative d. We also do this
for the image points. Now, the matrix T ∈ F3×3 is given by
−1
T = (ã′ b̃′ c̃′ ) ⋅ (̃
ab̃̃
c) (6.7)
where ̃ indicates that the column vectors are rescaled. This formula is
the analogon to the analytic description of projectivities (5.12) and con-
firms that a projective collineation is uniquely determined by two labeled
quadrangles.
(a) c (c) (e) a

X C
a2 C1
r c P′
c X2 X
C2 Q′
C a1 C
r X′ X1
X′ P
Q
(b) C (d) (e)

C C
X c
a
a X P′
C c Q′
a
c Y
X′
X′ P Q
Y′
FIGURE 6.18. Projective and elementary reflections which leave conics invari-
ant: (a) The reflection in the center C of a circle c fixes the circle. The axis of
this harmonic homology is the line at infinity. (b) The reflection in a diameter a
of a circle c is a harmonic homology with axis a. The center C of the collineation
is the ideal point of lines orthogonal to a. (c) A conic c with center C (ellipse or
hyperbola) is invariant under reflections in the axis and under the reflection in
the center C. (d) A parabola c has no center but allows the reflection in its axis
a. (e) There are more harmonic homologies that fix the circle c. (f) For each
conic c, we can find harmonic perspective collineations that leave the conic c
fixed as a whole but not pointwise.
Finally, we point out that any collineation κ of points also determines a

mapping of lines κ⋆ . The matrix U acting on the coordinate vectors of
lines can be derived from T. Assume X = xF is a point on the line u = uF,
i.e., ⟨u, x⟩ = uT x = 0. If now x′ = Tx and u′ = Uu with U ∈ F3×3 , then
⟨u′ , x′ ⟩ = 0 for κ preserves incidences. Thus, we have ⟨u′ , x′ ⟩ = u′ T x′ =
uT UT Tx = 0 for all x, u ∈ F3 with 0 = uT x = uT I3 x. This yields
−1 T
UT T = λI3 ⇐⇒ U = λ (TT ) = λ (T−1 ) (6.8)
−1 T
for any λ ∈ F {0}. Since (TT ) = (T−1 ) holds, transposing and inverting
a matrix commute. Therefore, we simply write T−T for the transposed
inverse of a regular matrix T. We summarize:
Theorem 6.3.1 Every projective collineation κ ∶ P2 (F) → P2 (F) with a

commutative field F can be described by a linear mapping fκ ∶ F3 → F3 .
Conversely, any linear mapping f ∶ F3 → F3 defines a projective collinea-
tion κf ∶ F3 → F3 . For any given coordinate frame, the transformation
matrix T describing κf is unique only up to scalar multiples with factors
taken from F.
It is useful to have the following result:
Lemma 6.3.5 Perspective collineations κ ∶ P2 (F) → P2 (F) with center

C = cF and axis a = aF can be written in the form
x ↦ x′ = x + c⟨a, x⟩(δ − 1) (6.9)
where δ ≠ 1 is the characteristic cross ratio.
Proof: Any two corresponding points X and X ′ = κ(X) in a perspective collineation are
collinear with the center C. The characteristic cross ratio is defined as cr(C, A, X, X ′ ) =
cr(X, X ′ , C, A) with A = a ∩ [X, C]. For A = bF we have b = (x × c) × a = c⟨a, x⟩ − x⟨c, a⟩.
Thus, the points C, A, and X on the line [C, X] have the homogeneous coordinates (1 ∶ 0),
(⟨a, x⟩ ∶ ⟨c, a⟩), and (0 ∶ 1). Now, we determine X ′ = (ξ ∶ η) on [C, X] such that
cr(C, A, X, X ′ ) = δ. With (5.6) we find ξ ∶ η = ⟨a, x⟩(δ − 1) ∶ ⟨a, c⟩ which gives X ′ = x′ F
with
x′ = x⟨c, a⟩ + c⟨a, x⟩(δ − 1).
We can replace the representatives of C and a such that ⟨c, a⟩ = 1 and we are done. ◾
Especially for harmonic homologies we have
x′ = x − 2c⟨a, x⟩⟨a, c⟩−1 . (6.10)
6.4 There is only one conic in a projective plane 239
6.4 There is only one conic in a projective plane

From Steiner’s definition of a conic it is clear that projective collinea-
tions map conics to conics. For any two conics in P2 (F) with mutually
different points A, B, D ∈ c and A′ , B ′ , D ′ ∈ c′ there is a unique collineation
with A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , and D ↦ D ′ .
Though there is a huge variety of conics from the Euclidean point of view.
In projective planes, everything simplifies. Now, we can show:
Theorem 6.4.1 For any two conics c, c′ in P2 (F) with mutually different
points A, B, D ∈ c and A′ , B ′ , D ′ ∈ c′ there is a unique collineation with
A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , and D ↦ D ′ .
All conics c are collinear images of the conic given in (6.4).
Proof: A projective collineation is uniquely defined by prescribing a labeled quadrangle ABCD

and its image, the labeled quadrangle A′ B ′ C ′ D ′ .
We recall the projective generation used on page 228 in order to compute a parametrization
and an equation of any given conic c. Now, we relabel the points used there: S = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) =∶ A,
T = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) =∶ B, s ∩ t = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) =∶ C, and R = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) =∶ D (Figure 6.19).
D
A′
c B C′
D′
c′ B′
A C
FIGURE 6.19. Up to collineations, there is only one conic in P2 (F): There is

exactly one projective collineation κ mapping the conic c to the conic c′ with
A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , C ↦ C ′ , and D ↦ D′ . The proper choice of A, B, C, D ∈ c and
A′ , B ′ , C ′ , D′ has some degrees of freedom.
Similarily we define the points A′ , B ′ , C ′ , D ′ related to c′ . The uniquely defined collineation

with A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , C ↦ C ′ , and D ↦ D ′ maps the conic c onto the conic c′ . The second
statement of Theorem 6.4.1 follows if c′ is chosen as the conic with equation (6.4). ◾
It turns out to be useful to write the simple equation of the conic given in
(6.4) in matrix form. First, we observe that 2(x0 x2 −x21 ) = 0 is an equation
of the same conic, since charF ≠ 2. Thus, we have
⎛ 0 0 1 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞
0= 2(x0 x2 − x21 ) = (x0 , x1 , x2 ) ⎜ 0 −2 0 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟ .
⎝ 1 0 0 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
This is a matrix equation of the form
0 = xT Ax, (6.11)
where A ∈ F3×3 is a symmetric and regular matrix and x = (x0 , x1 , x2 )T .

Now, we show that the equation of any conic c in P2 (F) can be written in
this form. Let κ be a projective collineation described by a regular 3 × 3-
matrix T ∈ F3×3 and points X = xF are transformed to points X ′ = x′ F
with x′ = Tx. Consequently, x = T−1 x′ , and therefore, we have
xT Ax = (T−1 x′ )T AT−1 x′ = x′ T −T AT−1 x′ = x′ Bx′ .

T T
Since A is symmetric, i.e., AT = A, we find that B is also symmetric:
BT = (T −T AT−1 )T = T−T AT T−1 = T−T AT−1 = B.
Hence, the general homogeneous equation of a conic in P2 (F) reads
Q(x, x) = a00 x20 + 2a01 x0 x1 + 2a02 x0 x2 + a11 x21 + 2a12 x1 x2 + a22 x22 = 0,
or in matrix form
⎛ a00 a01 a02 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞

(x0 , x1 , x2 ) ⎜ a01 a11 a12 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟ = 0 (6.12)
⎝ a02 a12 a22 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
with aik = aki and a regular matrix (aik ). It is a quadratic form, i.e., it is
homogeneous, and thus, Q(x ⋅ λ, x ⋅ λ) = λ2 Q(x, x) = 0 for any λ ∈ F {0}.
So, with x also the multiples of λx also satisfy the equation Q(x, x) = 0,
and therefore, it is really the equation of a set of points in the projective
plane P2 (F).
Note that, conversely, not each such form defines a conic. E.g., in P2 (R)
there are no points satisfying x20 + x21 + x22 = 0.
● Exercise 6.4.1 Rational parametrization.

Show that for each conic c ⊂ P2 (F) (charF ≠ 2) there is a homogeneous rational parametrization
2
⎛ x0 ⎞ ⎛ λ ⎞
⎜ x1 ⎟ = T ⎜ λμ ⎟
⎝ x2 ⎠ ⎝ μ2 ⎠
with T ∈ F3×3 and det T ≠ 0, and conversely, each such parametrization defines a conic.
● Exercise 6.4.2 Conic on five or six points.

Assume Pi = (pi0 , pi1 , pi2 ) with i = 1, . . . , 5 are five points. There is a uniquely defined conic
c on these five points according to Definition 6.1.1 unless no three of the given points are
collinear. The equation of c
c ∶ a00 x20 + 2a01 x0 x1 + 2a02 x0 x2 + a11 x21 + 2a12 x1 x2 + a22 x22 = 0
is satisfied by the coordinates of any of the Pi s. On the other hand, the coefficients of c’s
equation can be determined from a system of linear equations. The values aij (with i, j ∈
{0, 1, 2}) are uniquely determined (up to a common non-vanishing factor) as the kernel of
2
⎛ p10 2p10 p11 2p10 p12 p211 2p11 p12 p212 ⎞
⎜ ⋮ ⋮ ⎟.
⎝ p2 2p50 p51 2p50 p52 p251 2p51 p52 p252 ⎠
50
Show that
⎛ p210 2p10 p11 2p10 p12 p211 2p11 p12 p212 ⎞
⎜ p220 2p20 p21 2p20 p22 p221 2p21 p22 p222 ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎜ p230 2p30 p31 2p30 p32 p231 2p31 p32 p232 ⎟
det ⎜
⎜
⎟=0
⎟ (6.13)
⎜ p240 2p40 p41 2p40 p42 p241 2p41 p42 p242 ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎜ p250 2p50 p51 2p50 p52 p251 2p51 p52 p252 ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎝ p260 2p60 p61 2p60 p62 p261 2p61 p62 p262 ⎠
is a condition on six points Pi = (pi0 ∶ pi1 ∶ pi2 ) with i ∈ {1, . . . , 6} to lie on a conic and compare
it with the synthetic equivalent in form of the Pappus theorem. Clarify what happens in the
singular and degenerate cases. How does (6.13) change when it becomes the condition of four
points to be concyclic?
We continue with examples in the projective extension of E2 :

◾ Example 6.4.1 Contact of a conic and a line - contact conditions.
An ellipse/hyperbola shall be given by the equation
x2 y 2
c∶ ± = 1.
a2 b2
We ask for conditions on a and b such that c touches a line l ∶ y = kx + d with k, d ∈ R. For
that purpose, we insert y = kx + d into c’s equation and find
x2 (b2 ± a2 k 2 ) ± 2a2 dkx ± a2 (d2 − b2 ) = 0.
By Definition 6.1.1, a tangent has exactly one point with the conic c in common. Therefore,
the obtained quadratic equation has one solution with multiplicity two if l is a tangent of c.
This yields
a2 k 2 ± b2 = d2 .
The case of the asymptotes of a hyperbola is also covered, since there k = b

a
, d = 0, and thus,
2
a2 ( ab ) − b = 0.
2
A parabola p with the equation
p ∶ y 2 − 2qx = 0, q ∈ R {0},
touches the line l if, and only if,

2dk = q.
◾ Example 6.4.2 Conics as images of circles under collineations.
c′1 v a
c′2
C
c2
c3 c′3
ola
hyperb
c′1
c1
parabola
ellipse
FIGURE 6.20. A perspective collineation with center C, axis a, and the

pre-image v of the line at infinity maps circles to ellipses, or parabolas, or hyper-
bolas if the circles do not intersect v, or touch v, or intersect v in two different
(real) points.
Many problems in connection with conics allow a graphical solution with ruler and compass.
For that purpose, perspective collineations turn out to be very helpful since any conic in the
real plane can be mapped to a circle and then most of the constructions are very simple. This
is a good reason to have a closer look at the perspective collineations that transform a circle
into the three affine types of conics, i.e., into an ellipse, a parabola, or a hyperbola. The result
depends on the position of the circle c relative to the pre-image v = κ−1 (ω) of the line ω at
infinity. If v ∩ c = ∅, then c′ = κ(c) has no ideal points, and therefore, it is an ellipse. The
intersection v ∩ c consists of two points, we find a hyperbola c′ . The conic c′ is a parabola if v
is a tangent of c (see Figure 6.20).
Later, we shall use the following result:
Theorem 6.4.2 If two conics c and d in a projective plane share a line

element (P, t), i.e., they have the common point P and the same tangent
t there, then there exists exactly one perspective collineation α with center
P that maps c to d.
Proof: Assume l and m are two lines through P and l, m ≠ t. Then, l intersects c and d in P
and two further points, say C and C ′ (Figure 6.21). The line m intersects c and d in D and D ′ ,
besides P . Then, P CD and P ′ C ′ D ′ are two triangles. Referring to the proof of Theorem 6.4.1,
there exists a unique collineation κ with κ(P ) = P , κ(C) = C ′ , and κ(D) = D ′ . Consequently,
κ(l) = l, κ(m) = m, κ(t) = t. Thus, the restriction of κ to the pencil of lines about P is the
identity mapping and P turns out to be a center of κ which is now recognized as a perspective
collineation. ◾
C
d t
t
P
u
P
D
C c
c d
Q
′
D
C′ d
FIGURE 6.21. Left: The perspective collineation κ maps c to d. Right: A com-

mon mistake: Two conics c and d with two common line elements (P, t) and
(Q, u) are images of each other under perspective collineations, but the center
differs from the point t ∩ u and the axis is different from the line [P, Q].
We know from Theorem 6.4.1 that there is one prototype of conic in

the projective plane, and therefore, we can simplify many proofs. If a
theorem is valid for a conic with a simple equation or a simple parame-
trization, then it is valid for all conics. In this sense, we can prove the
theorem by Pappus or Pascal (Theorem 6.2.1, page 220) by means of
analytic geometry with the most simple equation and parametrization (cf.
Example 6.4.3).
◾ Example 6.4.3 Analytic proof of Theorem 6.2.1.

The analytic proof uses the fact that the conic given in (6.4) or in (6.3) can be used instead
of any conic according to Theorem 6.4.1.
Further, it is no restriction to assume that the points P1 , P2 , and P3 have the homogeneous
coordinates
P1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), P2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), P3 = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1),
i.e., they correspond to the affine parameter values t = 0, ∞, 1 in (6.3). The remaining three
points shall be defined by the values t = u, v, w of the affine parameter. Consequently,
P4 = (1 ∶ u ∶ u2 ), P5 = (1 ∶ v ∶ v2 ), P6 = (1 ∶ w ∶ w 2 ).
In order to make the computations traceable, we give the homogeneous coordinates of all lines
needed:
[P1 , P2 ] = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), [P4 , P5 ] = (uv ∶ −u − v ∶ 1),
[P2 , P3 ] = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ 0), [P5 , P6 ] = (vw, −v − w, 1),
[P3 , P4 ] = (u ∶ −u − 1 ∶ 1), [P6 , P1 ] = (0 ∶ w ∶ −1).
Note that factors of the form u − v or u − 1 (likewise for other combinations of u, v, and w)
can be canceled out, for u = v means P4 = P5 and u = 1 causes P4 = P1 . The three presumably
collinear points A, B, and C have the following homogeneous coordinates
A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ −uv), B = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ v + w − vw), C = (1 + u − w ∶ u ∶ uw).
The coordinate vectors of A, B, and C are linearly dependent, and therefore, these three points
are collinear.
The limiting cases of Theorem 6.2.2 as described on page 223 can also be treated analytically.
We only have to be careful when canceling out factors of homogeneous coordinates.
Definition 6.4.1 Two conics c and d with a common point P and a

common tangent t at P are said to osculate each other at P if there exists
a perspective collineation α with axis t and a center C ≠ P on t such that
α(c) = d.
Two conics c and d with a common point P and a common tangent t
at P are said to hyperosculate each other at P if there is a perspective
collineation α with axis t and center P such that α(c) = d.
The first part of Definition 6.4.1 could be slightly modified without chan-
ging the meaning substantially: The conics c and d with a common point
P and a common tangent t at P are osculating each other if there is a per-
spective collineation β with center P and an axis a through P such that
β(c) = d. The left-hand side of Figure 6.22 shows the osculating conics c
and d being each others collinear images.
Anyway, the center of the collineation mentioned in the first version has to
lie on t, and the axis a mentioned in the second version of the definition
has to pass through the two common points of c and d. Hence, both
collineations are elations. In Figure 6.22 (left), we can see the centers and
axes of both perspective collineations: C and t are the center and the axis
of α; P and a are the center and axis of β.
α(L) a=t
a K ′ C
′
L L
K
α(K) K
P =C
P
α(K) d d
c
c t
FIGURE 6.22. Left: osculating conics. Right: hyperosculating conics.
In P2 (R), a special example of an osculating pair of conics is given by a

conic and one of its oculating circles. Especially the “osculating circles”
at the vertices of a conic are hyperosculating circles. The right-hand side
of Figure 6.22 shows a pair of hyperosculating conics. The circle k hyper-
osculates the ellipse c at the right principal vertex P . The perspective
collineation with center P and axis t transforms c into d, or likewise, α−1
transforms d into c.
◾ Example 6.4.4 The osculating circle o of an ellipse e as a collinear image of e.

As shown in Figure 6.23, we can use a the perspective collineation in order to find the osculating
circle oP of an ellipse e at any point P . The vertices are somehow special, and therefore, we
exclude them in this example.
tP
e
P
P ′′ 1 P
oP
C
C
a P⋆ e P′
nP P′ R
a t′
R
t′ oP P
FIGURE 6.23. The osculating circle oP of an ellipse e as collinear image of e.

According to Definition 6.4.1, the axis a of this elation passes through P . Now, we have to
determine a such that tangents of e parallel to a are mapped to parallel tangents of o. Because
of the symmetry of oP with respect to any diameter, we reflect P in the principal and auxiliary
axes or e and we obtain P ′ and P ′′ . The tangents of c at P ′ and P ′′ are parallel to the wanted
axis. Thus, the pre-image of the center P ⋆ of oP is known (Figure 6.23, left). In Section 3.2,
we learned that there is also a differential geometric approach to the osculating circle.
◾ Example 6.4.5 Intersection of a line and a conic in P2 (R) with ruler and compass.
At this point, we should note that the perspective collineation α that maps a conic c into one
of its hyperosculating circles can be used in order to intersect a conic and a line graphically
(by straightedge and compass) with a minimum number of lines. Such questions seem to be
academic in nature, but line-saving drawings are useful even when using CAD systems.
● In the first case, we construct the intersection of a given line l with a hyperbola c. The
construction is shown in detail in Figure 6.24, left.
We are given the hyperbola c and its hyperosculating circle d at the vertex P . Now, we use the
perspective collineation κ that maps c to d. Its center is the point P of hyperosculation and
the axis coincides with the common tangent t of c and d at P . The asymptote a of c carries
the ideal point A ∈ c which is mapped to A′ ∈ d under κ. Thus, we have found the vanishing
line v. The line l′ = κ(l) is now determined by its fixed point l ∩ t and its vanishing point
which is the intersection of v and the parallel to l through P . The points T1 and T2 are the
intersections of l′ and d. The inverse collineation κ−1 sends them to the wanted intersection
points S1 and S2 on l.
S1
t L
S1 ′
L
L
A A
′
A
a
T1 T1 l
P ′ l′ A′
l P
A
T2 l d T2 d
S2
S2
c
c
t v v
FIGURE 6.24. Line-saving construction of the intersection of a line l and a

hyperbola (left) or a parabola (right).
● The intersection of a parabola c and a line l (see Figure 6.24, right) is relatively simple,
compared to the previous case. The vanishing line v of the perspective collineation κ (with
center P and axis t) has to be that tangent of d which is parallel to t. The line l′ = κ(l) is
again determined by its fixed point l ∩ t and its vanishing point L′ . Since κ(c) = d, we find the
points of intersection of c and l as the collinear images of d ∩ l′ under κ.
● In the case of an ellipse c, we avoid the construction of the vanishing line. The line l intersects
the tangent of c at the principal vertex A that is opposite to P in a point 1. Since the latter
tangent is parallel to the tangent t at P , its κ-image is a parallel tangent of d. Thus, 1′ and
the fixed point l ∩ t determine l′ , and the common points of d and l′ are the κ−1 -images of
l′ ∩ d (see Figure 6.25).
1
t
1′ S1
T1
l
A′
P
A
T2 l′
d
S2 c
FIGURE 6.25. Line-saving construction of the intersection of a line l and an

ellipse c.
Fixed points of projectivities and conics

The stereographic projection, as described in Example 6.3.1 and depicted
in Figure 6.13, is a bijective mapping between a conic c and a line l or
a pencil about some point. The connection of each point on c with the
center of the projection C ∈ c is a perspectivity between the pencil about
C and the conic. In analogy to Definitions 5.2.1 and 5.2.2, we use:
Definition 6.4.2 Let c be a conic and let C ∈ c be a point. We call the

mapping α that maps points X ∈ c {C} on c to the lines [X, C] and
C to the tangent tC a perspectivity c ∧ = C. The inverse α−1 of α is also
called a perspectivity. A mapping β from a conic c to a conic d is called a
projectivity if it is the composition of finitely many perspectivities of the
form
=C∧
c∧ = ...∧
= D∧ =d
C c
B′
t c′
c
c ′
x A d b
A′ a b
a′
X
C′ B
C
FIGURE 6.26. Perspectivities and projectivities on conics: Left: the perspec-

= C(x) between a conic c and the pencil about C ∈ c. Middle: A
tivity c(X) ∧
projectivity α ∶ c ↦ c is uniquely defined by A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ , and C ↦ C ′ .
Right: The dual version is a projectivity between the tangents of a conic d.
with C ∈ c and D ∈ d.
According to Theorem 6.1.1, any two points of a conic can serve as base
points of a Steiner generation, as explained in Definition 6.1.1. Thus,
Definition 6.4.2 makes sense: If C and D are two different points on a
conic c, then c is perspective to both, the pencil C and the pencil D,
= c∧
and so we have a projectivity between the two pencils, i.e., C ∧ = D 1⇒
C−∧ D.
As a consequence of the axiom (FT), a projectivity α between two conics
c and d is uniquely defined by prescribing three pairs (Pi , Pi′ ) of assigned
points with α(Pi ) = Pi′ , Pi ∈ c, Pi′ ∈ d, and i ∈ {1, 2, 3}. Dual to that,
we have to define a mapping between the sets of tangents of two conics
by prescribing three pairs (ti , t′i ) of assigned tangents (cf. Figure 6.26).
Further, if c = d, then α ∶ c ↦ c is an automorphism of c. Figure 6.19 and
Theorem 5.4.2 reveal that each projectivity α ∶ c → c can be extended
to a projective collineation which mas c onto itself. Conversely, the re-
striction of each such projective collineation onto c is a projectivity on c.
We call such collineations projective automorphisms of c or automorphic
collineations of c and claim:
Theorem 6.4.3 In P2 (F), the projective automorphisms of a conic form

a group which is isomorphic to the group PGL(F, 2) of projectivities on a
line in P2 (F).
The fact that conics are isomorphic to lines and pencils can be used for
the determination of fixed points of projectivities. Let α ∶ l → l be a
projectivity on a line l with fixed points G1 and G2 . Projecting l from
some point C ∈ c (but C ∉ l) to c yields a projectivity β ∶ c → c, and the
fixed points G1 and G2 of α are mapped to fixed points F1 and F2 of β.
An important tool for the constructive approach to projectivities between
lines was given in Theorem 5.2.4. There, we have shown that a projectivity
α ∶ l → m between lines l ≠ m defines an axis pα such that for any two
points X, Y ∈ l with X ≠ Y and X ′ ≠ Y ′ ∈ m with α(X) = X ′ and
α(Y ) = Y ′ the point [X, Y ′ ] ∩ [X ′ , Y ] lies on pα . Theorem 6.2.2 was a
generalization of Pappus’s theorem to conics. These results lead to
Z
A = 1 pα c
A′ = 4
B
Y =3 A
c
F1
C
Y ′ =6
pβ
X =5 A′ F2
′
X =2 B′ C
F = α(F ) A l F 1 A′ B′ C′ F2 C B
FIGURE 6.27. Left: A projectivity α on a conic c and the axis pα , cf.
Theorem 6.4.4. Right: The construction of the fixed points F1 and F2 of a pro-
jectivity on a line l as described in Example 6.4.6. The conic c and the point
Z ∈ c can be chosen freely as long as Z ∉ l.
Theorem 6.4.4 Let α ∶ c → c with X ↦ X ′ and Y ↦ Y ′ be a projectivity

(different from the identity) on a conic c. Then, there exists an axis pα
and the lines [X, Y ′ ] and [X ′ , Y ] intersect in points of pα for all X, Y ∈ c
with X ≠ Y .
Proof: Assume that the projectivity α ∶ c → c is not the identity mapping. Then, there exists
a point A with A ≠ α(A) =∶ A′ and α induces a projectivity σ from the pencil A′ to the pencil
A which equals the following chain of perspectivities and projectivities:
= c(X ′ ) −
A′ ∧
α = A.
∧ c(X) ∧
Since the line [A′ , A] is assigned to itself, the above chain is a perspectivity. Thus, pairs of
assigned lines meet on the axis pα , i.e., [A′ , X] ∩ [A, X ′ ] and [A′ , Y ] ∩ [A, Y ′ ] intersect at pα .
Let A =∶ 1, X ′ =∶ 2, Y =∶ 3, A′ =∶ 4, X =∶ 5, and Y ′ = 6, see Figure 6.27. Now, Theorem 6.2.2
applies and, conversely, also [X ′ , Y ]∩[X, Y ′ ] is a point on pα . If two points coincide that have
to be connected by a line in the construction, then the line is to be replaced by the tangent
to c at this point. Obviously, F = α(F ) is equivalent to F ∈ c ∩ pα . ◾
◾ Example 6.4.6 Fixed points of a projectivity on a line in P2 (R).

The right-hand side of Figure 6.27 shows a line l and the points A, B, C, A′ , B ′ , C ′ on it.
According to (FT), there is a unique projectivity α defined by α(A) = A′ , α(B) = B ′ , and
α(C) = C ′ . We want to construct the fixed points of α.
First, we use a perspectivity from l to an arbitrarily chosen conic c and project all given
points on l according to l ∧=Z∧ = c. The center Z ∈ c with Z ∉ l of the projection can also be
chosen freely. The projection results in the points A, B, C, A′ , B ′ , and C ′ . Now, a projectivity
β ∶ c → c is uniquely defined by β(A) = A′ , β(B) = B ′ , and β(C) = C ′ . Here, we can apply
Theorem 6.4.4 and construct the axis pβ of β. The fixed points F 1 and F 2 of β are found as
the points of intersection of pβ and c. The projection of the latter points from Z to l yields
the fixed points F1 and F2 as shown in Figure 6.27. The conic c as well as any other conic
with the same properties that can be used to find the fixed points of a projectivity is called
Steiner conic. Constructions simplify if c is chosen as a circle which is then referred to as
Steiner circle. Steiner conics are named after J. Steiner (cf. page 218).
Theorem 6.4.5 Let c be conic and let Z ∉ c be a point. There exists a

unique harmonic homology with center Z which is automorphic for c.
The axis a of is not tangent to c.
Proof: There are at most two tangents u, v of c passing through Z. Besides their points of
contact U and V , there are two further points A and C on c which are not collinear with the
center Z. Hence, [A, Z] ∩ c = {A, B} and [C, Z] ∩ c = {C, D}. Then, ABCD is a quadrangle
with Z as a diagonal point. Since the respective collineation keeps [Z, A] and [Z, C] fixed, it
interchanges A and B as well as C and D. The axis a must be the line carrying the remaining
diagonal points: [A, C] ∩ [B, D] and [A, D] ∩ [B, C]. On the other hand, only a harmonic
perspective collineation with center Z and axis a interchanges A with B and C with D.
tC u Z
U C
v
tD
A
V
D B a
c
FIGURE 6.28. The harmonic homology (center Z, axis a) from Theorem 6.4.5.
It remains to show that maps c onto itself. Let tC and tD be the tangents of c at C and D.
We look at the projectivity σ from the pencil C to the pencil D that generates c. It maps
[C, A] ↦ [D, A], [C, B] ↦ [D, B], [C, D] ↦ tD , tC ↦ [D, C].
Since [D, A], [D, B], [D, C], tD are mutually distinct, Theorem 5.2.3 (page 191) applies, and
there exists a projectivity τ in the pencil D which interchanges [D, A] with [D, B] and [D, C]
with tD . Therefore, the composition τ ○ σ is a projectivity C −
∧ D with
[C, A] ↦ [D, B], [C, B] ↦ [D, A], [C, D] ↦ [D, C], tC ↦ tD .
Furthermore, we look at the restriction to the pencil about C: It maps [A, C] ↦ [B, D],
[B, C] ↦ [A, D], [C, D] ↦ [D, C]. Therefore, σ ○ τ acts like if restricted to the pencil about
C, and thus, (tC ) = tD . Consequently, c and (c) share four points A, B, C, D, and the
tangent tD at D. According to Theorem 6.1.2, we have c = (c).
Since is involutive, its restriction to the conic c is an involutive projectivity. The line a is also
the axis of c in the sense of Theorem 6.4.4, since [A, (C)] ∩ [(A), C] = [A, D] ∩ [C, B] ∈ a,
and further [A, (D)] ∩ [(A), D] = [A, C] ∩ [B, D] ∈ a, according to Theorem 6.2.2. In Fano
planes, involutive projectivities on lines as well as conics are never parabolic. Thus, a is never
tangent to c. ◾
◾ Example 6.4.7 Center of an involution.

As we have seen in the proof of Theorem 6.4.5, the restriction of a harmonic automorphic
collineation of a conic c to c is an involutive projectivity η ∶ c → c. Any point X ∈ c is
collinear with its image X ′ = η(X) and the center Z of the collineation . Usually, the point Z
is called the center of the involution. Sometimes we denote it by Iη in order to indicate that
Iη is the center of the involution η. If t is a tangent of c at T with Iη ∈ t, then T is a fixed
point of η. Conversely, if T ∈ is a fixed point of η ∶ c → c, then the tangent t of c at T passes
through Iη .
It is not hard to show that, conversely, for each involution η on c its extension to an involutive
automorphic collineation of c is a harmonic homology, and hence, a perspective collineation.
This can be concluded from Figure 6.28 and the fact that the axis of η must be fixed pointwise.
Therefore, each involution η has a center Iη ∉ c.
Corollary 6.4.1 Any involutive projectivity on a conic c can be extended to a harmonic

homology leaving c invariant.
Elliptic involution, interior and exterior of a conic.

An involutive projectivity η ∶ c → c is either hyperbolic or elliptic. In the first case, the center
Iη of the involution lies outside the conic, i.e., it is called an outer point of c. In the second
case, Iη is an interior point. Any outer point of a conic c sends two tangents to the conic, and
there are no tangents through interior points.
The existence of elliptic involutive projectivities on a conic c causes the existence of interior
points, no matter, if the projective plane (or equivalently, its algebraic model) is finite or not.
There are no elliptic involutions on a conic in P2 (C), and consequently, there are no interior
points of c in P2 (C).
Non-involutive projective mappings.
The construction of fixed points or fixed lines of involutive projectivities on lines or in pencils
is a little less work than in the case of a non-involutive projectivity, cf. Example 6.4.6.
F1 A B F2 B ′ A′ C
l
A B′
a
b
A′ C c
I
B
A′
b
a F1 c a
B′ L
B A
F2
Iη A l B A′ B′
FIGURE 6.29. Left: Fixed points F1 and F2 of a hyperbolic involution on a line

l constructed on a conic c. Right, top: An elliptic involution in a pencil of lines,
the involution of right angles. The center of involution is the center of the circle
c, and thus, there are no fixed points on c, and consequently, no fixed lines in
the pencil about C. Right, bottom: An elliptic involution on a line l and one of
its Laguerre points L.
In Figure 6.29, we treat the following examples in P2 (F):

● On the left-hand side, we are given an involution η ∶ l → l on a line l that maps A ↦ A′ and
B ↦ B ′ . The projectivity η is lifted to a conic c which is a circle just in order to simplify the
constructions. Here, c is a Steiner circle. A point C ∈ c can be chosen freely as a center of the
stereographic projection l → c. Note that C may not coincide with points of intersections of c
and l if there are some. All stereographic images of points on l are labeled in the same way,
though we know that these are different points. Now, we apply Theorem 6.4.5 and find the
center Iη of the involution η on c. The tangents of c through Iη touch c in the fixed points
F1 and F2 . The subsequent stereographic projection yields the fixed points F1 and F2 of η
considered as an involution on l.
● On the right-hand side of Figure 6.29 (top), we can see some lines of a pencil with vertex
C. There is an involutive projectivity that maps the lines a and b to the uniquely defined
orthogonal lines a and b (a , b ∋ C). We call this mapping the involution of right angles at
C. Without knowledge from Projective Geometry, we would have recognized this mapping as
involutive: Applying it twice to a line, say l, yields the line (l ) = l. We also would guess that
this mapping (if we knew that it is a projectivity) is elliptic, since there are no self-orthogonal
lines in the real projective plane.
The constructive treatment of the involution of right angles can be done on a conic c. However,
we take circle c through the point C (cf. Figure 6.29), not only to simplify the construction.
According to the theorem by Thales (cf. the footnote on page 56 and Corollary 6.3.3), the
lines a and a meet c in C and in a pair (A, A′ ) of anti-podal points. This is also the case for
the lines b and b . Therefore, the center I is the center of the circle which is an interior point
of c. Thus, once again, the involution of right angles is recognized as an elliptic involution.
We should add a little comment on the analytic treatment of the involution of right angles.
Assume that C is given by its homogeneous coordinates (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0). Then, we can represent the
lines in the pencil about C by their direction vectors which are at the same time homogeneous
coordinates of the lines in this pencil. Without loss of generality, a = (1 ∶ 0), a = (0 ∶ 1),
b = (cos ϕ ∶ sin ϕ), and b = (− sin ϕ ∶ cos ϕ) with 0 < ϕ < π2 . Then, the involution is described
by the matrix
0 −1
T=( ).
1 0
The eigenvectors of T are the coordinate vectors of the fixed lines. We use the complex
extension P2 (C) of P2 (R) and find f1 = (1 ∶ i) and f2 = (1 ∶ −i) which correspond to the two
complex conjugate lines with Cartesian coordinates
y = ±ix.
Indeed, these two lines are fixed under Euclidean rotations with any angle of rotation. These
lines are called isotropic lines of Euclidean Geometry through C. Through any point in the
(complex extended) Euclidean plane there exists such a pair of isotropic lines. The common
ideal points (0 ∶ 1 ∶ ±i) are called absolute points or absolute circle points of Euclidean Geo-
metry.
On the line y = ix, the Euclidean measurement of lengths degenerates: Let a, b ∈ R be two
different values. Then, the two points A = (a, ia) and B = (b, ib) have the Euclidean distance
√ √
AB = (a − b)2 + (ia − ib)2 = (a − b)2 − (a − b)2 = 0
although a ≠ b and A ≠ B.
● Any elliptic involution η on a line l gives rise to an elliptic involution in a pencil of lines
by simply inserting a perspectivity in between, while the property of being elliptic is not
violated. The right-hand side of Figure 6.29 (bottom) shows that for any elliptic and involutive
projectivity we can find a pair of points such that pairs (A, A′ ) of corresponding points can be
seen under right angles. (Two pairs (A, A′ ) and (B, B ′ ) of corresponding points determine η.)
Figure 6.29 shows only one such point L; the second one is the reflection of L in l. The point
L is usually called Laguerre point named after the French mathematician Edmond Laguerre
(1834–1886). L can be found as the intersection of the two Thales circles over the segments
AA′ and BB ′ .
The Laguerre point is useful when we have to find the image X ′ of a point X under an elliptic
involution on l: Draw the normal to [X, L] at L and intersect it with L, i.e., [X, L] ∩ l = X ′ .
Euclidean circles.
The name circle point can also be justified in the following way: The equation of the Euclidean
circle c with center C = (m, n)T ∈ R2 and radius r ∈ R+ reads either (in terms of inhomogeneous
Cartesian coordinates)
x2 + y 2 − 2mx − 2ny + m2 + n2 − r 2 = 0
or (in terms of homogeneous coordinates)
x21 + x22 − 2mx0 x1 − 2nx0 x2 + (m2 + n2 − r 2 )x20 = 0.
From the latter we can find the intersection of c with the ideal line x0 = 0 (cf. page 200) of
the projectively closed Euclidean plane as
I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i).
On the other hand, any conic that passes through I and I has an equation of the (inhomoge-
neous) form
a11 x2 + a22 y 2 + 2a01 x + 2a02 y + a00 = 0
which can be verified by simply inserting the coordinates of I and I into the most general
form (6.12) (see page 240) ∑i,j=0...2 aij xi xj = 0 of a conic’s equation. Summarizing, we can
say:
Corollary 6.4.2 Any conic in P2 (F) that passes through the absolute points I, I of Euclidean
geometry is a Euclidean circle, and vice versa.
(a) (b) (c)

′ ′ ′ ′
A A B B A B B A A B A′ B′
FIGURE 6.30. (a) A hyperbolic involution determined by two separated pairs
(A, A′ ) and (B, B ′ ) of corresponding points. (b) A hyperbolic involution can also
be determined by two pairs (A, A′ ) and (B, B ′ ) where one pair encloses the other
pair (completely). (c) If the pairs (A, A′ ) and (B, B ′ ) of corresponding points
are entangled, then A ↦ A′ , B ↦ B ′ determines a unique elliptic involution.
The ordering of four different collinear points A, A′ , B, and B ′ that deter-

mine a unique involution η via A ↦ A′ and B ↦ B ′ decides whether η is
elliptic or hyperbolic. In Figure 6.30, we can see the three main cases. Ex-
amples (a) and (b) show pairs (A, A′ ) and (B, B ′ ) of corresponding points
of hyperbolic involutions. In the first case, the segments AA′ and BB ′ are
separated; in the second case the segment AA′ encloses the segment BB ′ .
The elliptic involution in the example (c) shows two entangled pairs of
points, the two pairs separate each other. Any two pairs of corresponding
points in an elliptic involution are entangled. These configurations can
easily be found by means of a stereographic projection from a circle. In
the cases (a) and (b) the cross ratio cr(A, A′ , B, B ′ ) is positive, in (c)
negative.
When we are given two involutions on a line, then it is hard to decide
whether there are pairs of points that correspond in either involution
or not. It is easier to transfer the involutions to a conic c. Then, any
involution is represented by its center which is an interior or outer point
of c depending on whether the involution is elliptic or hyperbolic.
The line joining the two centers of involutions meets the conic c in those
two points which are corresponding in both involutions. In Figure 6.31, we
have illustrated all relevant cases. In two cases, (a) and (b), the existence
of a common pair is guaranteed. Though in case (d) there is a common
pair of corresponding points, we cannot be sure that any two hyperbolic
involutions have a common pair. This is only the case as long as the line
Ih1 F Ih2
Ie Ih Ie1 Ie2 Ih1 Ih2 Ih1 Ih2
c c c c c
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
FIGURE 6.31. Common pairs of two involutions and common fixed points: Ie
and Ih are the centers of an elliptic and a hyperbolic involution on the conic c. (a)
and (b): There is a common pair of corresponding points if at least one involution
is elliptic. (c): A common fixed point F of two involutions can only appear if
both involutions are hyperbolic. (d): In case of two hyperbolic involutions, a
common corresponding pair either can appear, or it does not exist like in (e): If
the line [Ie , Ih ] connecting the two centers does not intersect c.
through the centers of involutions intersects c. A common fixed point of

two involutions can only appear if both involutions are hyperbolic, or
equivalently, if the line through the centers of involutions is tangent to c
as displayed in Figure 6.31, (c).
◾ Example 6.4.8 Interior and outer points of a conic in a finite projective plane.
In a finite projective plane of order N , any line carries N + 1 points. There are as many lines
through any point. Since a conic is equipotent to a line, there are N + 1 points on the conic.
Since there are (N+1 2
) = 12 N (N + 1) pairs of points on c, we have 12 N (N + 1) outer points of
c, i.e., this equals the number of intersections of the tangents at these points.
The number of points in a plane of finite order N equals N 2 + N + 1: On any line (range of
points) find N + 1 points. Let l be such a line. There exists a point P off the line l. The N + 1
lines connecting P with all N + 1 points of the line l carry P (that is one point), the N + 1
points on l, and N + 1 − 2 further points different from P and those on l. Thus, we have
1 + (N + 1) + (N + 1)(N + 1 − 2) = N 2 + N + 1
R :;; ; ; ; ; ;?; ; ; ; ; ; @ :;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ?;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; @
P on l the others
points, and according to an earlier result, N 2 + N + 1 lines in the plane. Consequently, the
number of interior points of c equals N 2 + N + 1 − (N + 1) − 12 N (N + 1) = 12 N (N − 1) = (N
2
).
Different appearances of centers of involutions
Some theorems on conics seem to be surprising and hard to prove at first.

With a little bit of knowledge from Projective Geometry, they appear
more or less trivial. As such, there is a theorem ascribed to Frégier (see
[2]):
Theorem 6.4.6 Let P be a point on a conic c in P2 (R). All chords of c
seen from P at right angles are concurrent in one point F .
Proof: Assume [X, X ′ ] is a chord of c seen at a right angle from P (Figure 6.32, left). Then, the
lines [P, X] and [P, X ′ ] correspond to each other in the involution of right angles in the pencil
of lines about P . Since c passes through P the involution in the pencil induces an involution
on c, and according to Example 6.4.7 there exists a center of the involution where the chords
joining corresponding points meet. ◾
P c
tP c f
F
X′
n
FIGURE 6.32. Left: Frégier’s theorem. Right: The points F trace a conic f if
P traces c.
Frégier’s theorem is shown in Figure 6.32. The chords meet in a point F

that lies on c’s normal n at P . If c is a circle, then F equals the center of
c and Frégier’s theorem covers Thales’s theorem (cf. Corollary 6.3.3)
as a special case. On the right-hand side of Figure 6.32 we can see that
the points F trace a conic f if P traces c.
● Exercise 6.4.3 Frégier transforms of ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas.
p
f
h
FIGURE 6.33. The traces of centers of the involution of right angles lifted to a
hyperbola (left) and parabola (right): The hyperbola h produces a homothetic
hyperbola f . The parabola f is a translated copy of p.
Assume that an ellipse e, a hyperbola h, and a parabola p are given by

x2 y 2
e, h ∶ ± =1 and p ∶ y 2 − 2qx = 0
a2 b2
with a, b, q ∈ R {0}. Lift the involution of right angles to these conics by projecting the
orthogonal and corresponding rays from a point P (on the conic) to the conic. Assume further
that P traces the entire (affine part) of the conic and show that the curve f (as shown in
figures 6.32 and 6.33) is either a homothetic ellipse/hyperbola or a translated copy of the
parabola with the equations
x2 y 2 a2 + b2
f e , fh ∶ ± 2 = 2 and fp ∶ y 2 − 2qx + 4q 2 = 0
a2 b a − b2
Fixed points of a collineation and the common points of two conics
A projective collineation that is not a perspective collineation κ has at

most three fixed points and at most three fixed lines. This is clear from the
synthetic point of view: A quadrangle consisting of fixed points characte-
rizes the identity mapping. Any restriction of κ to a line l is a projective
mapping l − ∧ κ(l). If κl has three fixed points, then κl = idl and l is an
axis in contradiction to κ is not perspective. Hence, there are no three
collinear fixed points. The dual statement holds as well.
The existence and determination of fixed points of a projective collinea-
tion is closely related to conics:
Theorem 6.4.7 The determination of fixed points of a projective and

non-perspective collineation is equivalent to the determination of the re-
maining common points of two conics c and d that share a point A without
touching each other at A. Through any fixed point F there exist no two
fixed lines such that F is the only fixed point on them. If there exists a
fixed point, then there also exists a fixed line.
Proof:
1. Assume X is not a fixed point of κ and let X ′ = κ(X). If the restriction κ∣X of κ to the
pencil of lines through X is not perspective, i.e., [X, X ′ ] is not a fixed line of κ, then κ∣X
generates a conic according to Definition 6.1.1. Since κ (as well as its dual) has at most
three fixed points (fixed lines), there exists at least one point A ≠ A′ = κ(A) that is not
incident with any fixed line.
Then, A, A′ , and κ(A′ ) = A′′ form a triangle. The projectivities κ∣A and κ∣A′ generate
conics c and d = κ(c), see Figure 6.34. The line a = [A, A′ ] is tangent to d at A; whereas
a′ = [A′ , A′′ ] ≠ a is tangent to c at A′ . Any fixed point of κ is on c and on κ(c), since
κ ∶ [A, F ] ↦ [A′ , F ] ↦ [A′′ , F ]. On the other hand, each F ∈ (c ∩ κ(c)) {A′ } must be
fixed, since F = [A, F ] ∩ [A′ , F ] ↦ [A′ , F ] ∩ [A′′ , F ] = F .
2. The tangent a/a′ of d/c at A′ intersects c/d in a point A/A′′ . Any line p through A′
different from a and a′ meets c in a second point P and d in P ′ . Now, there exists exactly
P′
A′ κ(y)
c a′
y=
p A′′
κ(
a
x)
d = κ(c)
P A F = κ(F )
x
FIGURE 6.34. The two conics mentioned in the proof of Theorem 6.4.7.
one projective collineation κ with κ(A) = A′ , κ(A′ ) = A′′ , κ(P ) = P ′ , and κ(c) = d. The
collineation κ is not perspective since A, A′ , and A′′ are not collinear.
The projective mapping κ∣c ∶ c → d defines a projective mapping λA′ in the pencil A′ .
The lines a, a′ , and p are fixed lines of λA′ . Thus, λA′ is the identity mapping in the
pencil. Therefore, the projective mapping κ∣A generates c which according to 1. carries all
fixed points of κ. Since λA′ is the identity mapping, the fixed points of κ are precisely the
common points of c and d = κ(c) different from A′ .
3. Let F ∈ c ∩ d be a fixed point and f ∋ F a fixed line which meets c in a point G ≠ F .
Then, G ≠ A′ and G = f ∩ [G, A] ↦ κ(G) = f ∩ [G, A′ ] = G. Consequently, f must be the
connection of F with another fixed point G of κ. Therefore, if f is a fixed line through F
with the only incident fixed point F , then f is the uniquely determined tangent to c at F .
4. If F is fixed point on g with g ′ = κ(g) ≠ g, then g ′′ = κ(g ′ ) ≠ g ′ and F = g ∩ g ′ = g ′ ∩ g ′′ . The
projective mappings κ∣g ∶ g → g ′ and κ∣′g ∶ g ′ → g ′′ are perspective because F corresponds
to itself. The centers Z and Z ′ = κ(Z) deliver a fixed line [Z, Z ′ ] in case Z ≠ Z ′ , otherwise
[F, Z] is fixed.
It is clear that the dual statements hold as well. ◾
If the projective collineation is given analytically by its transformation
matrix T according to Theorem 5.4.1, then the coordinate vectors of the
fixed points are eigenvectors of T.
7 Polarities and pencils
A hyperbolic pencil of circles gives rise to a hyperbolic pencil of spheres by

simply revolving it about its axis. Pencils of circles are special families of conics
which are classified by means of a projectivity induced on the circles’ common
diameter line.

260 Chapter 7: Polarities and pencils
7.1 Polar system of a conic

In this section, we study a mapping that is associated with any conic: the
polar system or polarity. Moreover, one can use a polarity as a starting
point for the theory of conics. Later, in Section 7.2, we shall see that a
conic can be defined as the set of self-conjugate points in a hyperbolic
polarity.
We still presuppose that the underlying projective plane is Pappian and
the Fano axiom is fulfilled. With Theorem 6.4.5 in mind, we give:
Definition 7.1.1 Let c be a conic in P2 (F). Then, there exists a mapping
πc ∶ P → L
with the following two properties:

1. For any point P ∉ c, the line πc (P ) is the axis of the unique automor-
phic harmonic homology P of c with center P .
2. For any Q ∈ c, the line πc (Q) coincides with the tangent to c at Q.
The mapping πc is called polar system of c or the polarity with respect to
c. The line p ∶= πc (P ) is called the polar line of P w.r.t. c; and the point
P is called the pole of p w.r.t. c.
P
c q
P (A) t A B = P (C)
A P T P (B)=C
πc (P )
t g
c
T
P (A)
FIGURE 7.1. Left: The polarity πc maps P to the axis p of P . Right: The
action of P and πc .
If the point P ∉ c lies on the tangent to c at T , then T ≠ P is a fixed point

of P . Consequently, T has to be a point on πc (P ). Conversely, T ∈ p ∩ c
remains fixed under P . Hence, [P, T ] must be tangent to c.
7.1 Polar system of a conic 261
If Q is any point of p = πc (P ) and Q ∉ c, then Q is the center of an

automorphic harmonic homology Q . Since P (Q) = Q, also the axis q =
πc (Q) must be fixed under P . Hence, Q must pass through P , since in
the case q = p, the axis q of the homology Q would pass through the
center of Q .
Lemma 7.1.1 The polarity w.r.t. any conic c has the property that Q ∈
πc (P ) implies that P ∈ πc (Q) for all points P and Q.
This lemma implies that πc is bijective since the inverse mapping exists:
If any line p is given, whether a tangent of c or not, choose two different
points Q1 , Q2 ∈ p. The corresponding polars πc (Q1 ) and πc (Q2 ) share a
point which must be the pole of p.
Any line g ≠ t through P that intersects c in a point, say A, intersects
c also at P (A) with H(P, g ∩ πc (P ), A, P (A)) (cf. Figure 7.1). Hence,
on the chords [A, P (A)] through P , the polar line p is the locus of the
fourth harmonic conjugates of P w.r.t. the pair (A, P (A)).
Let A, B ∈ c {P } such that A, B, and P are not collinear. Then,
A P (A) B P (B) is a quadrangle where P is one diagonal point. The
other two diagonal points span the polar line p of P (Figure 7.1).
Analytic description of a polarity

In Section 6.4, we have shown that the equation of a conic in terms of
homogeneous coordinates of points is a quadratic form xT Ax = 0 with a
regular symmetric matrix A, cf. (6.11). Now, we study the linear mapping
λ ∶ F3 → F3 that maps points X = xF to lines l = lF via
l = Ax with AAT = I3 , det A ≠ 0. (7.1)
In other words, we interpret the result of the multiplication of the vector x

with a regular symmetric matrix A from the left as the coordinate vector
of a line. If X = xF is a point on the conic c with the equation xT Ax = 0,
then we find
xT Ax = ⟨Ax, x⟩ = ⟨l, x⟩ = 0
which tells us that X ∈ c is incident with its λ-image. For any point X ∉ c,
we have λ(X) ∋/ X. We recall (6.10) for the vector representation of a
harmonic homology and insert c as a representative of the center C and
λ(C) = Ac for the axis. Thus, the harmonic homology C with center C
and axis λ(C) has the vector representation
x ↦ x′ = x⟨Ac, c⟩ − c 2⟨c, Ax⟩, (7.2)
where fractions can be circumvented since we are dealing with homoge-

neous coordinates. Then, we observe that the quadratic form giving the
equation of the conic does not change, apart from non-vanishing factors:
x′ Ax′ = (x⟨Ac, c⟩ − c 2⟨c, Ax⟩)T A (x⟨Ac, c⟩ − c 2⟨c, Ax⟩) =

T
= (xT (cT Ac) − cT 2 (cT Ax)) A (x(cT Ac) − c 2 (cT Ax)) =

= xT Ax(cT Ac)2 where cT Ac ≠ 0.
Note that ⟨Ay, x⟩ = yT Ax = xT Ay = ⟨Ax, y⟩ since the matrix A is

symmetric. Therefore, the harmonic homology with center C = cF and
axis a = λ(C) leaves the conic c invariant. Now, we have:
Theorem 7.1.1 If xT Ax = 0 is the equation of a conic c with a regular

symmetric A ∈ F3×3 , then x ↦ Ax describes the polarity πc w.r.t. to c.
Since A is regular by assumption, we can say:
Corollary 7.1.2 1. Any polarity πc ∶ P → L with πc ∶ x ↦ l = Ax in a

⋆
projective plane P2 (F) is a collineation from P2 onto its dual plane P2 (F) .
2. Any polarity πc ∶ P → L defines a mapping πc⋆ ∶ L → P by X ∈ l ⇔
πc⋆ (l ∈ πc (X)) for all X and l. The mapping πc⋆ is described by A−1 if π
is described by A and πc⋆ −1 is called the adjoint mapping.
Proof: 1. Let the polarity πc be described by a symmetric matrix A. Then, A is also the
coordinate matrix of a collineation according to Theorem 6.3.1. The coordinates l can also be
interpreted as homogeneous coordinates of points in a projective plane P2 (F). So, π can be
⋆
seen as a collineation from P2 (F) to P2 (F).
2. According to (6.8), if the transformation of points xF is given by the multiplication with
the matrix A from the left, then the lines lF are transformed by the multiplication of l with
A−T from the left. In the case of a polarity, A is symmetric, and therefore, A−1 is too. Thus,
κ⋆ is described by A−1 . ◾
If A is singular, then the polarity defined by x ↦ Ax is singular or
degenerate and so is the curve c ∶ xT Ax = 0 of degree 2. In this case, the
conic c is either a pair of lines (which, in the complex extension of P(R3 )
may be real or conjugate complex), or c is a repeated line. A separate
c
c c c c tP
P
tS tS
Q tQ
S S
R
tR
x2 + y 2 = 0 x2 − y 2 = 0 x2 = 0
FIGURE 7.2. Tangents to degenerate curves of degree 2 in the real projective

plane: Left: One of many tangents at the only real point S of x2 +y 2 = 0 from the
pencil S. Middle: One of many tangents at the singular point S of x2 − y 2 = 0.
Right: Every line is a tangent of the repeated line x2 = 0.
discussion is necessary if we work in P(F3 ) with an arbitrary field. The

tangent of a conic c is a line which meets with multiplicity two. We extend
this definition for degenerate curves by calling a line t a tangent also if t
is a component of c. This may be possible in a single point, in case of a
pair of lines, or in any point in the case of a repeated line, cf. Figure 7.2.
Since πc and πc⋆ are described by inverse matrices A and A−1 , we have
πc ∶ x ↦ l = Ax and πc⋆ ∶ l ↦ x = A−1 x, and therefore, π equals the
inverse of π ⋆ . We call πc self-adjoint. Lemma 7.1.1 is a direct consequence
of this fact.
Now, we generalize the the term polarity w.r.t. a conic by:
Definition 7.1.2 Each mapping π ∶ P → L with xF ↦ l = Ax where

AT = A and det A ≠ 0 is called a polarity.
This definition is independent of whether xT Ax = 0 is a conic or empty.

Lemma 7.1.1 is still valid for all polarities.
In the following we use:
Definition 7.1.3 Let π ∶ P → L be a polarity in a Pappian projective

plane with the Fano property.
1. All points Y ∈ π(X) are called conjugate (with respect) to X. All lines
l ∋ π ⋆ (m) are called conjugate to M = π ⋆ (m).
2. A point X which is incident with its polar x = π(X) is called self-
conjugate. A line which contains its pole is also called self-conjugate.
3. A polarity is called elliptic if there are no self-conjugate points.
4. A polarity is called hyperbolic if there exist self-conjugate as well as

not self-conjugate points.
Figure 7.3 illustrates the contents of Definition 7.1.3.
X x x
FIGURE 7.3. Left: The points on x = πc (X) are conjugate (w.r.t. the conic c)
to the point X. All lines through X are conjugate to x. Since there is a conic
(with real points), we have a hyperbolic polarity. Middle: Conjugate points and
lines in an elliptic polarity. Right: Some of the self-conjugate points and lines of
a hyperbolic polarity: the points and tangents of a conic.
With the analytic description of a polarity we can easily show:
Theorem 7.1.2 The conjugacy of points and lines w.r.t. polarity π is a

symmetric relation: If the point P (line l) is conjugate to the point Q (line
m) w.r.t. π, then Q (m) is conjugate to P (l).
Proof: Assume that P and Q are given by the homogeneous coordinates p and q taken from
F3 . According to Definition 7.1.2, the polarity π is described by a symmetric matrix A ∈ F3×3 .
Following Definition 7.1.3, P is conjugate to Q if, and only if, P ∈ π(Q). In terms of coordinates
this reads ⟨p, π(q)⟩ = 0. The symmetry of ⟨⋅, ⋅⟩ and A lead to
⟨p, π(q)⟩ = pT Aq = qT AT p = qT Ap = ⟨q, π(p)⟩
which proves the symmetry of the conjugacy for points. An analogous computation shows the
symmetry of the conjugacy of lines. ◾
◾ Example 7.1.1 Some polarities.

Elliptic polarity. The matrix
⎛ 1 0 0 ⎞
M=⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠
is the coefficient matrix of the quadratic form
Q(x, x) = x20 + x21 + x22 = ⟨x, x⟩.
The conic Q(x, x) = 0 carries no points if considered as a conic in the real projective plane
P2 (R). On the other hand, the matrix M is symmetric. Thus, the matrix M defines an elliptic
polarity ι considered as a polarity in the real projective plane. Note that ι as well as ι⋆ are
described by the identity matrix and ι ≠ idP2 .
̃
c l
π̃c⋆ (l)
F
L O
FIGURE 7.4. The particular elliptic polarity ι can be realized as the composition
of the polarity w.r.t. the circle ̃
c and the reflection in the common center O of the
elliptic polarity and ̃c. A line l is mapped to its anti-pole L, i.e., the reflection
of π̃c⋆ in O. The anti-inversion w.r.t. ̃c sends the pedal point F of l to L.
We can visualize ι by assuming that the underlying coordinate frame is Cartesian. The pole of
the ideal line (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) is the point (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) which has inhomogeneous coordinates O = (0, 0)
and be the origin of a Cartesian frame. The point O is called the center of the polarity.
A line l with inhomogeneous equation x = d (and homogeneous coordinates (−d ∶ 1 ∶ 0)) is
mapped to the point L = (−d ∶ 1 ∶ 0), i.e., L = (− 1d , 0) =∶ (d′ , 0) which gives
dd′ = −1.
Consequently, L can be found be constructing a right angled triangle as shown in Figure 7.4.
Let F denote the pedal point of l w.r.t. O. Then, the mapping F ↦ L is an elliptic and
involutive projectivity just as we have seen in Example 5.4.3 (on page 213) and in Figure 5.23.
The reflection M of L in O satisfies OM ⋅ OL = 1. Further, M is the pole of the line l under
the polarity η with the coordinate matrix C = diag(−1, 1, 1). Since xT Cx = 0 is the equation
of the unit circle ̃
c, M is the pole of l w.r.t. ̃
c. Therefore, ι can be realized as the composition
of the reflection in O and the subsequent polarity with respect to the unit circle. In the older
literature, the mapping ι is called an anti-polarity.
The mapping that sends the point F to L is called anti-inversion. The restriction of the
anti-inversion to lines through the center O is that kind of projectivity that is shown in
Example 5.4.3 on page 213. Here, the unit circle ̃c takes the role of the Laguerre points and is
sometimes called the real representative for the conic ⟨x, x⟩ = 0 without real points.
Pairs of conjugate points on the ideal line ω are seen from the center O under a right angle.
It is easy to see that each elliptic polarity in P2 (R) is the composition of the polarity in an
ellipse ̃
c and the reflection in the center of ̃c.
A hyperbolic polarity - orthogonality and the Euclidean unit circle. The Euclidean unit circle c
with its Cartesian equation x2 + y 2 = 1 can be given an equation in homogeneous coordinates
by letting x = x1 x−1 −1
0 and y = x2 x0 which yields
⎛ −1 0 0 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞
−x20 + x21 + x22 = (x0 , x1 , x2 ) ⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟ = xT Mx = 0.
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
Note that M−1 = M.
t2 P B1 R
T2 P
t1 c
C B2 Q
C T1
c
c p
FIGURE 7.5. Left: The polar line p of P w.r.t. c intersects c in the points T1
and T2 . These are the points of contact of c’s tangents t1 and t2 through P .
Middle: The pair ([C, B1 ], [C, B2 ]) of axes is a pair of conjugate diameters of
c. The triangle CB1 B2 is a polar triangle of c. Right: Any vertex of a polar
triangle P QR is the pole of the opposite side line. In P2 (R), each polar triangle
has precisely one interior vertex.
We define the center of the circle c as the center of the polarity πc . In this case, it is the point
C = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0). A line d through the center of the conic is called a diameter. Here, all lines
a1 x1 + a2 x2 = 0 with (a1 ∶ a2 ) ≠ (0 ∶ 0) are diameters.
In general, the diameters of a conic are the polar lines of all ideal points. The center of the
conic is the pole of the ideal line w.r.t. the conic. A pair (d1 , d2 ) of diameters is called conjugate
pair or a pair of conjugate diameters if, and only if, the two diameters (or equivalently their
ideal points) are conjugate w.r.t. c.
A pair (d1 , d2 ) of conjugate diameters of a circle is a pair of orthogonal lines: Assume u =
(u0 , u1 , u2 )T and v = (v0 , v1 , v2 )T are the homogeneous coordinates of two different diameters
u and v of a circle centered at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system. Then, u0 = v0 = 0
and the conjugacy of u and v can be expressed in terms of coordinates as
⎛ 0 ⎞ u v
(0, u1 , u2 )M−1 ⎜ v1 ⎟ = u1 v1 + u2 v2 = ⟨( 1 ) , ( 1 )⟩ = 0
⎝ v2 ⎠ u2 v2
which means that the canonical scalar product of the normal vectors of the lines u and v
vanishes. Therefore, the diameters are orthogonal (see Figure 7.5, middle). There, we can see
the special pair ([C, B1 ], [C, B2 ]) with B1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) and B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1).
On the right-hand side of Figure 7.5, we can see a polar triangle of c. In general, a triangle
P QR is called a polar triangle of a polarity or a conic, if each vertex is the pole of the opposite
side line. In case of a hyperbolic polarity, precisely one vertex of the polar triangle is an interior
point of the conic c. In case of an elliptic polarity, we cannot distinguish between interior and
outer points.
The construction of a polar triangle within a given polarity π (no matter, whether it is elliptic
or hyperbolic) starts with the choice of a point P which is not self-conjugate. Then, we
determine the polar line p = π(P ) of P . Finally, we choose a point Q ∈ p which implies
P ∈ π(Q), by virtue of Lemma 7.1.1. The third vertex of the polar triangle equals R = p∩π(Q).
Looking back to Figure 7.4 accompanying the previous example of an elliptic polarity, we see
that the points F = (1 ∶ d ∶ 0) and M = (d ∶ 1 ∶ 0) satisfy OF ⋅ OM = d ⋅ d1 = 1. They are said
to lie inverse w.r.t. the unit circle ̃
c. The mapping F ↦ M is called inversion w.r.t. the unit
circle or reflection in the unit circle. In Section 7.5, we shall see that the inversion in a circle
is a special case of a birational quadratic transformation. We speak briefly of a conjugate pair
of points and lines.
Polar forms
Each quadratic form xT Ax = 0 with A = AT defines an associated sym-

metric bilinear form
p(x, y) = yT Ax (7.3)
called the polar form. Independently of whether A ∈ F3×3 is regular or
not, the polar form characterizes conjugate points (lines): x is conjugate
to y w.r.t. the polarity defined by A if, and only if, p(x, y) = 0. In the
case of a singular matrix A we speak of a singular polarity which is no
longer bijective.
◾ Example 7.1.2 Polar forms of conics in the Euclidean plane. We assume that
x2 y 2
c∶ ± =1
a2 b2
is an ellipse (or hyperbola) with semiaxis lengths a and b. Thus, A = diag(−1, a−2 , ±b−2 ). For
x = (1, x, y) and y = (1, x′ , y ′ ), we obtain
xx′ yy ′
p(x, y) = −1 + ± 2
a2 b
′2 ′2
which gives the equation of the tangent tP to c at P = (x′ , y ′ ) if P ∈ c, i.e., if −1 + xa2 ± yb2 = 0.
A parabola may be given by
⎛ 0 0 −q ⎞
x2 − 2qy = 0 ⇐⇒ xT ⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟ x = 0.
⎝ −q 0 0 ⎠
With x = (1, x, y) and y = (1, x′ , y ′ ), we find the polar form as
p(x, y) = xx′ − q(y + y ′ ) = 0.
Involution of conjugate points/lines

Assume c is a conic in a Pappian projective plane with the Fano property
and πc is the polarity w.r.t. c. What happens to the polar line if a point P
t
l X
P P′
x T
p F1
X′
F2
c c c
l
FIGURE 7.6. Involutions induced by the polar system of a conic c: Left: The
involution of conjugate points on the line l is elliptic if l ∩ c = ∅. Middle: The
fixed points of the involution of conjugate points on the line l are the common
points of l and c. Right: There is no involution on a tangent t. The point T is
conjugate to all points of t.
traverses a line l? The polar line p goes through the pole P = πc (P ), and
we get P ′ ∶= p ∩ l for the point P ′ which is conjugate to P . The mapping
λ ∶ P ↦ P ′ is linear in terms of homogeneous coordinates of points, and
bijective, if l is not tangent to c. Thus, it is a projectivity. Moreover, λ is
involutive because π(P ′ ) ∋ P , according to Lemma 7.1.1. The mapping λ
is called involution of conjugate points (see Figure 7.6).
If the involution λ of conjugate points on a line l is elliptic, then there
are no common points of c and l. On the other hand, if there exists a
fixed point F1 of λ, then it is a common point of l and c. In this case,
there exists a further fixed point F2 since involutions are never parabolic
in Fano planes. Hence, l meets c in these two points (cf. Figure 7.6).
However, the case of a tangent t of c is different: Any point on t is conju-
gate to the point T of contact of c and t, since the polar lines of all points
on t are passing through T (see Figure 7.6). So, there is no involutive
projectivity on t induced by πc .
As the dual counterpart of the involution of conjugate points, we find
the involution of conjugate lines about a point P , provided that P is
not self-conjugate, i.e., P ∉ c. Figure 7.7 shows pairs (l, l′ ) and (m, m′ )
of lines conjugate w.r.t. a conic c. In the left-hand figure, the common
point of these four lines lies in the interior of c, and thus, the involution
of conjugate lines is elliptic. The right-hand figure shows the hyperbolic
case. The point P is an outer point of c. Then, the fixed lines of the
involution of conjugate lines through the point P are the tangents t1 and
t2 of c through P .
P
m
m t1 l
l p
P
′
c m
c t2
l′ m′ ′
l
FIGURE 7.7. Involution of conjugate lines: Left: The involution of conjugate

lines through an interior point P of c is elliptic. Right: The involution of con-
jugate lines through an outer point P of c is hyperbolic and the fixed lines are
the tangents t1 and t2 from P to c.
D′ A2 D′
F2 A2 F1 D A
f1 D
C D C A
V
A1 A1 A
h p A
f2 e D
D′
D′ ′
D′ D
FIGURE 7.8. Conjugate diameters: Left: The two fixed lines of the involution
of conjugate diameters of a hyperbola h are the asymptotes of h. Middle: An
ellipse e has no asymptotes. Like the hyperbola h, the ellipse has two axes being
the only pair of orthogonal conjugate diameters. Right: The parabola p with its
only axis and the vertex V has parallel diameters.
As defined in Example 7.1.1, in the projective extension of E2 , the center

of a conic is the pole of the ideal line provided that this point is not
self-conjugate. Thus, the ellipse and the hyperbola have a center and the
parabola is a conic without center.
Now, we assume that c is a conic with center C, i.e., it is either a hyperbola
or a parabola as shown in Figure 7.8. We look at the involution η of
conjugate lines in the pencil C. If η is hyperbolic, i.e., it has two fixed
lines f1 and f2 , then there exist two tangents from the center C to the
conic c. The tangents f1 and f2 touch c at the ideal points F1 and F2 .
Since F1 and F2 are ideal points on c, the conic c is a hyperbola and the
lines f1 and f2 are its asymptotes. The center of a hyperbola is an outer
point of the hyperbola. Any other diameter d = [C, D] is the line spanned
by the center C and an arbitrary ideal point D. The diameter d′ conjugate
to d passes through the ideal point D ′ which is the conjugate of D on the
ideal line w.r.t. D. Consequently, the tangents at the endpoints of any
diameter are parallel to the conjugate diameter. Note that conjugacy is a
symmetric relation.
In the case of an elliptic involution of conjugate diameters in the pencil
about the center, the conic c is an ellipse since it has no self-conjugate
ideal points. Consequently, the center of an ellipse c is an interior point
of c. Again, pairs (d, d′ ) of conjugate diameters show the characteristic
behavior: The tangents at the endpoints of d and d′ form a parallelogram
(cf. Figure 7.8).
In both cases, ellipse and hyperbola, we defined the axes of the conic
as the orthogonal pair (a1 , a2 ) of conjugate diameters. Thus, (a1 , a2 ) is
a pair of assigned elements in both involutions, the involution of right
angles and the involution of conjugate diameters. Since the involution of
right angles is elliptic, there exists one pair, no matter if the involution
of conjugate diameters is elliptic or hyperbolic (cf. page 255).
The points of intersection of an ellipse or a hyperbola with its axes are
the vertices. Since the center C is an interior point of an ellipse c, there
are four vertices, because both axes meet c in two points. In the case of
a hyperbola, there are only two (real) vertices.
In the case of a parabola, there is exactly one ideal point A that is self-
conjugate since the parabola touches the ideal line. Therefore, the para-
bola has no center. It is impossible to view a parabola as the limit of an
infinite sequence of ever stretching ellipses. The lines through A are the
diameters of the parabola (see Figure 7.8). The parabola has only one
axis which is that diameter of the parabola which is perpendicular to the
tangent at its finite point of intersection with the parabola. So, if we want
to find the axis of a parabola, we first have to find the point V on c whose
tangent is orthogonal to the diameters. The point V is the only vertex of
the parabola.
◾ Example 7.1.3 Vertex of a parabola on two line elements.

A parabola p shall be given by two line elements, say (A, a) and (B, b). Assuming that neither
A ∈ b, nor B ∈ a, nor a ∥ b, we can be sure that there is a unique parabola on these two line
elements. We shall construct the vertex of the parabola.
As shown in Figure 7.9, we are looking for the parabola’s ideal point P in the first step. On the
chord [A, B], the ideal point I and midpoint M of AB are conjugate w.r.t. p. Since T = a ∩ b
is the pole of [A, B], the line [T, M ] carries p’s ideal point P .
P P
1
P
ty
T
ari
pol
I
2
y
nit
ute
V
infi
ol
abs
1
at
I A a A
line
B
M T
a P V
P b
p B 2
P P P p b
FIGURE 7.9. The vertex of a parabola on two line elements (A, a) and (B, b) is
constructed with the help of only six lines (left). The construction is based on
three harmonic quadruples (right).
Once we have found the direction of p’s axis, i.e., the ideal point P , we know that the ortho-
gonal direction P is the direction of the tangent at the vertex V .
The second step is the construction of the vertex V being a point of p with a tangent [V, P ]
orthogonal to the diameters: We intersect the diameters through A and V with the orthogonal
line [T, P ] and obtain the points 1 and 2. Now, we claim that V = [1, B]∩[2, A] is the vertex.
Proof: The point 1 is the center of a harmonic homology 1 which is automorphic for p. We
have 1 ∶ A ↦ P , and T on the tangent a at A is mapped to P on the line at infinity which
is tangent at P . The point 2 as the fourth harmonic point to the center 1 w.r.t. (T, P ) must
be a point of the axis of 1 , and therefore, remains fixed. Hence 1 maps B ∈ [2, P ] ∩ p to
V = [2, A] ∩ [1, B] ∈ p and the tangent b = [B, T ] to the tangent [V, P ] at V to p which
confirms that V is the vertex. ◾
If P is replaced with another ideal point, then this construction gives the point of contact of
the second tangent drawn from this point to p.
◾ Example 7.1.4 A proof of Seydewitz’s theorem.
Theorem 7.1.3 Let A, B, C be three mutually distinct points on a conic c. Any line l
conjugate to one side of the triangle ABC intersects the other two lines in a pair (P, Q) of
points conjugate w.r.t. c.
Proof: It means no restriction to assume that l is conjugate to [A, B] (see Figure 7.10).
Therefore, l passes through the pole S of [A, B]. Without loss of generality, we let c ∶ x0 x2 −x21 =
0 and A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), B = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), and C = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1). Consequently, S = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) and the
line l has an equation of the form μx0 − λx2 = 0. The intersections of l with [A, C] and [B, C]
S
Q
c l
B
P C
FIGURE 7.10. Seydewitz’s theorem.
are thus P = (λ ∶ μ ∶ μ) and Q = (λ ∶ λ ∶ μ). Since the coeffcient matrix of c (which is also the
coordinate matrix of c’s polarity) equals
⎛ 0 0 1 ⎞
A=⎜ 0 −2 0 ⎟,
⎝ 1 0 0 ⎠
the points P = pF and Q = qF turn out to be conjugate w.r.t. c, since pT Aq = 0. ◾
● Exercise 7.1.1 Conjugate pairs in a quadrilateral. Prove the following result:

If, at any quadrilateral, two pairs of opposite vertices are conjugate w.r.t. any polarity π, then
the same holds for the third pair.
Hint: Let q1 q2 q3 q4 be the quadrilateral and Pi k = qi ∩ qk . Set P12 = aF, P23 = bF, P34 = cF,
and P41 = (a + b + c)F.
● Exercise 7.1.2 Commuting involutions. Prove the following statement:

Two involutions on a conic c commute if, and only if, the centers of the two involutions are
conjugate w.r.t. c.
Equation of the dual conic

We have seen that the set of points of a conic c can be described as the
zero set of a quadratic form
xT Ax
with a regular symmetric 3 × 3-matrix with entries from an arbitrary
commutative field F, charF ≠ 2. Since l = Ax represents the polar line l
of X = xF, we can give a condition on the coordinates u = (u0 , u1 , u2 ) of
c’s tangents. To put it in another way: We can derive an equation of the
dual curve c⋆ .
First, we observe x = A−1 u. Then, we write
xT Ax = (A−1 u)T AA−1 u = uT A−1 u,
where we used the fact that the inverse of a symmetric matrix is again
symmetric. So, we can say:
Corollary 7.1.3 Let c ∶ xT Ax = 0 with a regular symmetric 3 × 3-matrix

with entries from an arbitrary commutative field F (charF ≠ 2) be a conic
in P2 (F). Then, the equation of the dual curve c⋆ equals
c⋆ ∶ uT A−1 u = 0. (7.4)
◾ Example 7.1.5 Dual curve of a circle. In P2 (R), the equation of the conic c ∶ − r2 x20 + x21 +
x22 = xT Ax = 0 with r ∈ R and r > 0 equals the equation of its dual curve if, and only if, r = 1
since then
−2
⎛ −r ⎛ −r
2
0 0 ⎞ 0 0 ⎞
A=⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟ and A−1 = ⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠ ⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠
are proportional matrices.
Dual parabola. What does the dual of a parabola look like? Assume we are given the parabola
p ∶ 2ax0 x2 − x21 = 0 with positive a. Here, we have
⎛ 0 0 a ⎞ ⎛ 0 0 a−1 ⎞
A=⎜ 0 −1 0 ⎟ and A−1 = ⎜ 0 −1 0 ⎟.
⎝ a 0 0 ⎠ ⎝ a−1 0 0 ⎠
Thus, the dual curve has the equation
p⋆ ∶ 2u0 u2 − au21 = 0.
It depends on the choice of the ideal line in the dual plane if the curve p⋆ is a parabola or not.
Focal points
In Section 2.1, we have defined conics in E2 as sets of points satisfying
certain distance relations. There, the focal points appeared first. Now,
we shall see that the focal points of a conic can be defined within the
framework of Projective Geometry. Later, in Section 7.5, we shall treat
focal points once again, but in a different way.
We define a focal point of a conic c in the real projective plane as follows:
Definition 7.1.4 Let c be a conic in the real projective plane. A point F

is called a focus or focal point if the involution of conjugate lines (w.r.t.
c) in the pencil about F equals the involution of right angles.
p
f
h l l
l ′
f
l F
F m
m
F l′
l′ f m
e m′
m′ m′
FIGURE 7.11. The involution of conjugate lines w.r.t. the conic equals the
involution of right angles exactly in the pencils about the focal points. For the
case of an ellipse e (left), a hyperbola h (center), and a parabola p (right), two
pairs (l, l′ ) and (m, m′ ) of conjugate and orthogonal lines are displayed.
Figure 7.11 shows two pairs of corresponding orthogonal lines through a

focal point of an ellipse, hyperbola, and through the focus of a parabola.
The involution of right angles is elliptic and its fixed lines are isotropic
(cf. Example 6.4.7, page 253). Thus, a point F is a focal point of a conic,
if the tangents from F to c are isotropic lines. These isotropic tangents
a1 , a2 connect F with one of the absolute points of Euclidean geometry,
i.e., either with I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) or I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i).
Assume we are given the ellipse
x2 y 2 ⎛ 1 ⎞
c∶ + − 1 = (1 x y) M ⎜ x ⎟ = 0.
a2 b2 ⎝ y ⎠
with M = diag (−1, a−2 , b−2 ) where a > b means no restriction. We want to
find the focal points of c. Let F = f F with f = (f0 , f1 , f2 ) be a point in the
complex extension P2 (C). The homogeneous coordinates of the isotropic
lines a1 = [F, I] and a2 = [F, I] = a1 are
a1 = (if1 − f2 ∶ −if0 ∶ f0 ) and a2 = (−if1 − f2 ∶ if0 ∶ f0 ) = a1 .
The lines a1 and a2 are tangent to c if, and only if, they are self-conjugate
w.r.t. c. In other words, a1 and a2 have to be points of the dual curve c⋆ .
Thus, the coordinate vectors of a1 and a2 fulfill
−1
1 M a1 = f1 + 2if1 f2 − f2 − f0 (a − b ) = 0,
aT 2 2 2 2 2
−1
2 M a2 = f1 − 2if1 f2 − f2 − f0 (a − b ) = 0.
aT 2 2 2 2 2
The difference of the latter equations yields f1 f2 = 0 which tells us that

the focal points are located on an axis of c. The sum of the latter equations
yields f12 − f22 − f02 (a2 − b2 ) = 0 which gives
√
f2 = ±i a2 − b2 f0 if f1 = 0,
√
f1 = ± a2 − b2 f0 if f2 = 0.
Without loss of generality, we may assume that f0 = 1. Thus, we find the

four focal points of the ellipse c, according to Definition 7.1.4, as
√ √
F1 = (1 ∶ a2 − b2 ∶ 0), F2 = (1 ∶ − a2 − b2 ∶ 0),
√ √
F3 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ i a2 − b2 ), F4 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ −i a2 − b2 ).
A simple construction of the focal points of an ellipse is shown in

Figure 7.12. The points F3 and F4 are sometimes called the anti-foci of
the ellipse.
e
b a b
F1 a F1 e F2 V F V⋆
e F2 a p p
FIGURE 7.12. Construction of the focal points of the ellipse (left), the hyperbola
(center), and the parabola (right).
● Exercise 7.1.3 Focal points of a hyperbola. Compute the focal points of the hyperbola
x2 y 2
h∶ − =1
a2 b2
in the way shown above. Prove that the construction shown in Figure 7.12 is a proper way of
finding the focal points of a hyperbola.
The parabola’s only focal point. Show that the point F = (1 ∶ q ∶ 0) is the only focus of the
parabola p ∶ y 2 − 4qx = 0. The point F is the midpoint of the segment between the vertex
V = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) and its center V ⋆ = (1 ∶ q ∶ 0) of curvature.
Conjugacy between focal points and directrices. Show that a focal point and the associated
directrix of a conic c are polar w.r.t. c, i.e., a pair consisting of a pole and a polar line.
7.2 Definition of a conic according to von Staudt

In Section 7.1 we have seen that any conic c defines its polarity πc . It
turned out that the self-conjugate points of πc are exactly the points of c.
Now, we can ask ourselves if any polarity (as described in Definition 7.1.2)
defines a conic. In fact, this is not the case. We just have to recall that
elliptic polarities do not have self-conjugate points (cf. Definition 7.1.3).
For historical reasons, we recall an alternative to Steiner’s generation
of a conic (cf. Definition 6.1.1). The following definition was given by the
German mathematician Karl Georg Christian von Staudt (1798–
1867).
Definition 7.2.1 von Staudt’s definition:

The set of self-conjugate points of a hyperbolic polarity in P2 (F) (with
commutative F and charF ≠ 2) is called a conic.
Each polarity π in P2 (F) is described by a symmetric matrix P ∈ F3×3 ,

i.e., P = PT . The polar line l = lF of the point X = xF is given by l = Px.
Self-conjugate points of π are incident with their image lines. Hence, they
satisfy
⟨l, x⟩ = ⟨Px, x⟩ = (Px)T x = xT Px = 0
which is the equation of a conic (cf. (6.11)) since it has non-zero solutions.
In projective planes over finite fields or even over the real number field
we can find empty conics: They are given by a regular symmetric matrix
from F3×3 but there is no triplet from F3 that satisfies the corresponding
quadratic equation. In the case of the real projective plane, the coefficient
matrix of empty conics is definite.
Conics from a given polar triangle
According to Definition 6.1.1 (page 218), a conic is uniquely determined

by five points where no three of them are collinear. An analogous defini-
tion uses only the terms pole, polar line, and polar triangle. We can say
that a polarity is uniquely defined by prescribing a polar triangle P1 P2 P3
(definition on page 266) and a pair of corresponding elements (Q, q) with
Q being on neither side of the triangle P1 P2 P3 and q not passing through
any of its vertices.
An example is illustrated in Figure 7.13: The pole Q and its polar line q
help to define involutions of conjugate points on the side lines of the polar
c
7.2 Definition of a conic according to von Staudt 277
F1 2′ 1′
P3
q
F2
1 P1
Q G2
P2
3
c
FIGURE 7.13. A conic constructed from the polar triangle P1 P2 P3 and a pair
(Q, q) consisting of a pole with its polar line.
triangle P1 P2 P3 . These involutions are the restriction of the polarity to

the side lines of the polar triangle. The fixed points of these involutions
are self-conjugate points of the polarity, and therefore, they are points of
the underlying conic, provided that there exist fixed points.
The involution η1 acting on the line [P2 , P3 ] maps P2 to P3 , and vice versa;
further 1 = [Q, P1 ] ∩ [P2 , P3 ] is mapped to 1′ = q ∩ [P2 , P3 ]. In the version
of Figure 7.13, the pair (1, 1′ ) is separated by the pair (P2 , P3 ), and thus,
η1 is elliptic and there are no self-conjugate points on this line. On the
line [P3 , P1 ] we find the corresponding pair of points 2 = [Q, P2 ] ∩ P3 , P1
and 2′ = q ∩ [P3 , P1 ]. The involution η2 on [P3 , P1 ] is hyperbolic, and its
fixed points F1 and F2 are points on the conic c. Note that the tangents to
c at F1 and F2 pass through P2 for it is the pole of [P3 , P1 ]. Furthermore,
η3 acting on [P1 , P2 ] yields two more fixed points in a similar way. This
results in two more line elements of the desired conic. So, the unique
solution c is more than well-determined by four line elements. For the
sake of completeness, it has to be checked that these four line elements
fit to only one conic. This is easily done by studying the actions of the
harmonic collineations with any vertex of the polar triangle as center and
the opposite side line as axis.
Note that the polar triangle P1 P2 P3 together with the pair (Q, q) (pole
and polar line) may define an elliptic polarity. In such a case, the involu-
1′ q
e e
2′
P3 P3
e 1′ h h
2 2 1
Q 1 q e
2′ Q
P1 3 P2 3′ 3′ P1 3 P2
FIGURE 7.14. The sequence of elliptic (e) and hyperbolic (h) involutions on a
polar triangle is either (e,h,h) (left) or (e,e,e) (right).
tions on all three side lines of the polar triangle are elliptic. Then, there
are no self-conjugate points, and therefore, there is no conic. Figure 7.14
shows the two possible distributions of elliptic and hyperbolic involutions
induced on the side lines of a polar triangle.
● Exercise 7.2.1 A conic from a polar triangle and a line element. How does the construction
of the above example change if the pair (Q, q) is replaced by an incident (self-conjugate) pair
Q ∈ q, i.e., a point Q plus the tangent q at Q.
Common polar triangles
Assume P, Q ∈ F3×3 are symmetric and not proportional matrices. They

determine two different polarities πP , πQ in P2 (F). A triangle A1 A2 A3 is
a common polar triangle of πP and πQ if it is a polar triangle with respect
to πP and πQ at the same time.
Let Ai = ai F and further define the lines bi = [Aj , Ak ] with coordinates
bi F where i ∈ {1, 2, 3}. Without loss of generality, we may assume that
a1 = (1, 0, 0), a2 = (0, 1, 0), a3 = (0, 0, 1). Thus, bi = ai for i ∈ {1, 2, 3}.
Then, according to the definition of a polar triangle (cf. Example 7.1.1)
and with proper scaling of P’s and Q’s rows, we have
Pai = ai , Qai = ai with i ∈ {1, 2, 3}.
Therefore, P and Q have to be diagonal matrices. Thus, we can say:
Lemma 7.2.1 The determination of common polar triangles of two po-

larities is equivalent to the simultaneous diagonalization of the correspon-
ding symmetric matrices.
From Linear Algebra we know that P and Q can be diagonalized si-

multaneously if, and only if, the corresponding endomorphisms commute.
The simultaneous diagonalization requires the computation of eigenvec-

tors and eigenvalues of the (symmetric) matrix R = λP+μQ (λ ∶ μ ≠ 0 ∶ 0)
since Rai = ai tells us that ai are eigenvectors of R. On the other hand,
the solutions λ ∶ μ of det R = 0 yields the three (algebraically counting)
singular polarities in the pencil of polarities spanned by πP and πQ . In
Section 7.3, we shall consider πP and πQ as polarities of conics.
Polar transform of conics
It is worth to be noted that the image of a conic c under a polarity π is

a conic π(c), whether the polarity π is elliptic or not. We assume that π
is desribed by the regular and symmetric coordinate matrix P ∈ F3×3 and
the conic is given by xT Ax = 0 with A ∈ F3×3 and A = AT . We compute
the π-transform of c by first mapping points of c to the tangents of the
dual conic π(c)⋆ . Since points X = xF are mapped to lines l = lF with
l = Px, we arrive at the equation of the dual of π(c)⋆ which reads
π(c)⋆ ∶ lT P−1 AP−1 l = 0.
Note that (P−1 )T = P−1 if PT = P. In other words: The inverse of a

polarity is also a polarity. Now, we recall (7.4) and with B ∶= P−1 AP−1
we find the equation of π(c) as
π(c) ∶ xT B−1 x = xT PA−1 Px = 0. (7.5)

◾ Example 7.2.1 The polar transform of a circle.
Let us start in P2 (R) with the polarity w.r.t. the circle p ∶ x2 + y 2 = r 2 centered at (0, 0). The
circle to be transformed shall be given by c ∶ (x − m)2 + (y − n)2 = R2 , i.e., its center equals
(m, n) and the radius equals R. In terms of homogeneous coordinates, the polarities w.r.t.
both circles can be described by linear mappings R3 → R3⋆ with the coordinate matrices
⎛ −r ⎛ m +n −R −m −n ⎞
2 2 2 2
0 0 ⎞
P=⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟ and A=⎜ −m 1 0 ⎟.
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠ ⎝ −n 0 1 ⎠
Inserting P and A into (7.5), we arrive at the coordinate matrix of the conic d that is polar
to c w.r.t. p:
⎛ −r
4
r2 m r2 n ⎞
−1
PA P = ⎜ r m R − m
2 2 2
−mn ⎟ .
⎝ r n
2
−mn R −n ⎠
2 2
Figure 7.15 shows the images d of three different circles c under the polarity πp . The common
points of d and p transform to the common tangents of p and d, while the common tangents
of c and p map to the common points of c and d.
Now, it is easy to show that the conic d has the center
r2
(m, n)
m2 + n2 − R2
c d
p c
d
d p c p
FIGURE 7.15. The polar transform of a circle c w.r.t. a circle p yields a conic d:
Common points of c and p are mapped to common tangents of p and d; common
tangents of c and q are mapped to common points of p and d.
if m2 + n2 ≠ R2 and its principal axis encloses the angle

1 2mn m
ϕ= arctan 2 or ϕ = arccos √
2 m − n2 m2 + n2
with the x-axis. The polar image d = πP (c) is an ellipse if R2 > m2 + n2 , i.e., there are no
real tangents from P ’s center to c. The conic d is a hyperbola if R2 < m2 + n2 , or equivalently,
there are two real tangents from P ’s center to c.
If R2 = m2 +n2 , then c contains the center of p and d is a parabola. The angle ϕ enclosed by the
axis of the parabola and the x-axis of the coordinate system is still given by tan 2ϕ = √ 2mn
2 2
.
m +n
This classification of the polar image of a conic remains valid if the hyper-
bolic polarity πP from Example 7.2.1 is replaced by an elliptic polarity
since an elliptic polarity also has a center. The center is just the pole of
the line at infinity.
The results of this section can also can be used in order to solve some
conic problems by means of a graphical construction.
◾ Example 7.2.2 Find conics on points or lines with a given focus.

The generic case. Assume that we are given three non-collinear points P1 , P2 , P3 and a further
point F . We are looking for all conics passing through P1 , P2 , P3 and having F for a focus.
Applying a polarity to a conic interchanges points and lines. A focus F , for example, is the
meet of two isotropic tangents. When polarized w.r.t. the circle f with the center F , they
map to the points of contact, i.e., the absolute points of Euclidean geometry. The given
points map to three lines: π(Pi ) = pi , i ∈ {1, 2, 3}. By assumption, the given points form
a triangle, and therefore, their polars pi are the side lines of a triangle (see the light grey
triangle in Figure 7.16). The conics we are looking for, are now transformed to conics ei (with
i ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}) that touch the side lines pi of the triangle and pass through the absolute points
of Euclidean geometry.
Thus, the conics ei are the incircle together with the excircles of the triangle. Applying the
polarity once again yields the four solutions li .
In general, there are four conics on three points and a given focus. These four conics are either
four hyperbolas or three hyperbolas plus an ellipse or parabola depending on whether the
e3 l3
l2 e2
p1
l1 l3
e1
P2 l1
p3 P1
p2
l4
P3 F e4
l2 f
FIGURE 7.16. The construction of conics on three points P1 , P2 , P3 with a

given focus F is equivalent to the construction of all circles tangent to three
lines. The four solutions l1 , . . . , l4 are the polar images of the four tri-tangent
circles e1 , . . . , e4 of the triangle all of whose sides lines p1 , p2 , p3 are the polars
of P1 , P2 , P3 w.r.t. any circle f centered at F .
given focus F is an interior point of one of the tritangent circles of the lines pi or lies on one of
them. F cannot be the interior point of more than one circle ei because the tritangent circles
ei of the lines pi are the incircle together with the excircles of the triangle built by the lines
p1 , p2 , p3 . These circles are known to be disjoint.
Homofocal parabolas. We try a variation of the previous example. We are looking for all para-
bolas on two points P1 , P2 and a given focus F (Figure 7.17).
Again, we apply the polarity w.r.t. to a circle f centered at F : The given points P1 , P2 are
mapped to lines p1 , p2 and possible solutions (which should pass through P1 and P2 ) are, thus,
transformed into conics tangent to p1 and p2 . The focus considered as the intersection of a
pair of isotropic tangents to the solutions maps to the absolute points of Euclidean geometry,
and therefore, the polar transforms of the desired conics are circles tangent to p1 , p2 . Further,
the ideal line is mapped to F , because the center of f and the ideal line correspond to each
other in the polarity.
p1 P1
l2
p2
P2 l1
e1
M2 F
f e2
M1
FIGURE 7.17. The two parabolas l1 and l2 on two points with a common focus
are found in the following way: Find the circles e1 and e2 which are tangent to
the polar lines p1 , p2 of P1 , P2 w.r.t. f . Then, apply the polarity w.r.t. f to e1 ,
e2 .
Hence, we are looking for the circles tangent to p1 , p2 passing through F . In the generic case,
there are two solutions e1 and e2 , as shown in Figure 7.17. Their polar transforms are the
parabolas l1 and l2 .
7.3 Pencils of conics 283
7.3 Pencils of conics

Pencils of conics are special one-parameter families of conics. The pro-
jective classification of the pencils of conics leads to five different types.
All these types can be classified by means of the set of singular conics
included in the pencil. The computation as well as the construction of
common points of two conics out of this pencil can be reduced to the case
where one of these curves of degree two is reducible. This is interesting at
least from the theoretical point of view, since in general it is not possible
to find the common points of two conics by ruler and compass.
In this section, the term ‘conic’ means a curve of degree two, no matter
if it is irreducible (regular) or reducible (singular).
An introductory example
y
2a √
x =
x0= 3 2
2 ay
y0 =
a
√
3
22 x
a 2a
y2
=2
ax
FIGURE 7.18. The Delian cube duplication problem: The volume of the two
cubes on the left have ratio 2 ∶ 1. How can one construct the scaling factor of
the edge length?
Let us look at the following classical problem. A cube of side length a = 1

is to be duplicated, i.e., the volume shall be doubled. The question is:
What is the side length of the new cube with twice the volume?
This problem is usually called the cube duplication problem. The name
Delian problem was also given to this question: It is reported that the
citizens of the Greek island Delos once asked the oracle how to defeat
the plague. The oracle wanted the Delians to build a new altar of twice
the volume of the old altar. Unfortunately, the altar was a regular cube,
and so, the Delians had to duplicate a cube. The ancient Egyptians and
Indians also knew this type of mathematical problem.
√
In principle, one has to find or construct 3 2 in order to solve the Delian
problem. Sad to say, but ruler and compass are not sufficient to construct
the cube root of two, as shown in 1837 by the French mathematician
Pierre Laurent Wantzel (1814–1848).
√
However, the Greek geometers discovered a way to construct 3 2 using
two parabolas, as shown in Figure 7.18. Assume that
p1 ∶ y 2 = 2ax and p2 ∶ ay = x2 (7.6)
are the two parabolas. Obviously, (7.6) is a system of two quadratic equa-
tions in the unknowns x and y. The solutions of (7.6) are
√ √
(x, y) = (0, 0), (x, y) = ( 2a, 4a).
3 3
(7.7)
The first solution is of no√importance for the Delian problem. The second
one with a = 1 gives x = 3 2, precisely that what the Delians were looking
for. If we allow a tool that draws parabolas, then the problem is solvable
in a constructive way.
We have solved a system of two quadratic equations in two variables.
An equivalent problem is to search for all points common to two curves
of degree two (cf. Section 6.3). In this particular case, we could extract
the solutions by mere elementary operations. However, this will not be
sufficient when it comes to the more general case with two quadratic
equations.
On the other hand, how do the configurations of two conics look like?
It can easily be imagined that there may occur more than two common
points, see Figure 7.19.
FIGURE 7.19. Some configurations of pairs of conics with different numbers of

common points.
Pencils of conics in the projective plane

In the following we assume that the field F is algebraically closed, i.e., any
non-constant polynomial with coefficients in F has at least one root in F.
This allows us to generalize and extend the case of a pair of circles which
is somehow special: Any two circles share the circle points / absolute
points (but only after the projective closure and complex extension of the
Euclidean plane). Their radical axis l joins the two common proper points
S1 and S2 whether they are real or not.
I I ω
d c
l
S1 S2
FIGURE 7.20. A complex and projective view on two circles: There are four
common points spanning three pairs of lines.
The four common points of the two “circles” c and d, as illustrated in Figu-
re 7.20, can be thread up by three pairs of lines, one real pair (magenta),
two of them consisting of a pair of complex lines (dashed in cyan and
violet): The real pair is (l m) with l = [I, I] and m = [S1 , S2 ]). The two
complex pairs are ([I, S1 ], [I, S2 ]) and ([I, S2 ], [I, S1 ]).
These pairs of lines can be viewed as singular conics each sharing the
same four points with c and d.
Consequently, it is natural to treat pairs of conics in the projective plane.
Whenever we deal with equations and coordinates, we prefer the homo-
geneous representation and extend the underlying field F properly. As we
shall see, a purely synthetic approach to pencils of conics is also possible.
Definition of a pencil of conics

From Section 5.1, we already know that in P2 (F) a conic is uniquely
defined by prescribing five points such that no three of them are collinear.
On the other hand, five lines considered as the tangents of a conic also
define a unique conic if no three of these lines are concurrent.
What happens if we remove one point or line? In the following, we use
Definition 7.3.1 The family of all regular conics through the vertices of
a quadrangle B1 B2 B3 B4 is called a pencil (of conics) of the first kind.
The points Bi with i ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4} are called base points of the pencil.
Some conics in a pencil of the first kind are displayed in Figure 7.21.
How many conics are in this pencil? If we choose an arbitrary point P
which is not collinear with any two of the given base points, then we know
that there is a unique conic through B1 , . . . , B4 , and P . So, it seems that
there are as many conics in the pencil as there are points in the plane
(besides the one which are collinear with the base points). However, there
is only one degree of freedom in a pencil of conics, and the pencil is a
fibration of the projective plane. This can easily be seen with (6.13) by
writing down a conic’s equation in terms of homogeneous coordinates
a00 x20 + 2a01 x0 x1 + . . . + a22 x22 = 0.
Inserting the homogeneous coordinates of the four given base points, we

obtain a system of four linear equations in the six unknown coefficients
aij with i, j ∈ {0, 1, 2}. The solution of this system is a two-dimensional
subspace of F6 provided that the rank of the coefficient matrix is 4. Hence,
there are as many conics in a pencil as there are points on a projective
line.
t1 t2
B4 B3
B1 B2
B1
B2 B3
B2
B1 t1
FIGURE 7.21. Definition of pencils of conics: from left to right; the first three
kinds.
There are some other types of pencils of conics which differ from the
viewpoint of synthetic geometry but not from the algebraic point of view:
Definition 7.3.2 Assume that B1 , B2 , and B3 are the vertices of a tri-

angle and t1 is a line through B1 that does neither contain B2 nor B3 .
Then, the family of (regular) conics through B1 , B2 , B3 that touch t1 at
B1 is called a pencil of the second kind.
The pencil of the second kind can be seen as a pencil of the first kind:
One base point of a pencil of the first kind, say B4 , has moved infinitely
close to B1 . In the limit, the two points become one point plus the tangent
there. An example of a pencil of the second kind can be seen in Figure 7.21
(middle). Naturally, the second type of pencil contains a one-parameter
family of conics as is the case for the pencil of the first kind.
The transition from the pencil of the first kind to that of the second kind
gives a rough idea of how to proceed in order to find the remaining kinds
of pencils of conics. Assume that we have two such limiting procedures:
Let B4 move towards B1 , and B3 move towards B2 . Then, we obtain:
Definition 7.3.3 Assume B1 and B2 are two (different) points, and t1

and t2 are two straight lines such that B1 ∈ t1 , B2 ∈ t2 , and either ti is
different from the line [B1 , B2 ]. The family of regular conics through B1
and B2 that touch t1 at B1 and t2 at B2 is called a pencil of the third
kind.
The pencil of the third kind consists of doubly touching conics and is a
one-parameter family of conics. Some of the conics in a pencil of the third
kind can be seen in Figure 7.21 (right).
There are two further types of pencils. We can modify a pencil of the
second kind as described in Definition 7.3.1 and assume that the third
base point B3 is moving towards the point B1 . Algebraically speaking, we
have three points infinitely close together, and therefore, any two conics
in this pencil intersect at B3 with multiplicity three.
However, there is a more geometric way to define new pencils of conics.
For that purpose, we use Definition 6.4.1 and recall the perspective colli-
neation α between any two conics in the pencil.
From the definition of osculation and hyperosculation, it is clear that the
family of conics which are osculating a given conic k at B1 and share a
further point B2 with k is one-parametric: We can vary the center C of α

on t1 . It is also obvious that the family of conics hyperosculating a given
conic k at a point B1 is one-parametric: On a line [B1 , K] with K ∈ k
through the center B1 of α ∶ k ↦ l, we have one degree of freedom for
the choice of the α-image L of K. Note that K is not allowed to lie on t1
(Figure 6.22). So we have the natural
Definition 7.3.4 The family of regular conics osculating a given conic k

at a point B1 and passing through a further point B2 ∈ k is called pencil
of the fourth kind.
The family of conics hyperosculating a given conic k at a point B1 is called
a pencil of the fifth kind.
Figure 7.22 shows some conics in a pencil of the fourth and fifth kind.
The base points and some special conics in the pencil are highlighted.
t1 t1
B1
B1
B2
c c
FIGURE 7.22. Pencils of conics in P2 (R): Left: The pencil of the fourth kind
with base points B1 , B2 , and the base tangent t1 consists of all conics that
osculate a conic c at B1 . Right: The pencil of the fifth kind consists of all conics
that hyperosculate c at B1 . In both cases, c is also an element of the pencil.
Analytic representation
The analytic representation of pencils of conics in P2 (F) enables us to
extend the previously defined pencils to singular conics. The following
result is necessary for the characterization of singular conics by means of

the rank of the coefficient matrix.
Lemma 7.3.1 In P2 (F) with charF ≠ 2, the curves of degree two with the
equation xT Kx = 0 where K ∈ F3×3 with KT = K is
1. a conic or the empty set if, and only if, rkK = 3,
2. a repeated line if, and only if, rkK = 1,
3. a pair of lines or a single point if, and only if, rkK = 2.
Proof: We have already learned that a regular symmetric matrix defines a polarity where the
set of self-conjugate points is either empty or a conic. In the case of det K = 0 the singular
points S = sF are solving the system of homogeneous linear equations Ks = 0. Singular points
have the property that with any other point P = pF of the curve, i.e., with pT Kp = 0, all
points of the line [S, P ] = (λs + μp)F with (λ, μ) ∈ F2 {(0, 0)}, satisfy the quadratic equation.
In the case of rkK = 1 there is a line of singular points. If there exists another point p satisfying
the quadratic equation, all points in the plane satisfy this equation and K = 0. ◾
We assume that two conics in P2 (F) have the following equations
k ∶ xT Kx = 0 and l ∶ xT Lx = 0
with symmetric matrices K, L ∈ F3×3 . Then, we can state:
Theorem 7.3.1 If the pencil of conics of any kind is spanned by the co-
nics k ∶ xT Kx = 0 and l ∶ xT Lx = 0, then all conics of the pencil are
included in the family of curves satisfying any non-trivial linear combina-
tion
κxT Kx + λxT Kx = xT (κK + λL)x = 0, (κ, λ) ∈ F2 {(0, 0)}. (7.8)
Proof: The coordinates of each base point Bi annihilate the equations of k and l, and therefore,
also each linear combination. Thus, all conics defined by (7.8) pass through the base points.
If any two points P , Q are conjugate w.r.t. k and l, then they are conjugate w.r.t. each curve
given in (7.8), since pT Kq = pT Lq = 0 implies pT (κK + λL)q = 0. If, therefore, k and l share
the line element (Bi , ti ), then each P ∈ t1 is conjugate to Bi w.r.t. k and l. Hence, all other
conics in (7.8) contain this line element.
If k and l are hyperosculating at B1 , then each P ∈ t1 has the same polar line w.r.t. k and l.
Consequently, all other conics in (7.8) hyperosculate k and l at B1 .
If finally k and l span a pencil of the fourth kind, then l share (B1 , t1 ) and another point
B2 ∉ t1 with k such that no other point or the tangent at B2 is common to k and l. This
condition holds for all other conics in the pencil as well as for each conic in (7.8).
Hence, for all pencils of any kind, each included conics satisfies also (7.8). Conversely, if any
regular conic satisfying (7.8) is given, choose any point Q different from the base points. The
pencil as well as the linear family (7.8) send just one conic through this point Q, and the two
conics must coincide. Thus, the set of regular conics in (7.8) is a pencil. ◾
Note that either conic in the pencil can be seen as a point in a five-
dimensional space. Then, a pencil of conics is a line in this space.1
The result of Theorem 7.3.1 is a good reason to extend the Definitions
7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.3, and 7.3.4 as given below.
Definition 7.3.5 The set of regular or singular conics which satisfy any
linear combination of the equations of two different conics k and l, is
called a pencil of conics. In this sense, we extend all kinds of pencils of
conics by the respective singular conics.
◾ Example 7.3.1 Conics of a pencil through certain points.
y
l P k
1 p
1 x
FIGURE 7.23. Conics of a pencil and the conic p (blue) through P .
In P2 (R), we are looking for the conic p through P = (− 12 , 2) in the pencil of conics spanned
by k ∶ 2y 2 − 3x − 5 = 0 and l ∶ 5x2 − 2y 2 + 3x = 0. The equations of all conics in the pencil are
given by
κ(2y 2 − 3x − 5) + λ(5x2 − 2y 2 + 3x) = 0 with κ ∶ λ ≠ 0 ∶ 0.
If a certain curve from that family runs through P , then the ratio κ ∶ λ ≠ 0 ∶ 0 is to be
determined such that the latter equation is fulfilled. Therefore, we substitute the first and
1
The idea of treating conics as points in five-dimensional projective space is due to the Italian
mathematician Giuseppe Veronese, 1854–1917.
second coordinates of P for x and y and find
3κ − 11λ = 0 ⇐⇒ κ ∶ λ = 11 ∶ 6.
The conic p through P (as displayed in Figure 7.23) has the equation
p ∶ 6x2 + 2y 2 − 3x − 11 = 0.
We can look for special types of conics in a given pencil. We show this by
means of examples:
◾ Example 7.3.2 Parabolas in a pencil of conics.
l
p2
k
p1
1
1 x
FIGURE 7.24. The parabolas p1 and p2 in the pencil of conics spanned by k

and l, cf. Example 7.3.2.
In the projectively extended Euclidean plane let two conics k and l be given by their equations
k ∶ 9x2 + 9y 2 − 6x − 52y − 40 = 0, l ∶ 83x2 + 333y 2 − 222x − 1674y + 1480 = 0.
We homogenize the equations and write the pencil in the form given in (7.8). The intersection
with the ideal line u is given by x0 = 0. In the matrix representation of (7.8), we have to
remove the first column and the first row, and we arrive at the quadratic form
(9κ + 83λ)x2 + (9κ + 333λ)y 2 = 0.
The zeros of this quadratic form correspond to the ideal points of the conics in the pencil. In
order to find parabolas, we have to determine κ ∶ λ such that the conics touch the ideal line.
In other words: We have to look for double solutions. The existence of a double solution of a
quadratic form is equivalent to the vanishing of the determinant of the coefficient matrix. In
our example, we find
κ ∶ λ = −83 ∶ 9 and κ ∶ λ = −37 ∶ 1.
Now, the equations κ ⋅ k + λ ⋅ l = 0 are the equations of the two parabolas in the pencil and read
p1 ∶ 9y 2 − 43y − 6x + 40 = 0 and p2 ∶ x2 − y = 0.
Figure 7.24 shows four conics in the pencil: k, l and the two parabolas p1 and p2 .
From this example, we learn that there are at most two parabolas in a generic pencil of conics
in P2 (R). This fits to Theorem 7.4.1, as we shall see later. However, there exist pencils of
conics which contain only parabolas.
◾ Example 7.3.3 Circles in a pencil of conics.

We would like to find the circles in a pencil of conics if there are any. The pencil in question
shall be spanned by two circles k and l with their Cartesian equations
k ∶ 3x2 + yx + 6y 2 − 14y − 12 = 0 and l ∶ 3x2 + 4yx + 15y 2 − 38y − 12 = 0.
Now, we have to find κ ∶ λ in (7.8) such that the coefficient matrix of the quadratic form in
x ∶ y is a scalar multiple of the 2 × 2 unit matrix I2 . Therefore, we extract the matrices of
the quadratic forms by removing the first rows and columns of the coefficient matrices of the
homogeneous equations and arrive at
6 1 3 2
K=( ) and L=( )
1 12 2 15
where K is multiplied by 2. From κK + λL = αI2 with α ∈ R we find
6κ + 3λ = 12κ + 15λ, κ + 2λ = 0, κ + 2λ = 0
which is a system of three homogeneous linear equations in two unknowns, namely κ and λ.
Normally, we cannot expect a non-trivial solution. Since K and L are symmetric, the third
equation equals the second one and can, thus, be canceled. Since the first equation simplifies
to κ + 2λ = 0, it is equivalent to the second, and we end with one homogeneous equation with
solutions κ ∶ λ = −2 ∶ 1.
Consequently, there is one circle c in the pencil. It has the equation
c ∶ − 2 ⋅ (6x2 + 2yx + 12y 2 − 28y − 24) + 1 ⋅ (3x2 + 4yx + 15y 2 − 38y − 12) =
= −9x2 − 9y 2 + 18y + 36 = −9(x2 + y 2 − 2y − 4) = 0.
conics k and l as well as the circle c. The circle c is centered at (0, 1),
Figure 7.25 shows the √
and the radius equals 5.
Singular conics in a pencil

In the pencil of conics given in (7.8), we always find singular conics, i.e.,
degenerate conics. In the sequel we discuss the pencils of all five kinds.
Following Lemma 7.3.1, a necessary and sufficient condition for a conic
to be singular is the singularity of the coefficient matrix. The singularity
of the 3 × 3-matrix is equivalent to
det(κK + λL) = 0. (7.9)

c
y
k
1
1
l
x
FIGURE 7.25. There is only one circle in the pencil of conics spanned by k and
l (cf. Example 7.3.3).
From that we infer that there are at most three singular conics in the
pencil since this determinant is a cubic form in κ ∶ λ, i.e., a homogeneous
cubic polynomial. We shall emphasize that we are not interested in the
trivial solution κ ∶ λ = 0 ∶ 0 for it corresponds to the zero matrix which is
not the coefficient matrix of a conic.
It turns out that the singular conics can serve as a basis of a pencil in
three types. As we shall see, there are two kinds of pencils of conics that
cannot be spanned by taking only singular conics.
In the following, we assume that K and L are regular. Later we shall see
what happens if we drop this assumption.
Remark 7.3.1 For any root κ ∶ λ of (7.8) the quotient κ/λ can be seen as generalized eigenvalue
of K w.r.t. L. We will meet these eigenvalues again in (9.24) in Section 9.5.
Case 1 - conics through the vertices of a quadrangle
First, we are dealing with the case of three different roots of (7.9). Any of
these roots has multiplicity one, and thus, we have three different singular
conics s1 , s2 , s3 in the pencil. The singular conics s1 , s2 , and s3 are pairs
of lines through four common points B1 , B2 , B3 , and B4 . This is a pencil
of conics of the first kind. All conics in the pencil, including the singular
ones, share the four base points B1 , . . . , B4 . Figure 7.26 shows some
conics from a pencil of the first kind. The three singular conics are pairs
of lines displayed in pink.
s2
B4 B3
s3
s1 l
B1
B2
FIGURE 7.26. The first kind of a pencil of conics: Left: some conics, the four
real base points B1 , . . . , B4 , and the singular conics s1 , s2 , and s3 . Right: the
common polar triangle (blue).
The diagonal triangle of the quadrilateral of base points B1 , . . . , B4 is

the common polar triangle of all regular conics in the pencil. Figure 7.26
(right) also shows this polar triangle.
More than one pencil of the first kind is involved in the following result,
called the three-conics-theorem:
Theorem 7.3.2 Assume that three conics c1 , c2 , c3 share two points S1

and S2 . Then, the lines connecting the remaining two intersections of
either pair of conics are concurrent.
Figure 7.27 shows the three conics mentioned in Theorem 7.3.2 as well as
its dual counterpart.
● Exercise 7.3.1 The three-conics-theorem. Give a proof of Theorem 7.3.2. Why don’t we
have to give a proof for the dual statement? What happens if S1 and S2 are the absolute
points of Euclidean geometry?
Show that Theorem 7.3.2 (together with its dual version) is still valid even if some conics
degenerate into pairs of lines.
l
c3
c1
s2
c3 S1
s1
c2
c2
S2
c1
FIGURE 7.27. Left: Three conics with two common points S1 , S2 and the three
concurrent chords. Right: In the dual version, the intersections of the pairs of
remaining common tangents are collinear.
Closely related to Theorem 7.3.2 is the following strange result, the four-
conics-theorem2
Theorem 7.3.3 If two points of intersection of each pair of three conics

c1 , c2 , and c3 lie on a conic c, then the lines joining the remaining two
intersections of each pair are concurrent.
Figure 7.28 illustrates Theorem 7.3.3 and its dual counterpart.

● Exercise 7.3.2 Give a precise formulation of the dual version of Theorem 7.3.3. It is
illustrated in Figure 7.28 (right).
Cases 2 and 3 - conics in contact
If the cubic form given in (7.9) has two different zeros with respective
multiplicities one and two, we find precisely two singular conics s1 and s2
in the pencil.
The singular conic s1 that corresponds to the double root may be a pair
of lines or a repeated whereas the singular conic s2 corresponding to the
simple root is always a pair of distinct lines. In the first case, we have
2
Theorem 7.3.2 and Theorem 7.3.3 can be found among many other results in C.J.A. Evelyn,
G.B. Money-Coutts, and J.A. Tyrrell: The Four-Conics Theorem. Stacey Internatio-
nal, London, 1974.
c1
c2
c3
FIGURE 7.28. Left: the four conics theorem in its original version. Right: the
dual version of the four conics theorem.
t1 ⊂s1 t2 ⊂s1
l
s2 s2 B1 s2 B2
k
B2 B3 s 1
l
B1 t1 ⊂s1
k
FIGURE 7.29. Left: pencil of the second kind with base points B1 , B2 , B3 and
singular conics s1 and s2 . Right: pencil of the third kind with base points B1 ,
B2 and singular conics s1 and s2 .
a pencil of the second kind. All conics in the pencil pass through three
different points one of which has multiplicity two. In other words: The
conics of the pencil of the second kind share two different points B2 , B3 ,
and a line element (B1 , t1 ). Figure 7.29 shows some of the conics in a
pencil of the second kind besides the singular conics.
Now, there is no common polar triangle to all the conics in the pencil.
Only B1 and the point [B2 , B3 ] ∩ t1 have equal polars w.r.t. all conics in
the pencil.
If the singular conic s1 corresponding to the double root of (7.9) turns out
to be a repeated line (sometimes called a double line), we have a pencil of
the third kind. Now, there are only two different base points, say B1 and
B2 , each of multiplicity two. Thus, the conics in the pencil of the third
kind touch each other at B1 and B2 . The line s1 = [B1 , B2 ] joins these
contact points. The singular conic s2 is the union of the tangents t1 at B1
and t2 at B2 . The right-hand side of Figure 7.29 shows some conics in a
pencil of doubly touching conics as well as the respective singular conics.
Case 4 and 5 - osculating and hyperosculating conics
B2
k
B k l
s
B1
s
s
FIGURE 7.30. Pencils of conics: Left: pencil of the fourth kind with base points
B1 , B2 and singular conic s. Right: pencil of the fifth kind with base point B
and singular conic s.
Finally the cubic form given in (7.9) may have one root with multiplicity
three. In this case, there is only one singular conic s in the pencil. Depen-
ding on whether s is a pair of lines (rk(κK + λL) = 2) or a repeated line
(rk(κK + λL) = 1), we have a pencil of the fourth or fifth kind.
In the case of a pencil of the fourth kind, all conics of the pencil share
two points B1 and B2 . At B1 they have a common tangent t which is one
component of the singular conic s. The second component of s is the line
joining B1 and B2 . Any pair of conics in the pencil intersects at the point
B1 with multiplicity three and at B2 with multiplicity one. Therefore, any
two conics of the pencil of the fourth kind osculate each other. Sometimes
we say that the pencil of the fourth kind is a pencil of osculating conics.
On the left-hand side of Figure 7.30 we can see some conics of a pencil
of the fourth kind. The only parabola in the depicted pencil is shown in
red, and the common osculating circle is shown in orange.
If the one and only singular conic s in the pencil is a repeated line, then
there is only one base point B. Any two conics in the pencil of the fifth
kind intersect at B with multiplicity four. This is also the case for the
singular conics, and therefore, s is the common tangent to all conics in
the pencil. Any two conics in the pencil intersect with multiplicity four
at B, i.e., they are hyperosculating at B, and thus, the pencil of the fifth
kind is also called pencil of hyperosculating conics.
Note that the pencils of the fourth and fifth kind cannot be spanned by
singular conics exclusively.
Different appearances of pencils of conics in P2 (R)

Depending on whether the base points of a pencil of conics in P2 (R)
are real or not, whether they are proper (finite) or not, we see different
versions of pencils of conics. We shall describe some of them here in order
to make the reader familiar with this fact and in order to enable the reader
to recognize different pencils of conics as such at hand of some images.
We do not aim at a complete list of different cases.
Case 1 - Four common points, the generic case
Consider a pencil of the first kind with two base points, say B3 and B4 ,
at infinity. From the viewpoint of Euclidean geometry, the conics in this
pencil are hyperbolas if B3 and B4 are real points. If B3 and B4 are com-
plex conjugate, then the conics in the pencil are ellipses. In Figure 7.31
(left), we can see the conics of a pencil of the first kind with a pair of
proper real base points and a pair of ideal base points. In this particular
example, we have B3 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) and B4 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). The remaining base
points are B1 = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) and B2 = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ −1). Note that all conics
in this pencil are equilateral hyperbolas with parallel asymptotes. This
pencil can be spanned by
k ∶ xy − 1 = 0 and l ∶ xy − x + y − 1 = 0.
B111
B
B1
B
B222
B2
FIGURE 7.31. Some versions of pencils of the first kind in P2 (R). Left: Two real
ideal base points and two real proper base points. Middle: A pair of complex
conjugate ideal base points together with a real proper pair. The absolute points
of Euclidean geometry are the two ideal base points, and thus, the conics are
circles. Right: Two pairs of complex conjugate base points.
Note that these curves are frequently considered to be the graphs of ra-
tional functions.
The middle of Figure 7.31 shows an example of a pencil of the first kind
with two real proper base points and a pair of complex conjugate ideal
base points. The proper points could be placed at
B1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) and B2 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ −1)
whereas the ideal points could be chosen as absolute points of Euclidean

geometry, i.e.,
B3 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and B4 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i).
Because of the latter choice, the regular conics in this pencil are circles.
Replacing B1 and B2 with a complex conjugate pair of points, we find a
pencil of conics which is still of the first kind and contains only circles.
The right-hand side of Figure 7.31 shows some of the circles in this pencil.
We shall treat pencils of circles in more detail in Section 7.4 (cf. page 320).
◾ Example 7.3.4 A pencil of equilateral hyperbolas. We assume that the four base points of a
pencil of the first kind are the vertices A, B, C of a triangle Δ in the Euclidean plane together
with Δ’s orthocenter O as shown in Figure 7.32. As a matter of fact, the three singular conics
in this pencil are the three pairs of lines ([A, B], [C, O]), ([B, C], [A, O]), and ([C, A], [B, O]),
i.e., any side line of Δ together with the altitude through the opposite vertex. Any of these
pairs can be viewed as a limiting case of an equilateral hyperbola with principal axis equal to
zero. Any regular conic in this pencil is an equilateral hyperbola. This can be seen as follows:
We impose a Cartesian frame on Δ such that A = (p, 0), B = (q, 0), and C = (0, r) with p ≠ q
B′
B
C
C
O
k C′
O′
A
k S h
A B A′
FIGURE 7.32. Left: The pencil of conics with base points A, B, C, and O con-
tains three pairs of lines and only equilateral hyperbolas. Kiepert’s hyperbola k
passes through the centroid of Δ. Right: The orthocenter of any triangle whose
vertices are chosen on an equilateral hyperbola h is also located on h.
and p, q, r ≠ 0. Then, O = (0, −pqr −1 ) and the equation of the conics in the pencil are linear
combinations of the equations of any two singular conics:
xyλ + (qr − rx − qy)(qx − ry − pq)μ = 0
with (λ, μ) ≠ (0, 0). The ideal points of all conics in this pencil are real and belong to orthogonal
directions
√
v1,2 = (μ(q 2 − r 2 ) − λ ± μ2 (q 2 + r 2 )2 + 2λμ(r 2 − q 2 ) + λ2 , 2qrμ)
since ⟨v1 , v2 ⟩ = 0.
Among the hyperbolas shown in Figure 7.32 (left), we find the Kiepert hyperbola h (named
after the German mathematician Friedrich Wilhelm August Ludwig Kiepert (1846–
1934)). The hyperbola h also contains the centroid S of the base triangle Δ.
From Example 7.3.4, we can deduce:
Theorem 7.3.4 Let A, B, C three non-collinear points chosen on an

equilateral hyperbola h. Then, the orthocenter of the triangle ABC is a
point on h.
The contents of Theorem 7.3.4 are illustrated in Figure 7.32 for two
different triangles ABC and A′ B ′ C ′ with vertices on one equilateral
hyperbola h.
Case 2 - One point of contact
In the case of a pencil of conics sharing one line element and two arbitrary
points, the different appearances in P2 (R) can be distinguished by the
relative position of the line element and the ideal line and the reality of
the two further base points.
FIGURE 7.33. Some versions of pencils of the first kind in P2 (R). Left: A pen-
cil containing only parabolas which could also be considered the graphs of all
quadratic functions y = a(x2 − 1) with zeros −1 and 1; a ∈ R. Right: A pencil of
equilateral hyperbolas. These are the graphs of rational functions of the form
y = 1−ax
x
with a ∈ R.
Let us consider the following two examples which are illustrated in

Figure 7.33. The pencil spanned by
k ∶ x2 − y − 1 = 0 and l ∶ x2 + y − 1 = 0
is a pencil of the second kind, consists of parabolas only, and has the three
real base points
B1 = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ 0), B2 = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), B3 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1).
At the ideal point B3 , all the conics in the pencil share the tangent x0 = 0
which is the ideal line. The singular conics in the pencil are two pairs of
lines: a pair of parallels and the union of the ideal line and the line joining
B1 and B2 .
Another variant of a pencil of the second kind can be seen on the right-
hand side of Figure 7.33. We have chosen the base points
B1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), B3 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0),
and the line x − y = 0 for the common tangent of the curves at B3 .

Therefore, we see a pencil of equilateral hyperbolas all of whose orthogonal
pairs of asymptotes are parallel and the curves in the pencil touch at B3 .
In this case, the singular conics are xy = 0 and the union of the ideal line
with the line x = y.
Note that the left and right image in Figure 7.33 are collinear copies of
each other, even from the viewpoint of real geometry.
Case 3 - double contact
FIGURE 7.34. Some versions of pencils of the third kind. Left: The graphs of
the family of functions y = ax2 touch at B1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) and at the ideal point
B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Right: Ellipses (blue) and hyperbolas (violet) in a pencil of the
third kind.
The graphs of the quadratic functions y = ax2 with variable a ∈ R {0}

are parabolas which constitute a pencil of conics of the third kind with a
proper base point B1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) and an ideal base point B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1).
The image, as displayed in Figure 7.34 (left), shows some of the curves
and the singular conics in the pencil. As the ideal line is a part of one of
the singular conics, the singular conic consisting of the common tangents
at the base points can only be seen partly. The repeated line, i.e., the
connection of B1 and B2 , is drawn as a double line.
Next, we consider B1 = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) and B2 = (1 ∶ −1 ∶ 0) to be the base
points of a pencil of the third kind. Further, we let (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) be the
common point of the common tangents of all conics at B1 and B2 . Now,
the pencil of the third kind contains ellipses and hyperbolas as well (cf.
Figure 7.34). The ellipses fill the strip in between the parallel tangents,
whereas the hyperbolas cover the exterior of the strip. In this particular
example in P2 (R), we have chosen the repeated line as the perpendicular
to the tangents at B1 and B2 .
FIGURE 7.35. Some particular versions of pencils of the third kind. Left: Con-
centric circles form a pencil of doubly touching conics. Right: Concentric equila-
teral hyperbolas are concentric circles in pseudo-Euclidean geometry.
The base points of the pencil of the third kind can be chosen on the
ideal line (Figure 7.35). The concentric circles displayed on the left form
a pencil of conics of the third kind. The base points form a complex
conjugate pair,
B1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and B2 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i),
and since these points are the absolute points of Euclidean geometry, the
regular conics in the pencil are Euclidean circles. Thus, the repeated line
in the pencil is the real ideal line which is spanned by B1 and B2 . Note
that the concentric circles touch at B1 and B2 along complex tangents

meeting at the common center.
The pencil shown in Figure 7.35 (right) has the real base points
B1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) and B2 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −1).
It consists, therefore, of equilateral hyperbolas. The singular conics in the

pencil are the repeated ideal line and the asymptotes of the hyperbolas. In
pseudo-Euclidean geometry (see Section 10.2), we would interpret these
as concentric circles, since, in the standard model, the absolute points
can be chosen as B1 and B2 .
Case 4 - osculating conics
A pencil of osculating conics can, for example, be spanned by
k ∶ x2 − x − y = 0 and l ∶ x2 + x − y = 0.
These parabolas intersect at B1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) with multiplicity one and

at B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) with multiplicity three. Therefore, these two curves
osculate at B2 , and consequently, any two conics in the pencil osculate at
B2 . The ideal line is the common tangent to all conics in the pencil. There
is only one singular conic in the pencil. It is a pair of lines consisting of
the ideal line and the line [B1 , B2 ]. Some conics of this pencil are shown
in Figure 7.36 (left).
Another example of a pencil of conics of the fourth kind is given by the
one-parameter family of conics with the equations
1
+ λ − y = 0 with λ ∈ R.
x
Again, the point of osculation lies at (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). The conics in this pencil are
equilateral hyperbolas sharing the asymptote x = 0. The complementary
family of asymptotes is given by y = λ. Figure 7.36 (right) shows some of
the conics in the pencil. In both pencils, the singular conics are a pair of
lines containing the common tangent at the point of osculation and the
ideal lines. In the displayed image, we see only “one half” of the singular
conics.
Both examples show a further specialty: Any two parabolas/hyperbolas
in the respective pencil differ only by a translation. This can easily be
seen by direct computation, i.e., by letting x ↦ x′ = x + a, y ↦ y ′ = y + b.
FIGURE 7.36. Some versions of pencils of osculating conics: Left: The parabolas
x2 + λ ⋅ x − y = 0 with λ ∈ R osculate at (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) and meet at the proper point
(1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0). Right: The hyperbolas x1 + λ − y = 0 with λ ∈ R also osculate at
(0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1) and share the ideal point (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0).
The equation x2 + λ ⋅ x − y = 0 of a parabola in the pencil changes to

x′ + x′ (2a + λ) − y + a2 + λ ⋅ a − b = 0. Obviously, only the coefficient of x
2
changes. Since this coefficient is a linear function in the first parameter

a of the translation, it can achieve any real value if λ does. However, we
also have the possibility to argue without any computation. According
to Definition 6.4.1, any pair of regular conics in the pencil of osculating
conics is related via a perspective collineation. Assume k and l are (regular
conics) taken from the pencil. They shall osculate at B2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Then,
there exists a perspective collineation α with center B2 and axis [B1 , B2 ]
with α(k) = l. The perspective collineation α is a translation for the
center B2 is an ideal point and the axis is the ideal line. In the case of
the hyperbolas, the translation fixes the lines parallel to x = 0.
Case 5 - hyperosculating pair, intersection with multiplicity four
Finally we shall look at special examples of pencils of the fifth kind. First,
let us assume that
1
λ⋅x+ − y = 0 with λ ∈ R
x
are the equations of the conics in the pencil. Once again, we can also
view these curves as the graphs of rational functions. Therefore, we have
a pencil of hyperbolas. The left-hand side of Figure 7.37 shows some

curves of the pencil. They are hyperosculating at B = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). The only
singular conic in the pencil is the repeated line x = 0.
Another simple example in the projectively extended Euclidean plane is
the family of parabolas given by
x2 + λ − y = 0 with λ ∈ R
as shown on the right side of Figure 7.37. Note that these parabolas only
differ by a translation in the direction of the common axes. All the curves
in the pencil are congruent.
FIGURE 7.37. Some versions of pencils of hyperosculating conics: Left: A pencil

of hyperbolas hyperosculating at the common ideal point. Right: Coaxial and
congruent parabolas are hyperosculating at the common ideal point.
Singular pencils
A pencil of conics in the sense of Definition 7.3.5 (page 290) can be span-
ned by two singular curves in the pencil. However, spanning a pencil by
two singular conics, i.e., degenerate curves of degree two, may lead to a
pencil that contains only singular conics. We call a pencil of conics sin-
gular if all conics in the pencil are singular. Figure 7.38 shows the bases
of three types of singular pencils. The pencil P (λ, μ) = λx2 + μy 2 = 0 is
spanned by a pair of distinct repeated lines (Figure 7.38, left) and con-
tains pairs of real lines if λμ > 0 and pairs of complex conjugate lines if
s2 s2 s1 s2 s1
s1
FIGURE 7.38. Singular pencils of conics spanned by three different pairs of

singular conics.
λμ > 0. Changing the base by letting P (λ, μ) = λx2 + μ(x2 − y 2 ) = 0 or

P (λ, μ) = λ(x2 − y 2 ) + μxy = 0 gives rise to further examples of singular
pencils (cf. Figure 7.38, middle and right).
● Exercise 7.3.3 Classification of singular pencils. Try to classify pencils of singular conics
from the viewpoint of projective geometry. Are there distinctions to be made if the analytic
model is based on a finite field F with charF ≠ 0? Is it possible to find pencils that are spanned
by singular conics containing a finite number of non-singular pencils?
Flocks - The dual counter parts of pencils of conics

According to the principle of duality, any statement and any configuration
of geometric objects in projective geometry has a dual version. A flock of
conics of the first kind is the set of all conics tangent to four lines that
form a quadrilateral, i.e., no three of them are collinear. Note that in this
particular case conics (of the flock) are considered as a set of lines. We
have called these objects dual conics in Section 7.1.
Since line elements (lines with incident points) are self-dual, line elements
are part of the base for flocks of conics of the second and third kind. A
flock of conics of the third kind is the family of conics that share two
line elements (A, a) and (B, b) in admissible position which means that
A ∉ b and B ∉ a. The regular conics in this flock belong also to a pencil of
the third kind. However, the singular conics are different. The dual of a
pair of lines is a pair of pencils of lines. The flock of conics of the second
kind consists of all conics that share a line element (A, a) and two further
tangents b and c with A ∉ b, c and b ∩ c ∉ a.
The flock of the fourth kind comprises the family of conics osculating a
given conic c at a point P ∈ c and sharing a tangent t ∋/ P . The flock of the
fifth kind consists of all conics hyperosculating a given conic c at a point
P ∈ c. Again, the regular conics belong also to a pencil of the fifth kind.
However, the included singular dual conic is a repeated pencil of lines.
The synthetic treatment of flocks of conics does not differ too much from
the treatment of pencils. Every construction is to be dualized. The same
holds true for the analytical treatment: Point coordinates are replaced
with line coordinates.
When we visualize the flocks of conics, we should be aware of the fact
that the dual conic is a family of lines being the family of tangents of
what we call a conic (note Figure 1.5). The images in Figure 7.39 show
conics as sets of points which are just the envelopes of the dual conics. In
Figure 7.39 we have displayed three types of flocks. The pencils of third
and fifth kind are self-dual, i.e., the base consisting either of a pair of line
elements or a conic to be hyperosculated at some point stays the same
when we apply a duality. In the case of a pencil of the first, second, or
fourth kind the base changes to a quadrilateral of lines, a line element
plus two tangents, or a conic to be osculated and a further tangent.
FIGURE 7.39. The three types of flocks of conics that differ from their dual
counter parts: Left: A flock of the first kind consists of all conics tangent to a
quadrilateral. Middle: A flock of the second kind consists of all conics with a
common line element and two further common tangents. Right: The conics in
a flock of the fourth kind share an osculating element (black parabola with a
certain point of osculation) and one further tangent.
7.4 Desargues’s involution theorem 309
7.4 Desargues’s involution theorem

First, we formulate the theorem of Gérard Desargues (first given in
1639) in the most general form. Afterwards, we treat the five cases of
pencils of conics separately.
In Example 7.3.2, we have determined the parabolas in a pencil of conics.
For that purpose, we have written the equations of the conics in the pencil
in terms of homogeneous coordinates. Then, the intersection with the ideal
line which are the solutions of a quadratic equation were depending on
the homogeneous parameters (κ, λ) in the pencil. Consequently, we had
to determine (κ, λ) ≠ (0, 0) such that the quadratic equation has a double
root. The geometric background is laid down in Desargues’s involution
theorem:
Theorem 7.4.1 If the points S1 and S2 are the points of intersection

between a curve k of any given pencil of conics and a given line l then S1
and S2 are corresponding in an involution δl , provided that l does neither
pass through a base point of the pencil nor is a component of any curve
in the pencil.
Proof: Let A = (aik ) and B = (bik ) be the coefficient matrices of the two conics c and d which
span the pencil, and let x0 = 0 be the the equation of the line l in P2 (F).
The points X = (0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) and Y = (0 ∶ y1 ∶ y2 ) are conjugate w.r.t. c if, and only if,
a11 x1 y1 + a12 (x1 y2 + x2 y1 ) + a22 x2 y2 = 0. (7.10)
The pairs (X, Y ) constitute an involution if the determinant a11 a22 − a212 ≠ 0. Otherwise l is
a tangent or, in the case a11 = a12 = a22 = 0 a component of l. There is an analogous bilinear
form characterizing the conjugate position of X and Y w.r.t. d.
If (P, Q) is a pair of conjugate points w.r.t. c and d, then it is conjugate w.r.t. all conics in
the pencil. Consequently, if fixed points S1 and S2 of such an involution of conjugate points
exist, they are harmonic w.r.t. P and Q. Hence, the fixed points are pairs of an involution on
l.
In the case of an algebraically closed field F the proof is already done. However, in any other
case, the pair (P, Q) needs not exist. Therefore, we give a second proof which is valid for all
comutative fields F with charF ≠ 2.
Let us project the points X = (0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) on l from the center A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) onto the “standard
conic” s ∶ x0 x2 − x21 = 0. Then, X is mapped to X ′ = (x21 ∶ x1 x2 ∶ x22 ). The points X, Y which
are conjugate w.r.t. c satisfying (7.10) are projected to points X ′ , Y ′ ∈ s which are collinear
with Ic = (a22 ∶ −a12 ; a11 ). This is either the center of an involution on s or the image T ′ of
the point T of contact between c and l, if l is tangent to c. The verification of this statement
is left to the reader as an exercise.
In the same way, the second conic d defines a point Id = (b22 ∶ −b12 ∶ b11 ). The corresponding
centers Ik of all other conics k in the pencil are represented as linear combinations. Hence,
Ik , Ic , and Id are collinear. Before confirming that Ic ≠ Id let us finish the reasoning: If k
intersects the line l at S1 and S2 , their projections S1′ , S2′ ∈ s are fixed points of the involution
on s with center Ik . Hence, S1′ and S2′ lie on the polar line pk of Ik w.r.t. s. While Ik traverses
the line [Ic , Id ], the polars pk pass through a fixed point I. If I ∈ s, then there is a point
of intersection B ∈ l with B ′ = I which belongs to all conics in the pencil, and l would pass
through any base point, but this was excluded. Therefore, all pairs (S1′ , S2′ ) are aligned with a
point I ∉ s. They are corresponding in an involution on s which, after projection from s back
to l confirms the statement.
Finally, we have to exclude the case Ic = Id : Suppose α(a22 , −a12 , a11 ) + β(b22 , −b12 , b11 ) =
(0, 0, 0) for any (α, β) ≠ (0, 0). Then, the conic with coefficient matrix αA + βB has the
equation
(αa00 + βb00 )2 x20 + 2(αa01 + βb01 )x0 x1 + 2(αa02 + βb02 )x0 x2 = 0.
The conic is reducible and contains l as a component. This has been excluded as well. ◾
In order to get a deeper insight into Desargues’s involution theorem,
we add synthetic proofs for the different kinds of pencils.
The most simple case - pencils of the first kind

Proof: 1. Assume P1 P2 P3 P4 is the quadrangle of base points of the given pencil and c is a
conic of the pencil, i.e., Pi ∈ c for all i ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}. Let further l be a line which does not
contain any Pi . Let S and S ′ be common points of c and l (Figure 7.40).
Then, the points Q ∶= [P2 , P4 ] ∩ l, R ∶= [P2 , P3 ]∩, S, and S ′ are four different points. Let α be
the projectivity from the pencil P1 to the pencil P2 that generates c. If π1 is the perspectivity
from the pencil P1 to l, and similar, π2 is the perspectivity from the pencil P2 to l, then
π2−1 ○ α ○ π1 ∶ g → g is a projectivity with
[P1 , P3 ] ∩ l =∶ A ↦ R, [P1 , P4 ] ∩ l =∶ B ↦ Q, S ↦ S, S′ ↦ S′.
Now, there exists an involutive projectivity η ∶ l → l with Q ↦ R ↦ Q and S ↦ S ′ ↦ S. The
P1
P2
P3
P4
l
R A ′ Q B
S S
FIGURE 7.40. The Desargues involution for a pencil of the first kind on a line
l, as stated in Theorem 7.4.1.
composition δl ∶= η ○ π2 ○ α ○ π1−1 maps

A ↦ Q, B ↦ R, S ↦ S ′ , S ′ ↦ S.
′
Since S ≠ S , δl is involutive. Since A ≠ B, Q ≠ R, A ≠ R, B ≠ Q, the involution δl is uniquely
defined by A ↦ Q and B ↦ R. This means that the quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P4 of base points of
the pencil of the first kind uniquely determines δl and δl does not depend on the choice of the
conic c.
2. If δl is the involutive projectivity determined by A ↦ Q and B ↦ R, then η ○ δl ∶ l → l maps
A ↦ R and B ↦ Q and fixes S and S ′ . Consequently, the projectivity α−1 ∶= π2−1 ○η○δl ○π1 from
the pencil P1 to the pencil P2 is identical with the projectivity α which generates the conic c,
because α−1 ([P1 , P3 ]) = [P2 , P3 ], α−1 ([P1 , P4 ]) = [P2 , P4 ], and α−1 ([P1 , S]) = [P2 , S]. Hence,
the point S ′ is also a point of c since α−1 ([P1 , S ′ ]) = [P2 , S ′ ]. ◾
In the case of a pencil of conics of the first kind, the Desargues involution
δl is determined by the quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P4 of base points. Also in the
case of a pencil of the second or third kind, the base points and base
lines determine the involutive projectivity δl on any line l that is in an
admissible position w.r.t. the base points (see Figure 7.41), and the proof
given above remains valid.
P1
P1 =P3 P1 =P3
P3
P2 P2 =P4
P4
P2 P4
A′ l C C ′A B′ B A l A′ B′ B A=A′ B′ l B
FIGURE 7.41. Assigned pairs of points of the Desargues involution δl for pencils
of the first kind (left), the second kind (middle), and the third kind (right).
● Exercise 7.4.1 Three corresponding pairs in the Desargues involution. Show the following:
The three pairs of opposite side lines in a quadrangle P1 P2 P3 P4 in a projective Pappian Fano
plane intersect any line l which does not pass through a vertex of the quadrangle in three pairs
of corresponding points of an involutive projectivity on l.
P P
=1 [P2 , P3 ] ∧
Hint: Study the action of l ∧ =4 .
If a line l contains one or even two diagonal points of the quadrangle

P1 P2 P3 P4 of base points, then these points are fixed points of δl . This is
clear from the proof of Theorem 7.4.1. The pencils of the second determi-
nes fixed points of δl on special lines. In the case of a pencil of the third
kind, one fixed point is known from the beginning. It is the point A = A′
(in Figure 7.41) that comes as the point of intersection of l with the line
joining the only two base points of this type of pencil.
For fixed points of the Desargues involution δl which are not determined
by the special choice of l there is a very important meaning. We can show:
Theorem 7.4.2 Any fixed point of the Desargues involution δl on the

line l either the point of contact of l with a regular conic out of the pencil
or a singular point of a singular conic included in the pencil.
Proof: Let F be a fixed point of δl which is not located on any side of P1 P2 P3 P4 . In the case
of a pencil of the first kind, the base points P1 , P2 , P3 , and P4 together with the point F
determine a unique conic c. The line l is tangent and contains only the point F : Otherwise,
l would also carry δl (F ) ≠ F (according to Theorem 7.4.1) which contradicts δ(F ) = F . If F
lies on any side of P1 P2 P3 P4 , then it must be a diagonal point.
Conversely, if c and l are in contact at a point X with X ≠ δl (X), then, according to
Theorem 7.4.1, c passes through δl (X) which is not possible for a tangent of the conic c.
◾
◾ Example 7.4.1 Applications of Desargues’s theorem. Desargues’s involution theorem

is useful for the construction of conics from certain given configurations of lines, points, and
conics in the projective extension of E2 . In this example we shall give a list of possible problems.
This list is far from being complete.
Parabolas on four points. We continue Example 7.3.2 and look for the parabolas in a pencil of
the first kind. A parabola is a conic in the real plane that touches the ideal line ω. Therefore,
we have to find the fixed points A1 and A2 of the Desargues involution δω , if there are some.
pδs p2
Z P2
s F1
̃ A1
3
3 P3
3′ A1
2 3 P4
̃ 3′ 2′
2′ 2
1′ P1
̃
1 1
F2 2
p1
1 A2 1′ 1 A2 2 3
FIGURE 7.42. How to find the parabolas in a pencil of the first kind? The
six lines through the base points P1 , P2 , P3 , P4 have six ideal points which
comprise three pairs of corresponding points in the Desargues involution δω on
the ideal line ω. The projection of ω to the conic s from Z ∈ s yields an involutive
projectivity on s whose fixed points F1 and F2 correspond to the fixed points
of δω . The lines [Z, F1 ] and [Z, F2 ] are parallel to the axes of the two wanted
parabolas p1 and p2 .
Assume we are given the four base points P1 , P2 , P3 , and P4 of a pencil of the first kind, as
shown in Figure 7.42. We are looking for the parabolas in the pencil, i.e., we want to find the
parabolas through the points P1 , P2 , P3 , and P4 , if there are some.
A parabola is a conic that touches the ideal line ω, and thus, we use Theorem 7.4.2 which says
that the fixed points of δω belong to those conics that touch ω.
In order to handle the involution δω , we project the ideal points 1, 2, 3 (the ideal points of
the lines [P1 , P2 ], [P1 , P3 ], [P1 , P4 ]) as well as the ideal points 1′ , 2′ , 3′ (the ideal points of
the opposite lines [P3 , P4 ], [P2 , P4 ], [P2 , P3 ]) to an arbitrary conic s from some of its points
Z. Note that the ideal points of opposite sides in the quadrangle of base points are assigned
points in δω . For the sake of simplicity, we have chosen a circle s.
This yields a projectivity δs on s with (̃ 1, 1), (̃
2, 2), and (̃
3, 3) for its assigned pairs. The
projectivity δs is involutive since δω is. Thus, already two pairs of assigned points determine
δs . A priori, we do not know which pairs are useful for the construction of the fixed points.
Therefore, we have projected all points onto s. Now, Theorem 6.4.4 comes into play: The axis
pδs carries the points
1, 2] ∩ [1, ̃
[̃ 2], [̃
1, 3] ∩ [1, ̃
3], [̃
2, 3] ∩ [2, ̃
3].
The fixed point F1 and F2 of δs are the points of intersection of s and pδs .
Finally, we project the fixed points of δs to that of δω by simply connecting Z with F1 and F2 .
The latter lines are parallel to the axes of the parabolas p1 and p2 in the pencil. In Figure 7.42,
the parabolas p1 and p2 are shown though we do not describe all constructions in order to
find the vertices and the precise position of the axes.
◾ Example 7.4.2 Conics in a pencil of the second kind touching a line l. The line l does not
pass through any of the base points P1 , P2 , and P3 . The base points together with the tangent
t1 at P1 determines the Desargues involution δl on l as shown in Figure 7.41. Thus, we obtain
the following pairs of assigned points
[P1 , P2 ] ∩ l =∶ 1 ↦ 1′ ∶= [P1 , P3 ] ∩ l, [P2 , P3 ] ∩ l =∶ 2 ↦ 2′ ∶= t1 ∩ l.
Since δl is involutive, we have δ(1′ ) = 1, and thus, we have at least three pairs of assigned
points which are sufficient according to Theorem 5.2.1. According to Theorem 7.4.2, the fixed
points of δl are the points of contact of conics in the pencil with the line l.
We choose a conic s and a point Z ∈ s, project the points 1, 1′ , 2, 2′ from Z to s. With 1′ = 3
and 1 = 3′ we can apply Theorem 6.4.4 and find the fixed points F1 and F2 of the projectivity
δl lifted to s (as in the previous example). The fixed points are projected to the points C1 and
C2 where the conics c1 and c2 touch l, see Figure 7.43.
◾ Example 7.4.3 Conics on three points and two tangents. Assume that three non-collinear
points P1 , P2 , P3 and two lines l and m are given, as shown in Figure 7.44. The lines l and
m shall not pass through any of the given points. Now, we are looking for conics through P1 ,
P2 , and P3 that touch both l and m.
If a conic c1 is a solution of the given problem, then it touches l and m at the points C1 and
C2 . Thus, c1 and the pair (l, m) span a pencil of the third kind with the two line elements
(C1 , l) and (C2 , m) for its base. Let g12 ∶= [P1 , P2 ] be the line through the given points P1
and P2 . According to Theorem 7.4.2, the line g12 (which is not passing through a base point)
intersects the conics as well as the lines l and m in pairs of assigned points in the Desargues
involution δ12 on g12 . The assigned pairs are
l ∩ g12 ↦ m ∩ g12 , P1 ↦ P2
2′ 1
2
F2 pδl
l F1
Z
C1
{ c1
2
1′ 1′
t1
c2 C2 2′
P3 s
P1 1
P2
FIGURE 7.43. The conics c1 and c2 in a pencil of the second kind with base
points P1 , P2 , P3 and base line t1 are uniquely determined if the contact points
C1 and C2 with the line l are known. These contact points are the fixed points of
the Desargues involution δl on l. The involution δl is projected from the center
Z to the Steiner conic s where we find the fixed points. (The image points are
labeled in the same way.) The axis pδl intersects s at the fixed points F1 and F2
which are mapped to the desired contact points C1 and C2 via the projection
from Z to l.
and δ12 is uniquely determined.

A fixed point F12 of δ12 is the point of intersection of g12 with a possible chord [C1 , C2 ].
So, the connection of two fixed points of the Desargues involutions on different lines, e.g.,
g12 ∶= [P1 , P2 ] and g13 ∶= [P1 , P3 ], is a chord of a possible conic c1 and intersects l and m in
the contact points C1 and C2 .
As we can see in Figure 7.44, the six fixed points on the sides of the triangle gather on four
lines, e.g., the fixed points F12 , F13 , and F23 are collinear. (The proof of this fact is left as an
exercise to the reader.) Consequently, there are four chords which are the double lines in the
pencils of the third kind hidden in this configuration of conics and lines. Therefore, there are
up to four (real) solutions.
◾ Example 7.4.4 Conics that touch a given conic twice. In this example, we shall treat conics
on three points P1 , P2 , P3 that touch a given conic c twice. Like in the previous item, we are
concerned with pencils of doubly touching conics. In the previous example, two lines l and m
were given. Somehow, this pair of lines can be seen as a degenerate conic.
Again, we aim at a determination of the points of contact of the given conic c and the conics
we are looking for. Just as in the example before, the Desargues involutions on the sides of
P1 P2 P3 are defined by their intersections with c and the pair of given points on it, e.g., in
the case of the line [P1 , P2 ], the involution δ12 is determined by the following two pairs of
corresponding points
P 1 ↦ P 2 , S1 ↦ S2
c1 given points
F12 fixed points

C2 points of contact
C1
F23
g12
F13
g13
P1
P2
l g23 m
FIGURE 7.44. Conics on three points and two tangents: There is a Desargues
involution on each side of P1 P2 P3 . Triples of fixed points are collinear and there
are four such lines which meet the tangents l and m at points where one of the
solutions touches.
where S1 and S2 are the common points of c and [P1 , P2 ], if they exist.
The fixed points of the three Desargues involutions, and thus, the points of contact of c and
the solutions give rise to the same configuration of points and lines as in the previous example,
cf. Figure 7.44.
The left-hand side of Figure 7.45 shows the configuration of given points, fixed points of
Desargues involutions, and points of contact.
◾ Example 7.4.5 A conic on three real points and a pair of complex conjugate points. How to
find a conic c on a pair (K, K) of complex conjugate points and three real points A, B, C?
The pair (K, K) of complex conjugate points can be given by its real join l and by the elliptic
involution with the fixed points K and K. If there exists a solution c, then the given involution
is the involution α of points conjugate w.r.t. c.
Applying a perspective collineation κ with l as its vanishing line and the Laguerre point Lα
for its center to A, B, C results in three points, say A′ , B ′ , C ′ . The collineation α maps the
pair (K, K) to the pair of absolute points of Euclidean geometry. Thus, the κ image c′ of c is
the unique circle on A′ , B ′ , C ′ . The κ−1 -image of c′ gives the conic we are looking for.
In Section 4.4, we have seen a different approach to these kind of co-

nic problems. However, the constructive methods and possibilities apply
to many more kinds of constructive problems compared to the spatial
interpretation.
F12 P1
F13 c
P1 P2
P3
C2
C1
c
P3 F23
P2
FIGURE 7.45. Left: The conic c, the three given points P1 , P2 , P3 , the fixed
points of the Desargues involutions on the sides of P1 P2 P3 , and the points of
contact of the solutions. Two points of contact of one solution are always collinear
with one fixed point of each of the three involutions. Right: Four conics on the
same three points in double contact with c.
Desargues’s involution theorem for pencils of the fourth and fifth kind
In the previous section, we have learned that the base figure of a pencil of
conics, i.e., the base points together with base tangents, determines the
Desargues involution. In the case of a pencil of the fourth or fifth kind,
the base figure contains a non-degenerate conic. However, there is still
an involution determined on any line, that neither contains a base point,
nor coincides with a base line, nor passes through a common pole of the
conics in the pencil.
We state and show:
Corollary 7.4.1 Let (P1 , t1 , P2 , c) be the base of a pencil of conics os-

culating the conic c at P1 with the common tangent t1 at P1 and passing
through P2 . Then, all conics in the pencil meet any line l that is neither
passing through P1 nor through P2 in corresponding pairs of an involutive
projectivity.
In case of a pencil of the fifth kind with hyperosculation at P1 , the tangent
t1 meets l in a fixed point of the involution.
Proof: According to Definition 6.4.1, any conic d in the pencil defined by the base (P1 , t1 , P2 , c)
can be mapped onto c by an elation η with center P1 and axis a ∶= [P1 , P2 ]. Assume now that
P1 P1
d d
t1 =a
a t1
C c
′
A
′
l′ P2 l′ B ′
A ′
B A
C
l l
B
A
c B
FIGURE 7.46. Pencils of conics osculating each other at a common point also
define a Desargues involution on a line in an admissible position.
a line l with P1 , P2 ∈/ l) carries two different points A and B of a such conic d in the pencil (cf.
Figure 7.46, left-hand side).
The line l = [A, B] meets the axis a of the collineation η in a point C. Also the η-image of l
meets a in C. Further, the points A′ = η(A) and B ′ = η(B) are points on η(d) = c. Since C ∈/ c,
it is the center of an involutive projectivity α ∶ c → c that interchanges A′ and B ′ . Let us use
the projective mapping
β∶ l ∧= P1 ∧= c
in order to define the projective mapping
δl ∶= β −1 ○ α ○ β
that acts on the line l and is involutive, for it sends A to B and B to A. It is independent of
the choice of the conic d in the pencil. Since η sends A to A′ , η is uniquely defined.
In case of a pencil of the fifth kind, the base consists of (P1 , t1 , c) where (P1 , t1 ) is a line
element of c. The axis of η ∶ d → c now coincides with t1 (Figure 7.46, right). Everything else
of the previous proof remains valid. ◾
◾ Example 7.4.6 Parabolas that osculate a hyperbola. Figure 7.47 shows a hyperbola h with
the line element (P1 , t1 ) and a further point P2 . We are looking for all parabolas that osculate
h at P1 and pass through P2 .
In order to determine the parabolas, we are searching for their points at infinity, i.e., the
direction of the axis. The base of the pencil of osculating conics consist of the line element
(P1 , t1 ), the point P2 , and the conic h. Now, we look at the Desargues involution on the line at
infinity: We find the two ideal points 1 and 1′ of h as a pair of corresponding points. A further
pair comes from the singular conic in the pencil. The tangent t1 at P1 has the ideal point
2′ which corresponds to the ideal point 2 of the line [P1 , P2 ]. In this particular example, we
can simplify the construction of the fixed elements of the involution by using h as the Steiner
conic (cf. Example 6.4.7). Furthermore, we use P1 as the center of the perspectivity that maps
the range of points on the ideal line to the points on h. In Figure 7.47, the images of points
P
under the perspectivity ω ∧ =1 are labeled 1, 2, 1′ , and 2′ . The construction of fixed points F 1
and F 2 follows the advice given in Example 6.4.7. In Figure 7.47, the center of the involution
on h is the ideal point I = 2. The dashed lines [P1 , F 1 ] and [P1 , F 2 ] join P1 with the ideal
points being fixed points of the Desargues involution on the line at infinity, and thus, they are
parallel to the axes of the parabolas p1 , p2 we were looking for.
I =2 1′ =1′ 1′ =1′
h p2
I =2
F2 P2 =2
F1
F2 p1
2′
1 =1
I =2
P1 =2′
t1 1 =1
F1
FIGURE 7.47. How to find the parabolas p1 and p2 (if there are some) that
osculate the hyperbola h at P1 and share a further point P2 with h: According
to Theorem 7.4.1, the Desargues involution on the line at infinity is uniquely
determined. The hyperbola serves as Steiner conic and the fixed points of the
involution determine the axes of the desired parabolas.
◾ Example 7.4.7 Conics that hyperosculate a given conic and pass through two given points.
Figure 7.48 shows a parabola p and two further points A and B. We are looking for all conics
that hyperosculate p somewhere and contain A and B if there are some.
The conics in a pencil of the fifth kind intersect a generic line l in pairs of corresponding points
in an involution (see Corollary 7.4.1). A fixed point F of this involutive projective mapping
on l is either a point of contact of l with a conic in the pencil or a point on the tangent at the
point H of hyperosculation.
Therefore, we determine the fixed points of the involution on l = [A, B]. The points A and B
form a pair of corresponding points as well as the two common points 1 and 2 of l and p do.
As a matter of fact, one fixed point, say F2 , lies in the interior of p. The other fixed point
F1 is an outer point of p. From F1 we can draw two real tangents to p that meet the given
conic at potential points H1 and H2 of hyperosculation. The conics c1 and c2 appearing as
solutions to the present problem, can be completed by applying the elations with centers H1
/ H2 and the respective axes [F1 , H1 ] / [F1 , H2 ] to the given conic p (see Definition 6.4.1).
This problem can also be solved by means of spatial interpretation as explained in Section 4.4.
l
c2
p
B
c1
F2
H1 H2
A
1
F1
FIGURE 7.48. The conics c1 and c2 hyperosculate p at H1 and H2 , respectively.

According to Theorem 7.4.1, the tangents to p at the latter points pass through
the fixed points of the Desargues involution involution on l.
Desargues’s involution for flocks of conics
The principle of duality allows us to formulate the dual version of De-

sargues’s involution Theorem 7.4.1. It reads:
Corollary 7.4.2 The tangents drawn from a generic point P to the co-
nics of a flock of any kind constitute corresponding pairs of an involutive
projective mapping in the pencil P . The fixed lines in this involution are
tangents of conics in the pencil that pass through P .
The conics mentioned in Theorem 7.4.2 are to be considered as dual

conics, i.e., the set of tangents of a conic. Figure 7.49 shows how the base
of a flock of conics defines the Desargues involution in the pencil of lines
around a generic point. The depicted figures are obtained by dualizing
the respective configurations shown in Figures 7.40 and 7.46.
● Exercise 7.4.2 A parabola tangent to three lines. Show the following result: The orthocenter
O of each triangle built by three finite tangents of a parabola p lies on p’s directrix.
Hint: Check Desargues’s involution at O.
l3
P1 1′
l1 l1 1
l2 ′ P2
2 2′ 1 1 P1
1 l3 f
P
1′ l2
P P
l4 2 2′
l1 l2
′ ′
2 1
l1 l1
P1 1′ P1
f
1
2 P 1 P
l2
FIGURE 7.49. Desargues’s involution in pencils of lines about a generic point

P induced by the bases of flocks of conics of the first to fifth kind (from top-left
to bottom-right): (1, 1′ ) an (2, 2′ ) are pairs of corresponding points, f indicates
a fixed line. Note, that the bases of flocks of the fourth and fifth kind contain a
dual regular conic.
◾ Example 7.4.8 Conics on two points and three tangents. Dual to Example 7.4.4, we briefly
describe how to find conics on three given tangents a, b, c and two points P , Q. Figure 7.50
shows an example.
Now, we look at the Desargues involutions in the pencils of lines with vertices a ∩ b, b ∩ c, and
c ∩ a. Assume f1 is a fixed line of δa∩b and let f2 be a fixed line of δb∩c , cf. Figure 7.50. For
example, the involution δa∩b is defined by
a ↦ b, [a ∩ b, P ] ↦ [a ∩ b, Q].
Dualizing the figure from the previous example, we find that T1 = f1 ∩ f2 is the common point
of two tangents of a solution conic s. Consequently, we obtain a configuration of six fixed lines
where three out of them pass through one such point Ti . There are four points Ti , and thus,
there are four real solutions provided that all three Desargues involutions are hyperbolic.
Pencils of circles
Circles are special conics in many ways. From the viewpoint of geometry
in the complex extended real projective plane, a circle is a conic through
the absolute points I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i) of Euclidean geometry
(see Example 6.4.7 on page 253).
T
JKK K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K KM4K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K N
T2 f2
T1
c P
P
Q b
T3 b Q
c f1
s a
a
FIGURE 7.50. Conics on two points and three tangents. Left: The fixed lines of
the Desargues involution in the pencils about a ∩ b, b ∩ c, and c ∩ a meet in the
common points Ti (with i ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}) of the tangents at P and Q of the desired
conics. Right: In this case all three Desargues involutions are hyperbolic, and
thus, we have four real solutions.
It is natural to distinguish pencils of circles by the number and type of

proper base points. Thus, we have the following case (cf. Figure 7.51):
1. circles with two real common points - elliptic pencil,
2. circles with a pair of complex conjugate common points - hyperbolic
pencil,
3. circles tangent to a common line element - parabolic pencil, and
4. concentric circles.
According to this list, the elliptic and the hyperbolic pencil of circles
are pencils of conics of the first kind. The parabolic pencil is a pencil
of conics of the second kind. Concentric circles form a pencil of conics
of the third kind, because any two of the circle touch at the absolute
points of Euclidean geometry. We shall see very soon where the names of
the pencils originate. Thus, pencils of circles are pencils of conics whose
bases contain the points I and I.
A pencil of circles is an object of equiform geometry, i.e., the four-
parameter group of transformations in the Euclidean plane generated by
Euclidean motions and uniform scalings.
FIGURE 7.51. The four types of pencils of circles: an elliptic, a hyperbolic, a

parabolic pencil, and a pencil of concentric circles.
The elliptic pencil - two real base points
Since the scale does not matter, it means no restriction to assume that the
two common points B1 and B2 of all circles in the pencil have Cartesian
coordinates
B1 = (0, 1) and B2 = (0, −1).
Thus, the Cartesian equations of all circles in this elliptic pencil read
x2 − 2xt + y 2 = 1 with t ∈ R. (7.11)
It is clear and easily verified that in this pencil of conics (of the first kind),
there are the following singular conics:
[I, I ] ∪ [B1 , B2 ], [I, B1 ] ∪ [I, B2 ], [I, B2 ] ∪ [I, B1 ].
The first is a pair of real lines; the remaining pairs consist of conjugate
complex pairs of lines. The line [B1 , B2 ] is the radical axis of any pair of
circles in the pencil. The centers of all circles lie on the bisector of the
segment B1 B2 . We call this bisector the axis of the pencil. The axis is a
line of symmetry of the pencil as well as common line of symmetry for all
circles in the pencil.
We choose two circles l and m of the elliptic pencil (see Figure 7.52).
According to Thales’s theorem (cf. 6.3.3), we can see the intersections
1, 1′ and 2, 2′ of l and m with the axis a at right angles from either of
the two base points. However, the choice of l and m does not matter.
Thus, the pair of intersections of any circle with the axis of the pencil is
seen at right angles from the base points. Therefore, B1 and B2 are the
Laguerre points of the elliptic involution δa on the axis a interchanging
the intersection points of the circles in the pencil (see Example 6.4.7 in
Section 6.4, page 253). We can summarize:
B1
l m l n
m
a 2 a 2′
′ ′ ′ F2 3 ′
2 1 2 1 1 F1 1 3
B2
FIGURE 7.52. Left: An elliptic pencil is characterized by the elliptic involution

on the axis a. The two real base points B1 and B2 are the Laguerre points of
the Desargues involution on the axis a. Right: A hyperbolic pencil induces a
hyperbolic involution on the line a of symmetry. The centers F1 and F2 of the
two null circles in the pencil are the fixed points of the Desargues involution on
the axis a. For any two circles in the hyperbolic pencil we can say that one circle
is either completely inside or completely outside the other.
Theorem 7.4.3 In the projective extension of E2 , the circles in an ellip-

tic pencil of circles meet the axis of the pencil in pairs of corresponding
points in an elliptic involution with the two real base points for its La-
guerre points.
The hyperbolic pencil - no real base point
Again we make use of the fact that pencils of circles are objects of equiform
geometry. Since the actual size and position is not of importance, we may
choose the pair of complex conjugate base points as
B1 = (0, i) and B2 = (0, −i).
The regular circles in the hyperbolic pencil have the equations
x2 − 2tx + y 2 = −1 with t ∈ R {−1, 1} (7.12)
and the three singular conics in this pencil of conics of the first kind equal
that in the previous case. The singular curves (x ± 1)2 + y 2 = 0 which are
obtained for t = ±1 are called null circles. They split into two isotropic
lines through their real centers F1 = (1, 0) and F2 = (−1, 0), respectively.
These points are fixed under the Desargues involution δa induced on the
axis a.
A circle √k(t) from the pencil meets
√ the axis a ∶ y = 0 in two points
′
1 = (t − t − 1, 0) and 1 = (t + t − 1, 0), see Figure 7.52. Exactly for
2 2
the values t = 1 and t = −1, these two points coincide and we denote these
double points by F1 = (1, 0) and F2 = (−1, 0) which can be considered as
null circles, i.e., circles with radius zero. With (5.6), we can easily verify
that
cr(1, 1′ , F1 , F2 ) = −1
independent of t ∈ R {−1, 1}. Since the characteristic cross ratio of a
hyperbolic involution equals −1 (cf. page 214), we can say:
Theorem 7.4.4 The circles in a hyperbolic pencil of circles meet the axis
a in pairs of corresponding points in a hyperbolic involution whose fixed
points are the centers of the two included null circles.
● Exercise 7.4.3 Orthocircles of a hyperbolic pencil. Show that any circle (7.12) in the
F2 F1
FIGURE 7.53. The Thales circle on the segment F1 F2 of fixed points of the
hyperbolic involution in the hyperbolic pencil of circles is an orthocircle of all
circles in the pencil.
hyperbolic pencil meets √the Thales circle at right angles (see Figure 7.53). Hint: The radius
of a circle (7.12) equals t2 − 1, the Thales circle has radius 1 and is centered at (0, 0), the
distance of the centers equals t. Now, apply Pythagoras’s theorem.
● Exercise 7.4.4 Pencils of orthogonal circles. We are given a hyperbolic pencil and an
elliptic pencil of circles (see Figure 7.54) with the equations:
h∶ x2 − 2tx + y 2 + 1 = 0 with t ∈ R {−1, 1},
e∶ x2 + y 2 − 2uy − 1 = 0 with u ∈ R.
Show that for any (t, u) the circle h meets the circle e at right angles. Further, the base points
of the elliptic pencil are the fixed points of the involution induced by the hyperbolic pencil.
FIGURE 7.54. A hyperbolic pencil h and an elliptic pencil e of circles forming

and orthogonal net of circles. This two-parameter family of circles is known as
Apollonian circles.
The results from Exercises 7.4.3 and 7.4.4 can be summarized:
Theorem 7.4.5 For any hyperbolic pencil of circles there exists an ellip-
tic pencil of circles such that any circle of one family meets all circles of
the other family at right angles. The axes of the pencils are orthogonal.
The centers of the null circles of the hyperbolic pencil are the real base
points of the elliptic pencil.
The two pencils of circles mentioned in Theorem 7.4.5 are sometimes also
called conjugate to each other.
Apollonian circles
The two one-parameter families of circles displayed in Figure 7.54 are

frequently called Apollonian circles, due to Apollonius of Perga.
However, there is an elementary description of the circles in both pen-
cils, the elliptic and the hyperbolic one.
Let q ∈ R {1} be any constant, and look at the set of points
c(q) = {X∣XF1 ∶ XF2 = q}. (7.13)
Since F1 = (−1, 0), F2 = (1, 0), and X = (x, y), the set c(q) is described
by the equation
(x2 + y 2 + 1)(1 − q 2 ) + 2x(1 + q 2 ) = 0. (7.14)

√
Now, substitute q = t+1t−1 and (7.14) changes to (7.12). Consequently, the
Apollonius circles defined by (7.13) form a hyperbolic pencil of circles as
long as t ∈ R {−1, 1}.
F
F111111
F
F
F222222
F
FIGURE 7.55. The family of isoptic curves of the line segment F1 F2 consists of
the circles of the elliptic pencil with base points F1 and F2 . Any isoptic curve
is a pair of circular arcs. Only in case of an optic angle equal to π2 it is a unique
circle: the Thales circle on F1 F2 .
Any circle of the elliptic pencil within the Apollonius circles is the locus
of points where the segment F1 F2 between the two base points is seen at a
constant angle: on the arc from F1 to F2 at an angle of, say, ϕ and on the
complementary arc at an angle of π − ϕ, according to the theorem of the
angle of circumference. As can be seen in Figure 7.55, the isoptic curve
of the segment F1 F2 , i.e., the locus of points from which the segment can
be seen at constant angle ϕ, consists of parts of two circles and has a
two-fold symmetry (see also Section 9.2).
The parabolic pencil - a common line element
The parabolic pencil of circles consists of all circles that share a line ele-
ment. Though pencils of circle are objects of equiform geometry, there is
only one parabolic pencil up to Euclidean motions. The parabolic pencil
of circles is self-similar, i.e., applying a similarity to the pencil may in-
terchange the circles in the pencil but leaves the entire pencil unchanged.
It is easy to check that the circles
l ∶ x2 − 2tx + y 2 = 0 with t ∈ R
share the point O = (0, 0) and touch the line x = 0 there, and thus, they
form a parabolic pencil. The circles in the parabolic pencil
m ∶ x2 + y 2 − 2uy = 0 with u ∈ R
intersect all circles l at right angles, for all m touch y = 0 at O. Figure 7.56
shows the two parabolic pencils that form a rectangular grid of circles.
We can also say: The pencil conjugate to a parabolic pencil of circles is
again parabolic.
FIGURE 7.56. Left: A parabolic pencil of circles. Right: Concentric circles.

Concentric circles
Finally, the pencil of concentric circles builds an orthogonal net together

with the common diameters of all circles. This pencil is invariant under
rotations about the common center, for it is invariant under reflections
about all common diameters. On any diameter, the points of intersection
of the circles can be arranged in pairs of corresponding points in a hyper-
bolic involution, i.e., the reflection in the common center, see Figure 7.56.
Bipolar coordinates
We can introduce curvilinear coordinates (u, v) in the plane E2 such that

the parameter lines u = const. and v = const. form the orthogonal net
consisting of the circles of an elliptic pencil and the conjugate hyperbolic
pencil. To this end, we choose points F1 = (e, 0) and F2 = (−e, 0), e ∈
R {0}, as the real base points. The circles of the two pencils satisfy the
respective equations
l ∶ x2 + y 2 − 2uy − e2 = 0 and m ∶ x2 + y 2 − 2vx + e2 = 0.
It is a matter of elementary computations to find the common points S1

and S2 of l and m. The coordinates of S1 and S2 are algebraic expressions
in terms of u and v. After a parameter substitution (u, v) → (U, V ) with
e(1 − U 2 ) e(V 2 + 1)
u= and v=
2U 2V
at least one of the points S1 and S2 can be given in terms of rational
coordinate functions as
eV (1 + U 2 ) eU (V 2 − 1)
( , ).
U2 + V 2 U2 + V 2
This is a rational parametrization of the Euclidean plane such that the

curves of U = const. or V = const. are circles of an elliptic and a hyperbolic
pencil forming an orthogonal net. Coordinates with these parameter lines
are called bipolar.
Usually, bipolar coordinates are expressed in terms of angles and the
computations involve hyperbolic and ordinary trigonometric functions.
7.5 Quadratic Cremona transformations 329
7.5 Quadratic Cremona transformations

In this section, we shall deal with the quadratic birational mappings, fre-
quently called Cremona transformations (after Antonio Luigi Gau-
denzio Giuseppe Cremona, 1830–1903, Italian mathematician, struc-
tural engineer, and politician). Unlike collinear transformations, quadratic
transformations are defined by homogeneous quadratic coordinate func-
tions. Any such transformation is called birational if its inverse can also
be given by homogeneous polynomial coordinate functions.
Quadratic birational transformations are important objects in algebraic
geometry. According to Emmy Amalie Noether (German mathema-
tician, 1882–1935), any planar algebraic curve can be transformed into
a planar algebraic curve with only ordinary singularities by a finite se-
quence of quadratic birational transformations. In this sense the quadra-
tic transformations are the fundamental building blocks and generate the
Cremona group.
First, we classify the quadratic Cremona transformations and study the
three basic types. Then, we pay attention to some special mappings in
P2 (R) such as the inversion (in conics in general and especially in circles),
the transformations of doubly conjugate points or doubly conjugate lines,
the transformation of conjugate normals, Hirst’s inversion, and the pedal
transformation.
Classification of birational quadratic mappings

Let
Φ ∶ P ∶= P2 (F) → P′ = P2 (F) with
xF = (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (g0 (x) ∶ g1 (x) ∶ g2 (x))
be a rational mapping with homogeneous polynomials gi (x0 , x1 , x2 ),

i = 1, 2, 3, of degree N without any non-trivial common divisor. After
excluding the points of the exceptional set
E ∶= {xF ∣ g0 (x) = g1 (x) = g2 (x) = 0},
i.e., the so-called base points or exceptional points of Φ, we obtain the

mapping
ϕ ∶ P E → P′ with xF ↦ x′ F = (g0 (x) ∶ g1 (x) ∶ g2 (x)) .

For the moment, we assume that the two involved projective planes P and
P′ are different, but nevertheless isomorphic, and equipped with their own
coordinate frames.
The pre-image of any line l′ ∶ u0 x′0 + u1 x′1 + u2 x′2 = 0 in P′ with (u0 ∶ u1 ∶
u2 ) ∈ F3 {(0, 0, 0)} is the cycle3 of degree N , given by
ϕ−1 (l′ ) ∶ u0 g0 (x) + u1 g1 (x) + u2 g2 (x) = 0.
These cycles form a linear two-parameter family of curves, called the net
associated with Φ. The net is spanned by the three cycles
g0 (x) = 0, g1 (x) = 0, g2 (x) = 0,
where the cycle gi = 0 is the pre-image of the line x′i = 0 in terms of the
homogeneous coordinates chosen in P′ . The base points of the net are the
common points of the base curves, and therefore, they agree with base
points of Φ in the exceptional set E, as defined above.
In case of a birational mapping, any image point x′ F (off an exceptional set
E ′ in P′ ) has to have exactly one pre-image. Since x′ F can be considered
as the intersection of two different lines l′ and m′ , the two curves ϕ−1 (l′ )
and ϕ−1 (m′ ) have to intersect in precisely one point xF ∈ P E. This has
to be true for any point in P′ E ′ . It is not possible that two curves of the
net are in contact since there exists one, and only one, curve of the net
passing through a given line element in general position.
The quadratic transformations are obtained if N = 2. Thus, we are looking
for all the nets of conics with the additional property that any two curves
ϕ−1 (l′ ) and ϕ−1 (m′ ) intersect in exactly one point which is (in general)
different from all base points. Furthermore, it is necessary that any point
in P E can be found as a remaining point of intersection between two net
curves.
The two curves ϕ−1 (l′ ) and ϕ−1 (m′ ) span a pencil of conics. Depending
on the type of pencil (cf. Section 7.3), these curves share 4, 3, 2, or 1 point.
One of them is the point xF, while the remaining ones must be contained
3
We differ between a cycle and a curve: An algebraic curve in the projective plane is the
set of points whose homogeneous coordinates satisfy an irreducible homogeneous polynomial
equation. A cycle is the union of a finite number of algebraic curves. Thus, the equation of a
cycle is the product of irreducible homogeneous polynomials. Some of the factors may even
have a multiplicity greater than one.
in the exceptional set E. Since a contact of ϕ−1 (l′ ) and ϕ−1 (m′ ) at xF is
not allowed, a pencil of doubly touching conics (third kind) and a pencil
of hyperosculating conics (fifth kind) cannot occur. Thus, there are three
types of associated nets left, provided, the field F is algebraically closed,
like C:
1. The three base points P1 , P2 , P3 are the vertices of a triangle.
2. There are two different base points P1 , P2 . The curves of the net share
a line element (P1 , t1 ) and the point P2 ∉ t1 .
3. There is only one base point P1 . The curves of the net osculate each
other at P1 .
Note that in P2 (R) two of the three base points in type 1 can be complex
conjugate.
g2
P2 P2 P2
g2 g1 g0
g0 P0 P1 g1 g0 P0 P1 g1 P0 P1 g2
FIGURE 7.57. The three curves g0 , g1 , and g2 span the associated net of conics.
From left to right: the three types 1, 2, and 3.
Type 1: Three different base points
For the sake of simplicity, we choose the three base points of the quadratic
transformation as the base points of the projective frame. Thus, P1 = (1 ∶
0 ∶ 0), P2 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), and P3 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). The associated net now reads
g0 ∶ x1 x2 = 0, g1 ∶ x2 x0 = 0, g2 ∶ x0 x1 = 0.
Adapting the frame in P′ such that these pairs of lines are exactly the
images of the coordinate lines x′0 = 0, x′1 = 0, and x′2 = 0, we get the
coordinate functions of the transformation Φ:
Φ ∶ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) = (λ0 x1 x2 ∶ λ1 x2 x0 ∶ λ2 x0 x1 ). (7.15)
with coefficients λi ∈ F {0}. Choosing the image point of (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) as the

unit point of the frame in P′ , we achieve λ0 = λ1 = λ2 = 1.
Type 2: Two different base points
Again, we choose a proper coordinate system and let P1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0),

t1 ∶ X2 = 0, and P2 = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Then, the associated net is spanned by
the curves
g0 ∶ x1 x2 = 0, g1 ∶ x0 x2 = 0, g2 ∶ x21 = 0,
because these three curves pass through all the base points and touch t1
at P1 , and they are linearly independet. (For tangents to a singular conic
see page 263.)
With the suitable choice of the unit point, we arrive at the normal form
for the second type of quadratic Cremona transformation:
Φ ∶ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) = (x1 x2 ∶ x0 x2 ∶ x21 ). (7.16)
Type 3: A single base point
We let g1 ∶ x21 − x0 x2 = 0 be is a regular conic. It shall be osculated by all

other conics of the associated net at P1 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0). The singular conic
g0 ∶ x1 x2 = 0 (a pair of lines) and g1 span a pencil of osculating conics.
The repeated line g2 ∶ x22 = 0 and g1 span a pencil of hyperosculating
conics. Therefore, g0 , g1 , and g2 span the associated net of the quadratic
transformation with a single base point.
After choosing an appropriate unit point in P′ , the coordinate functions
of the transformation read
Φ ∶ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) = (x1 x2 ∶ x21 − x0 x2 ∶ x22 ). (7.17)
The conics and pairs of lines, labeled with g0 , g1 , and g2 which span the
associated net of conics for all the three types of birational quadratic
mappings, are illustrated in Figure 7.57.
We can summarize in the following theorem:
Theorem 7.5.1 In projective planes P2 (F) over an algebraically clo-

sed field F there are three types of quadratic Cremona transformations
Φ ∶ P → P′ . Provided an appropriate choice of coordinate frames in both
projective planes P and P′ , the coordinate functions of the three types are
given by (7.15) with λ0 = λ1 = λ2 = 1, (7.16), and (7.17). The respective
inverse transformations read
ϕ−1 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) ↦ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (x′1 x′2 ∶ x′2 x′0 ∶ x′0 x′1 ),
ϕ−1 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) ↦ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (x′1 x′2 ∶ x′0 x′2 ∶ x′0 ),
2
(7.18)
ϕ−1 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) ↦ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (x′0 − x′1 x′2 ∶ x′0 x′2 ∶ x′2 ).
2 2
Proof: We have to show that the so far necessary conditions are sufficient.
In the case of type 1, we use x′0 x0 = x0 x1 x2 = x′1 x1 = x′2 x2 and find the system
x′0 x0 −x′1 x1 = 0,
x′0 x0 −x′2 x2 =0
of linear equations which can be solved for (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ).

A similar procedure for type 2, yields x′0 x0 = x0 x1 x2 = x′1 x1 and x′0 x1 = x21 x2 = x′2 x2 , and
consequently, the system of linear equations
x′0 x0 −x′1 x1 = 0,
x′0 x1 −x′2 x2 = 0.
This system of equations can also be solved for (x0 , x1 , x2 ).

In case of type 3, we have x′0 x2 = x1 x22 = x′2 x1 and x′0 x1 − x′s x0 = x21 x2 − x22 x0 = (x21 − x0 x2 )x2 =
x′1 x2 . Thus, we find the system linear equations
−x′2 x1 +x′0 x2 = 0,
x′2 x0 −x′0 x1 +x′1 x2 = 0.
The solutions of the latter system are the coordinate functions of the inverse mapping. ◾
As an immediate consequence of the proof of Theorem 7.5.1, we have:
Theorem 7.5.2 Each of the birational quadratic transformations listed

in Theorem 7.5.1 can be determined by two bilinear forms, depending on
the type of transformation:
• Type 1: x0 x′0 − x1 x′1 = x′0 x0 − x2 x′2 = 0,
• Type 2: x0 x′0 − x1 x′1 = x′1 x0 − x2 x′2 = 0,
• Type 3: x2 x′0 − x1 x′2 = x0 x′2 − x1 x′0 + x2 x′1 = 0.
Proof: We have to differ between the three types of transformations. The coordinate frames in
P and P′ are (P0 , P1 , P2 ; P ) and (P0′ , P1′ , P2′ ; P ′ ), where P and P ′ are correponding under ϕ.
• Type 1: The bilinear form x′1 x1 − x′2 x2 = 0 is equivalent to (x′1 ∶ x′2 ) = (x2 ∶ x1 ). This is
the analytic representation of a projective mapping π0 from the pencil of lines about P0
to the pencil of lines about P0′ (see Theorem 5.4.1). The mapping π0 acts as follows:
⎧ ′ ′ ′
⎪ l2 = [P0 , P1 ] ∶ x2 = 0 ↦ π0 (l2 ) = [P0 , P2 ] ∶ x1 = 0,
⎪
π 0 ∶ L P0 −
∧ LP ′ with ⎨
0 ⎪
⎪ ′ ′ ′
⎩ l1 = [P0 , P2 ] ∶ x1 = 0 ↦ π0 (l1 ) = [P0 , P1 ] ∶ x2 = 0.
We can do the same with x0 x′0 − x2 x′2 = 0 and find (x′0 ∶ x′2 ) = (x2 ∶ x0 ) which gives the
analytic representation of a projective mapping β from the pencil about P1 to the pencil
about P1′ :
⎧ ′ ′ ′
⎪ m1 = [P1 , P0 ] ∶ x2 = 0 ↦ π1 (m1 ) = [P1 , P2 ] ∶ x0 = 0,
⎪
π 1 ∶ L P1 −
∧ LP ′ with ⎨
1 ⎪
⎪ ′ ′ ′
⎩ m2 = [P1 , P2 ] ∶ x0 = 0 ↦ π1 (m2 ) = [P1 , P0 ] ∶ x2 = 0.
Finally, there exists a third projective mapping π2 from the pencil about P2 to the pencil
about P2′ with
[P2 , P0 ] ↦ [P2′ , P1′ ], [P2 , P1 ] ↦ [P2′ , P0′ ].
The points X ∉ E can be transformed by mapping [P0 , X] and [P1 , X] to their respective
images through P0′ and P1′ . The image point is X ′ = π0 ([P0 , X]) ∩ π1 ([P1 , X]). Obviously,
X ′ is also incident with π2 ([P2 , X].
Note the difference between the constructions of the image point under a birational qua-
dratic mapping and under a collinear transformation. In case of a birational quadratic
mapping of type 1, the line [P0 , P1 ] is not mapped to [P0′ , P1′ ], neither under π0 nor under
π1 .
All points X ∈ [P0 , P1 ] {P0 , P1 } are mapped to the same point P2′ = π0 (l1 ) ∩ π1 (m1 ).
Thus, P2′ is an exceptional point for ϕ−1 , since its pre-image is not uniquely determined.
With Ẽ = [P0 , P1 ] ∪ [P1 , P2 ] ∪ [P2 , P0 ] and Ẽ′ = [P0′ , P1′ ] ∪ [P1′ , P2′ ] ∪ [P2′ , P0′ ], the restriction
̃ of ϕ as a mapping P Ẽ → P′ Ẽ′ is one-to-one and onto. It can be written in terms of
ϕ
homogeneous coordinates as
1 1 1
̃ ∶ P Ẽ → P′ Ẽ′ ,
ϕ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) = ( ∶ ∶ ),
x0 x1 x2
̃
since x0 x1 x2 ≠ 0 for any xF ∉ E.
• Type 2: In this case there are only two projective mappings: π0 from the pencil about
P0 to the pencil about P0′ , and π1 from the pencil about P1 to the pencil about P1′ . The
analytic representations of π0 and π1 read
π0 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′2 ) = (x2 ∶ x1 ) and π1 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′1 ) = (x1 ∶ x0 ).
Again, π0 ([P0 , P1 ] ≠ [P0′ , P1′ ] holds true, since x1 = 0 causes x′2 = 0. Unlike in the previous
case, π1 ([P1 , P0 ]) = [P0′ , P1′ ], because x1 = 0 implies x′0 = 0.
• Type 3: In this case, there is only one projective mapping π0 left, acting from the pen-
cil about P0 to the pencil about P0′ . Its analytical representation also follows form the
coordinate functions of the birational quadratic mapping and reads
π0 ∶ (x′0 ∶ x′2 ) = (x1 ∶ x2 ).
The second bilinear form expresses the fact that the ϕ-image x′ F of the point xF is a point
on the polar line of xF with regard to the correlation
′ −1
⎛ u0 ⎞ ⎛ 0 0 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞
κ ∶ ⎜ u′1 ⎟ = ⎜ 0 0 1 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟
⎝ u′ ⎠ ⎝ 1 0 0 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
2
since
u′0 x′0 + u′1 x′1 + u′2 x′2 = −x1 x′0 + x2 x′1 + x0 x′2 = 0.
With a cyclic shift of the coordinates (y0′ ∶ y1′ ∶ y2′ ) ∶= (x′2 ∶ x′0 ∶ x′1 ), the latter two bilinear
forms (Theorem 7.5.2) change to
x2 y1′ − x1 y0′ = x0 y0′ − x1 y1′ + x2 y2′ = 0.
The correlation κ is now replaced by
′
⎛ v0 ⎞ ⎛ 1 0 0 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞
κ ∶ ⎜ v1′ ⎟ = ⎜ 0
̃ −1 0 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟ .
⎝ v′ ⎠ ⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
2
Now, the coordinate matrix of ̃ κ is symmetric. Identifying the coordinate frame of the
pre-image with the new coordinate frame in the image plane, then ̃ κ is the polarity w.r.t.
the conic p ∶ y0′ 2 − y1′ 2 + y2′ 2 = 0. The points ϕ(X) is the intersection of π0 ([P0 , X]) with
the polar line of X with regard to p.
The following theorem will be useful, when we deal with special quadratic
transformations. A proof can be found in books [13, 16]:
Theorem 7.5.3 Under a birational quadratic transformation of type 1

any algebraic curve c of degree n is transformed to an algebraic curve of
degree 2n, in general.
If the exceptional points P0 , P1 , P2 of the transformation are points of
c with respective multiplicities μ(Pi ) = mi for i = 0, 1, 2, then the degree
of the (proper) image curve equals 2n − m0 − m1 − m2 . The multiplicities
of the exceptional points P0′ , P1′ , P2′ on c′ in the image plane P′ equal
n − m1 − m2 , n − m2 − m0 , and n − m0 − m1 , respectively (Figure 7.58).
Moreover, if R ≠ P1 , P2 is a common point of c and [P1 , P2 ] and R is
r-fold on c, then the line π0 ([P0 , R]) is an r-fold tangent of c′ at P0′ .
The contents of Theorem 7.5.3 will be of importance when we deal with

special quadratic transformations, e.g., the inversion which maps circles
to circles.
Similar results hold for the transformations of type 2 and 3. For more
details, we refer again to [13, 16].
In the beginning of the present section, we defined quadratic transfor-
mations by prescribing three homogeneous quadratic polynomials as the
coordinate functions of the transformation. The geometric approach via
pencils of conics showed that (from the viewpoint of Projective Geome-
try) there are only three types of birational quadratic transformation.
However, is not possible to prescribe three arbitrarily chosen quadratic
forms in order to define a quadratic birational transformation. The co-
efficients of the three underlying forms have to fulfill certain algebraic
c′
P2=P2′
P2=P2′
c
c
P1=P1′
c′ P0=P0′ P1=P1′
P0=P0′
FIGURE 7.58. Quadratic Cremona transformation Φ ∶ P → P′ = P with canonical

identification of base points. Left: A conic c touches the base line [P0 , P2 ], meets
the line [P1 , P2 ] in two real points, and has no real point on [P0 , P1 ]. Thus, the
image curve c′ has a cusp of the first kind at P1′ = P1 , a double point with two real
tangents at P0′ = P0 , and an isolated double point at P2′ = P2 . Right: The conic
c goes through the base point P2 . Thus, the image curve splits into a cubic c′ ,
being the proper image, and the line [P0′ , P1′ ] = [P0 , P1 ]. Since c meets [P0 , P1 ]
in two real points, c′ has a double point with two real tangents at P2′ = P2 .
conditions4 in order to make the transformation invertible and, thus, bi-

rational.
Special quadratic Cremona transformations

Transformation of doubly conjugate points
Assume we are given two different curves of degree two,
c ∶ xT Ax = 0 and d ∶ xT Bx = 0,
in any projective plane P2 (F). Herein, A = (aik ) and B = (bik ) with

i, k ∈ {0, 1, 2} are symmetric matrices in F3×3 . Let further P denote the
pencil spanned by these two curves. The pencil should contain conics in
order to exclude cases where both c and d are singular and share a line.
We are going to show that the pairs (P, P ′ ) of conjugate points w.r.t.
both curves c and d, are related in a birational quadratic transformation
Φ depending on the type of the pencil. So these pairs of points are doubly
4
The algebraic conditions on the coefficients on the quadratic forms are derived in: K. Fladt:
Die Umkehrungen der ebenen quadratischen Cremona Transformationen. J. reine u. angew.
Math. 170 (1933), 64–68.
conjugate. The resulting transformation Φ is involutive, i.e., ϕ = ϕ−1 , since

conjugacy is a symmetric relation (cf. Theorem 7.1.2).
Two points X and X ′ are conjugate w.r.t. c and d if their homogeneous
coordinates (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) and (x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) fulfill the two bilinear equations
2 2
′ ′
∑ aik xi xk = 0 and ∑ bik xi xk = 0.
i,k=0 i,k=0
They can be considered as linear homogeneous equations in the unknowns

(x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 ) which yields
2 2 2
′
∑ai0 xi x0 + ∑ ai1 xi x′1 + ∑ ai2 xi x′2 = 0,
i=0 i=0 i=0
2 2 2
′ ′ ′
∑ bj0 xj x0 + ∑ bj1xj x1 + ∑ bj2 xj x2 = 0.
j=0 j=0 j=0
The solutions are, up to a common factor,

2
x′0 = ∑ (ai1 bj2 − ai2 bj1 )xi xj ,
i,j=0
2
x′1 = ∑ (ai2 bj0 − ai0 bj2 )xi xj , (7.19)
i,j=0
2
x′2 = ∑ (ai0 bj1 − ai1 bj0 )xi xj .
i,j=0
Obviously, we have found a rational mapping ϕ ∶ (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (x′0 ∶

x′1 ∶ x′2 ). It is of degree two, provided that the quadratic forms on the
right-hand side of (7.19) do not have a non-constant common divisor. By
construction, ϕ is involutive, and therefore, it is birational.
The mapping ϕ does not change if we replace the curves c and d with
other curves from the pencil P because the conditions for conjugacy are
linear combinations of the homogeneous equations above.
In order to make Φ a birational quadratic transformation, the existence
of one, two, or three base points is necessary. These are points where Φ
does not produce an unique image point, i.e., in this case we are looking
for points whose polar lines w.r.t. c and d agree or are even undetermined.
If P is a pencil of the third kind (two line elements) or a pencil of the
fifth kind (pencil of hyperosculating conics), then there are infinitely many
such exceptional points. In the first case, these are the points on the chord
common to all conics in the pencil. In the second case, the points on the
common tangent at the hyperosculation point play this particular role. It
is easy to show that the quadratic forms on the right-hand side of (7.19)
have a common linear factor if, e.g., c is a repeated line. In this case, Φ
becomes a collineation.
Consequently, the only cases that are left, originate from a pencil P of
the first, second, or fourth kind. According to Theorem 7.5.1, the trans-
formation Φ is then of type 1, 2, or 3. This type of quadratic Cremona
transformation is called transformation of doubly conjugate points.
The fixed points of this mapping are the self-conjugate points of c and d,
i.e., the base points of the pencil P. The projective mappings π0 , π1 , π2
in the pencils about the base points are involutive and their fixed lines
pass through these fixed points.
Now, we can state:
Theorem 7.5.4 Let c and d be two curves of degree two out of a pencil
P in P2 (F) which is either of the first, or the second, or the fourth kind.
1. The transformation Φ of doubly conjugate points with respect to c and
d is an involutive quadratic birational transformation of type 1, or 2,
or 3 if the pencil P is of type 1, or 2, or 4. The mapping Φ remains
unchanged if c and d are replaced by other curves from P.
2. The exceptional points of Φ and its inverse are exactly those points
whose polar lines with regard to c and d coincide. In the case of a pencil
of the first kind, these are the vertices of the common polar triangle.
The fixed points of Φ are the base points of the pencil P. In the case
of a quadratic transformation of the first type, the projective mappings
in the pencils about the exceptional points are involutive projectivities
whose fixed lines are the lines joining base points of Φ with the base
points of P.
3. The poles of lines l /∋ P0 , P1 , P2 with regard to all conics in P are
contained in a conic l′ that passes through all exceptional points of Φ.
If P is of the first kind with base points B1 , B2 , B3 , and B4 , then l′
contains on each line [Bi , Bj ] the fourth harmonic point L′ij to Lij ∶=
[Bi , Bj ] ∩ l with respect to Bi and Bj , i.e., H(Bi , Bj , Lij , L′ij ).
Proof: The only thing that is left to show is the third part of the theorem. The locus of all
image points P ′ of points P ∈ l is an irreducible curve of degree two (cf. Theorem 7.5.3). The
image l′ passes through all exceptional points. On the other hand, the image point P ′ can be
found as the intersection of the polar lines of P with regard to c and d which form pencils with
the poles Lc and Ld of l w.r.t. c and d as carriers, when P traverses l. Thus, l′ is generated
by a projective mapping from the pencil Lc to the pencil Ld ,
Lc (πc (P )) −
∧ l(P ) −
∧ Ld (πd (P )),
and l′ is passing through the pencils’ vertices. Here and in the following, πc and πd denote
the polarities with regard to c and d. Since any two different curves from P yield the same
quadratic Cremona transformation, and thus, the same image curve l′ , it has to carry the
poles of l with regard to all conics in the pencil. This is what has been stated.
If P is a point on a fixed line of the involution π0 , e.g., P ∈ [B1 , B2 ], then the conjugate point
P ′ which lies on the polars πc (P ) and πd (P ), is the fourth harmonic point of P with respect
to [B1 , B2 ], since B1 , B2 ∈ c, d. ◾
It is worth to be noted that in the special case of the projectively closed

Euclidean plane, the line l can be chosen as the line at infinity and the
common polar triangle can be chosen as a finite triangle. Then, l′ carries
the centers of all conics in the pencil P, the vertices of the diagonal
triangle of the base points of P, and furthermore the midpoints of all
sides of the base quadrangle of P. This conic l′ is called the nine point
conic. This conic appears also in Section 9.1, cf. Corollary 9.1.1.
Doubly conjugate lines
The principle of duality (see Section 5.1, especially on page 182) gua-
rantees that the results from this section so far have valid dual counter
parts. The dual version of the transformation of doubly conjugate points
is called the transformation of doubly conjugate lines. We denote this
transformation by Φ⋆ .
Φ⋆ acts on the set of line in P2 (F) as follows: Let c⋆ and d⋆ be two (dual)
conics from a flock F of the first, or the second, or the fourth kind. Pairs
(l, l′ ) of lines are doubly conjugate if
l′ ∈ πc⋆ (l) and l′ ∈ πd⋆ (l).
Again, πc⋆ and πd⋆ denote the polar systems with regard to c⋆ and d⋆ .
Moreover, the lines l and l′ are doubly conjugate with respect to any two
different curves out of F.
The exceptional lines of Φ⋆ are those lines whose poles with regard to c⋆
and d⋆ coincide. In the case of a flock of the first kind, these are the lines
p0 , p1 , p2 of the polar triangle common to all conics of F. The fixed lines
of Φ⋆ are the base lines of the flock F.
The points of intersection of corresponding lines l and l′ with the excep-

tional lines are corresponding in involutive projective mappings π0 , π1 ,
π2 acting on the base lines. The fixed points of these involutions are inci-
dent with the fixed lines of Φ⋆ , i.e., they are the points of intersection of
tangents common to c⋆ and d⋆ . Any two out of the three involutions are
sufficient to determine the quadratic transformation Φ⋆ .
A pencil of lines about P0 on the exceptional line p0 is mapped to a pencil
of lines about π0 (P0 ) ∈ p0 , since the pencil that corresponds to p0 with
vertex p1 ∩ p2 splits off. The points p0 ∩ p1 and p0 ∩ p2 are corresponding
in this involution π0 , as well. On the other hand, pencils of lines whose
vertices are not in p0 ∪ p1 ∪ p2 are transformed to irreducible curves of
class two containing the lines p0 , p1 , p2 .
Orthogonal conjugate lines
In the projectively extended Euclidean plane, we can study a special case

of doubly conjugate lines. Assume that c⋆ and d⋆ are a pair of confocal
conics with a center C. Thus, the four common tangents t1 , t2 , t3 , t4 of
c⋆ and d⋆ are isotropic lines, i.e., two of them pass through A1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i)
while the others pass through A2 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i). The three diagonal lines
p0 , p1 , p2 of the base quadrilateral, i.e., the axes of c⋆ and d⋆ together
with the line at infinity, form the exceptional set E ⋆ = p0 ∪ p1 ∪ p2 of Φ⋆ .
The quadratic Cremona transformation Φ⋆ defined by c⋆ and d⋆ induces
an involution π2 on the ideal line ω ∶ x0 = 0 leaving the absolute points
A1 and A2 of Euclidean geometry fixed (cf. Example 6.4.7 on page 253).
Therefore, any line l ∉ E ⋆ is orthogonal to its image l′ = Φ⋆ (l). Φ⋆ is
called transformation of conjugate normals with respect to any conic in
the flock E of confocal conics spanned by c⋆ and d⋆ . Note that one conic
is sufficient to determine this flock.
The involutions π0 and π1 on the axes are called the focal involutions. In
the case of a conic c with center C, in both focal involutions the center C
corresponds to the ideal point. The fixed points of the focal involutions π1
and π2 are the focal points of c and agree with those from Definition 7.1.4
in Section 7.1.
Each vertex V of c is mapped to its center of curvature V ⋆ under the
focal involution. This holds true for ellipses as well as hyperbolas as can
be seen in Figure 7.59: In the case of the ellipse (left-hand side), we apply
Φ⋆ to the line [V1 , V2 ] joining both vertices. The conjugate normal passes
V2
c E
c l
C V1⋆ E
V1
F2 F1 l′
C V1
F2 F1 V1⋆
V2⋆
FIGURE 7.59. Centers of curvature at vertices: ellipse (left), hyperbola (right).
through E (pole of [V1 , V2 ] w.r.t. c) and is orthogonal to [V1 , V2 ]. We know

this construction from Corollary 3.2.1 (Figure 3.11, Section 3.2), where
the proof was based on the comparison of similar right-angled triangles.
The construction of the centers of curvature at the vertices of the hy-
perbola shown on the right-hand side in Figure 7.59 is equivalent to the
construction from Exercise 3.2.6 (cf. Figure 3.14). If Φ⋆ is defined by
a parabola, then the transformation of conjugate normals is a quadratic
Cremona transformation of type 2. The focal involution on the parabola’s
axis is the reflection in the focal point.
There is a deeper reason for the fact that the focal involutions send ver-
tices to the correspond centers of curvature, as shown below.
Conjugate normals and the evolute of a conic
The transformation Φ⋆ of conjugate normals with respect to the conic c

maps the set of tangents of c to the set of normals. From Section 3.2, we
know that the envelope c⋆ of normals of a curve is its evolute. According
to Theorem 7.5.3, the evolute of a conic is a curve of class four. This
mirrors the results from Section 3.2. The axes of c and the ideal line ω
are double tangents of the evolute. The vertices of c and the contact points
with c⋆ , i.e., the centers of curvature at the vertices, are corresponding
in the related focal involutions.
Evolutes of ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas are displayed in Figures
3.15, 3.18, and 3.20.
In the case of an ellipse and a hyperbola, we have learned in Exercise 3.2.8

that the construction of centers of curvature is equivalent to the transfer of
an affine ratio which is based on (3.29). Since the quadratic transformation
Φ⋆ of conjugate normals preserves cross-ratios, on the tangent tP the
cross-ratio of P ∈ c together with the points on the exceptional lines is
equal to the cross-ratio of the respective image points on the image line
nP . One of the four points in question on tP and its corresponding point
on nP are at infinity. Hence, by virtue of (5.8), the cross-ratio reduces to
an affine ratio
l′ P
2
c1 t1
p1
l
p0 F2
F1 M 1 π0 (1) p
c
P1⋆ h
s
π1 (2)
t2 c2
FIGURE 7.60. The transformation of orthogonal conjugate lines l ↦ l′ w.r.t. the

conic c maps the pencil P onto tangents of Chasles’s parabola p. The polarity
in c sends p onto the Apollonius hyperbola h which intersects c at the pedal
points w.r.t. P . These pedal points belong also to the strophoid s which is the
pedal curve of p w.r.t. P .
◾ Example 7.5.1 Chasles’s parabola and the Apollonian hyperbola. The transformation Φ⋆ of
conjugate normals w.r.t. the ellipse or hyperbola c maps the pencil of lines through a point P
outside the exceptional lines onto the tangents of a conic p, which contacts all three exceptional
lines (Figure 7.60). Therefore, p is a parabola which is named after the French mathematician
Michel Chasles, 1793–1880. On each axis, the contact point with p corresponds to the
pedal point w.r.t. P in the related focal involution. The parabola p remains the same when c
is replaced by any other conic from the confocal family, e.g., by the ellipse c1 and the hyperbola
c2 passing through P . Therefore p contacts the corresponding tangent lines t1 and t2 which
bisect the angle <) F1 P F2 . The points of contact of these lines with p are the centers P1⋆ , P2⋆
of curvature of P w.r.t. c1 and c2 . It can be shown that the center P1⋆ of curvature of c1 is
the pole of the tangent t1 to c1 with respect to c2 (Figure 7.60), and vice versa.
The directrix of p (orthoptic curve of p) passes through P and the center M of c. Common
tangents of p and c contact c at the pedal points of normals drawn from P onto the conic c.
When p is polarized in c, we obtain an equilateral hyperbola h = πc (p) which contains P , the
center M , the ideal points of the axes, and the at most four pedal points of normals on c w.r.t.
P . It is the Apollonian hyperbola which we will meet again in Section 9.3. The pedal points in
question are also located on the strophoid s which already has been depicted in Figure 2.27.
Inversions
In this section, we shall look at inversions from the projective point of
view. This gives a more general concept and shows that the inversion from
page 7.1.1 is just a special case and its properties are clear and obvious.
Projective Inversions
Let c be a conic in P2 (F) and let further C ∈ P2 (F) be some point. Two
points X and X ′ in P2 (F) are said to be inverse if
(1) X, X ′ , C are collinear and
(7.20)
(2) X, X ′ are conjugate with regard to c.
The mapping X ↦ X ′ is involutive, provided there exists a unique image

point X ′ of X. We call such a mapping a (projective) inversion. The point
C is called the center of the inversion, and the points of c remain fixed.
Without loss of generality, we may assume that
c ∶ x0 x2 − x21 = 0
and
C = P1 = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0) if C ∉ c, and
C = P0 = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) if C ∈ c.
Then, in both cases we have two bilinear conditions. The first condition
equals the polar form of c
x0 x′2 + x2 x′0 − 2x1 x′1 = 0,
and, depending on whether C ∉ c or C ∈ c, the second means

(x0 ∶ x2 ) = (x′0 ∶ x′2 ) ⇐⇒ x0 x′2 − x2 x′0 = 0 if C ∉ c,
(x1 ∶ x2 ) = (x′1 ∶ x′2 ) ⇐⇒ x1 x′2 − x2 x′1 = 0 if C ∈ c.
Solving the systems of linear equations yields the coordinate functions of

the respective transformations
(x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′1 ) = (x0 x1 ∶ x0 x2 ∶ x1 x2 ) if C ∉ c,

(x′0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′1 ) = (2x21 − x0 x2 ∶ x1 x2 ∶ x22 ) if C ∈ c.
Hence, this transformation is involutive, and therefore, birational.

Under C ∉ c the exceptional points of the inversion are P1 = C and the
points P0 , P2 of contact of the tangents drawn from C to c if they exist.
The projective mapping π0 ∶ P1 − ∧ P1 is the identity mapping. From the
bilinear forms we can deduce the analytic description (x′0 ∶ x′1 ) = (x2 ∶ x1 )
of the projective mapping π1 ∶ P0 − ∧ P2 , and we have π2 = π1−1 . At this
transformation, two base points are interchanged: P0 ↦ P2 and P2 ↦ P0 .
The conic c is generated by π1 (or π2 ) according to Definition 6.1.1, since
all the points of c are fixed.
X X
P2 P2
X′
X′
c c
P0 P1 =C P0 =C P1
FIGURE 7.61. Projective inversions with the center C, either not on c (left) or
on c (right).
We construct the image X ′ of X using the quadrangle on c which contains

the points P0 and P2 and has X as a diagonal point (Figure 7.61). Since
one of the remaining diagonal points lies on [P0 , P2 ] which is the polar
line of P1 w.r.t. c, the opposite side of the diagonal triangle passes through
P1 and, consequently, the third diagonal point coincides with X ′ .
If C ∈ c, then C is the only exceptional point and π0 is the identity
mapping. Therefore, this involutive quadratic transformation is of type 3.
Summarizing this, we can say:
Theorem 7.5.5 The projective inversion in c with center C is an invo-

lutive quadratic (birational) transformation either of type 1 or of type 3,
depending on whether C ∉ c or C ∈ c.
In the first case, the base triangle consists of the center C of inversion
and the points T1 , T2 of contact of the two tangents drawn from C to c.
The projective mapping in the pencil about C is the identity mapping. The
conic c is generated by the projectivities π1 = π2−1 ∶ T1 −
∧ T2 . Any point on
c {T1 , T2 } is left fixed.
In the case C ∈ c, C is the only base point.
Inversion in a circle
Assume that c is a circle, and the center C of inversion coincides with

the circle’s center. Then the projective inversion in c with center C is
called the inversion or reflection in the circle c which we have seen in
Example 7.1.1 on page 267. The exceptional points of the inversion are
C and the absolute points I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and I = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i) of Euclidean
geometry. If the radius of c equals r, then any pair (P, P ′ ) of inverse
points satisfies
CP ⋅ CP ′ = r 2 .
According to Theorem 7.5.3, any line l (not incident with a base point)
is mapped under the inversion to an irreducible curve l′ of degree two
passing through all three exceptional base points C, I, and I. Thus, l′ is
a circle through C (see Figure 7.62).
A curve k of degree two that does not contain any of the base points is
mapped to a quartic curve k ′ with double points at the base points C,
I, and I. Curves with double points at the absolute points of Euclidean
geometry are called bicircular. If k is a circle with C ∉ k, then the isotropic
lines [C, I] and [C, I] split off, and the proper image curve k′ is a circle.
Therefore, the inversion maps circles to circles, provided that lines are
counted as circles. The center of a circle is in general not mapped to the
center of the image circle.
◾ Example 7.5.2 Center of the inverse circle.
1. In order to derive the coordinate representation of the inversion in terms of Cartesian

coordinates, we assume c ∶ x2 + y 2 = r 2 and C = (0, 0). Let further X = (ξ, η) ≠ (0, 0)
be an arbitrary point. Then, the polar lines of X with regard to c has the equation
pX ∶ xξ + yη = r 2 , and the line [X, C] has the equation xη − yξ = 0. Computing [X, C]∩ pX ,
P
l
c c
P′
C
C =A
p
l′
FIGURE 7.62. Left: The inversion in a circle c with center C (of the inversion)
maps a point P to P ′ on P ’s polar line with regard to c. Right: A straight line
l is mapped to a circle l′ through C.
we obtain the coordinate functions of the inversion as

r2 ξ r2 η
(ξ, η) ↦ ( , 2 ). (7.21)
ξ2+ η ξ + η2
2
2. The image of a circle k in general position is a circle k ′ , as we have deduced above. But
where is the center of k ′ ? We may assume that k ∶ (x − d)2 + y 2 = R2 is the circle to
be inverted in c. This means no restriction because the coordinate system can always be
rotated about C such that the center of k lies on the x-axis. Inserting the coordinate
functions of the inversion (and using x and y instead of ξ and η), we find
r 2 − 2dr 2 x + (d2 − R2 )(x2 + y 2 ) = 0
which is the equation of the image circle. The center can be found by completing to full
squares and equals
dr 2
( 2 , 0) .
d − R2
Figure 7.63 shows that there is a simple construction of the center of the inverse circle.
Circles that intersect c at right angles are fixed as a whole, but not point-
wise since in this case r 2 equals the power of C with respect to l.
Quadratic Cremona transformations (indeed any rational mapping) pre-
serve the contact order of curves, provided, the contact takes place outside
the exceptional set. To be precise: If the multiplicity μP (c, d) of two cur-
ves c, d at such a common point P is m, then the intersection multiplicity
μP ′ (c′ , d′ ) at P ′ of the transformed curves c′ and d′ also equals m. In the
special case m = 2 we obtain that curves in contact are mapped to curves
in contact. Therefore, these mappings are so-called contact transforma-
tions. If a curve c ∈ P E and a circle (or line) l are in second or third
k′
C Ck′ Ck
FIGURE 7.63. How to find the center Ck′ of the inverse k ′ of a circle k ? First,
invert C in k, and second, invert the obtained point Ck in c.
order contact at P , i.e., m = 3 or m = 4, then c′ and l′ are in second or

third order contact at P ′ , and l′ is again a circle or line. Therefore, the
inversion maps osculating circles of c to such of c′ . Moreover, vertices of
c, i.e., points with stationary curvature, are mapped to vertices of c′ .
The inversion in a circle is conformal but not orientation preserving. The
inversion in c (with center C) maps the tangent t to a curve k at P to a
circle t′ that touches the image curve k′ at P ′ . The two angles that are en-
closed by t′ and [C, P ] have equal measures but different orientations and
the angle at C is congruent to the angle <) (k, [C, P ] at P (Figure 7.64).
We can summarize the results of this subsection:
Theorem 7.5.6 In E2 , the inversion in a circle preserves circles and

is orientation reversing conformal at any point different from the center
of inversion. Osculating circles are again mapped onto osculating circles,
and vertices remain vertices.
The inversion can also be performed when c is an empty circle with the
equation x2 + y 2 = −r 2 . In this case, the inversion in c equals the product
of the inversion in the circle ̃ c ∶ x2 + y 2 = r 2 and the reflection in the
center of c and ̃c.
◾ Example 7.5.3 Inversion and the complex plane. The Cartesian coordinates (x, y) in the
Euclidean plane can be identified with complex numbers z by setting z = x + iy. We replace
P
c
P′
k
C k′
t′
t
FIGURE 7.64. The inversion maps tangent lines to contacting circles. Angles
are preserved, but their orientation is changed.
in (7.21) ξ by x and η by y and rewrite the coordinate functions of the inversion in a circle in
terms of complex numbers as
x y x + iy z 1
+i 2 = = =
x2 + y 2 x + y 2 x2 + y 2 zz z
with z being the complex conjugate number of z. The function f (z) = z −1 is anti-holomorphic,
and thus, conformal but orientation reversing.
The function f (z) = z −1 is a special form of a more general linear rational mapping g(z) ∶ C →
C which can also be viewed as projective mapping of the line P1 (C) onto itself since
αz + β α β 1
g(z) = ⇐⇒ g(z) = ( )( ) (7.22)
γz + δ γ δ z
with (α, β, γ, δ) ∈ C4 {(0, 0, 0, 0)} and αδ − βγ ≠ 0. The choice α ∶ β ∶ γ ∶ δ = 0 ∶ 1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0 yields
the inversion in a circle given in (7.21). The complex conjugation in (7.22) is an automorphism
of the field C, and thus, g(z) is an anti-projectivity.
The set of all g(z) with all their compositions constitutes the three-parametric Möbius group.
● Exercise 7.5.1 Hirst’s inversion - inversion in a pair of lines. So far we have dealt with
inversions in regular conics. However, we can replace the conic by a pair of lines c = l1 ∪ l2
such that the center C of the inversion is not incident with any of the lines.
The mapping η which is called Hirst’s inversion5 after the British geometer Thomas Archer
Hirst (1830–1892), sends a point X ∉ {c∪C} to a point X ′ collinear with C and X and satisfies
H(A1 , A2 , X, X ′ ), where the points A1 , A2 are the intersections of [C, X] with l1 , l2 .
5
T.A. Hirst: On the Quadric Inversion of Plane Curves. Proc. R. Soc. of London, Phil.
Trans. R. Soc. 14, 91–106 (1865).
A projective frame can always be chosen such that l1 ∶ x0 − x1 = 0, l2 ∶ x0 + x1 = 0, and

C = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) hold. Derive the coordinate functions of the mapping η. Which type of qua-
dratic Cremona transformation do we have? Assume further that we work in the projectively
extended Euclidean plane and x0 = 0 is the line at infinity. Which conics that are mapped to
conics of the same affine type?
What happens if (l1 , l2 ) is replaced by a pair (m1 , m2 ) of complex conjugate lines, say m1 ∶ x0 −
ix1 = 0 and m2 ∶ x0 + ix1 = 0?
k
F
P p
h
P′
k′
c
FIGURE 7.65. The pedal curve k ′ of the parabola k w.r.t. a point A of its
directrix is a strophoid. The equilateral hyperbola h is polar to k w.r.t. the
circle c centered at A, and therefore, invers to k ′ w.r.t. c.
Pedal transformation
Let A be any proper point in the Euclidean plane. The pedal transfor-
mation assigns to each line l the pedal point P ′ of l w.r.t A (compare
with Remark 2.2.1 on page 34). The pedal transformation is a quadratic
line-to-point transformation. It is the composition of a polarity and the
inversion in a circle c centered at A (see Figure 7.62 left).
The pedal curve k′ of a given curve k also admits a kinematic generation:
One leg of a moving right angle remains tangent to k while the other leg
is gliding through the fixed point A. Therefore, the tangent to k ′ at P ′
is a path tangent and, as such, orthogonal to the line joining P ′ with the
instantaneous pole [66, 21]. Conversely, the curve k is called the negative
pedal curve of k ′ .
Let k be a curve of class n which does neither contain the ideal line nor
touch the isotropic lines through A. The dual curve c⋆ with respect to
c is of degree n and does not contain any of the exceptional points of
the inversion in c. Therefore, and according to Theorem 7.5.3, the pedal
curve k ′ of k with respect to A is of degree 2n with n-fold points at the
absolute points of Euclidean geometry (Figure 7.65).
8 Affine Geometry
η
ε
P
ξ
r
t c
s ϕ
S b y
Y a P′
C′
c′
x
An ellipse can be the image of a circle under a parallel projection. The terms
ellipse, parabola, hyperbola are typical notions of affine geometry.

352 Chapter 8: Affine Geometry
In any projective plane P2 , we can specify a single line ω and call it the
ideal line. Points on ω are called ideal points, lines l, m ≠ ω which are
concurrent with ω are called parallel. The set of proper points, i.e., the
points not on ω, together with the set of lines ≠ ω is called an affine plane.
If at any coordinatization of P2 (F) the line ω is represented by x0 = 0,
then for proper points we may set x0 = 1 and switch to inhomogeneous
coordinates (x, y) ∈ F2 obeying (1 ∶ x ∶ y) = (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ). Such a coordina-
te frame in the corresponding affine plane A2 (F) is uniquely determined
by the origin O = (0, 0) and the unit points E1 = (1, 0) and E2 = (0, 1),
provided that OE1 E2 is a triangle.
In P2 , any collineation which fixes ω can be restricted to A2 . Then, it is
called an affine transformation. Projective collineations induce projective
affine transformations, or affinities in brief. In A2 (F), affinities can be
expressed as
α ∶ x ↦ x′ = Ax + a with a, x, x′ ∈ F2 , A ∈ F2×2 , det A ≠ 0.
Affinities map affine combinations p = λx+(1−λ)y to affine combinations

α(p) = λα(x) + (1 − λ)α(y) without changing λ ∈ F for all p, x, y ∈ F2 .
A perspective collineation fixes the ideal line ω if either its center is an
ideal point or its axis coincides with ω. In the first case, the restriction to
A2 is called a perspective affinity including the special case of a translation
if the axis equals ω. The affine transformations in A2 form a group.
In the sense of Felix Klein’s Erlangen program, any group of transfor-
mations defines a corresponding geometry whose main goal is the inves-
tigation of invariants w.r.t. this group. Hence, the group of affine trans-
formations is coupled with affine geometry. The terms parallel, convex,
affine ratio, ellipse, parabola, hyperbola, center of an ellipse or a hyper-
bola belong to affine geometry.
If, additionally, an orthogonality is defined in A2 , the corresponding ortho-
gonality preserving transformations are called equiform transformations.
The equiform transformations also constitute a group and the correspon-
ding geometry is called equiform geometry.
Euclidean planes are equiform planes equipped with a distance function
such that Pythagoras’s theorem holds.
Below, we provide selected affine properties of conics, often mixed with
Euclidean properties.
8.1 Conjugate diameters of ellipses and hyperbolas 353
We do not report about the various applications and chracterizations of

ellipses in the theory of convexity. The interested reader is referred to [47].
8.1 Conjugate diameters of ellipses and hyperbolas
Ellipses as affine images of circles - de La Hire’s construction
P1
ψ1
Q1 t
t2
t1 P2 P
Q Q2 b
a
C X
ψ2
i
Y
u e
FIGURE 8.1. De La Hire’s construction of an ellipse.
We recall from Figure 2.6 in Section 2.1 the elegant and simple construc-
tion of points and tangents of an ellipse which is ascribed to the French
mathematician Philippe de La Hire. The construction of points of the
ellipse e starts with the circumcircle u and incircle i of the ellipse, i.e.,
the concentric circles with the semimajor and semiminor axes (lengths)
for their radii (Figure 8.1).
We consider two perspective affinities ψ1 and ψ2 with the axes of the
ellipse e for their axes that, respectively, map the circumcircle u and the
incircle i to e. Thus, in both cases the pencil of fixed lines is orthogonal
to the axis of the affine mapping.
The mapping ψ2 ∶ i → e maps any point Q2 ∈ i to a point Q ∈ e. The
tangent t2 of i at Q2 is mapped to t ∋ Q. The second affine mapping
ψ1−1 ∶ e → u maps Q ∈ e to a point Q1 ∈ u. The tangent t at Q is mapped
to the tangent t1 of u at Q1 . The product α ∶= ψ1 ○ ψ2−1 of these two
affine mappings is still an affine mapping with the center C of e as a
fixed point. Further, α(Q1 ) = Q2 and α is central similarity. This shows

that the construction by de La Hire (as illustrated in Figure 8.1) yields
points and tangents of an ellipse:
Draw the two concentric circles u = (C; a) and i = (C; i) with the semi-
major axis a and semiminor axis b for their radii. A common radius of
either circle meets u and i in points Q1 and Q2 . The parallels through
these points to the axes of the ellipse meet in a point Q ∈ c.
◾ Example 8.1.1 Show that the perspective and affine mappings
b a
ψ1 ∶ x′ = x, y′ = y and ψ2 ∶ x′ = x, y ′ = y
a b
are the two mappings used in the above explanation of de la Hire’s construction. Show
further that the circles u and i are mapped to e by deriving the equation of e. This proves the
following statement:
Let k ∈ R+ be a constant scaling factor. Scale the segments on all chords perpendicular to a
diameter of a circle while fixing their midpoints on the diameter. The endpoints of the scaled
segments form an ellipse.
In Figure 8.1, we observe that the two right triangles QQ1 Q2 and P P2 P1
are congruent. If we draw the line parallel to [C, P1 ] through P , a further
congruent right triangle appears: The parallel line meets the axes of the
ellipse in X and Y . The triangle CXY is congruent to P P2 P1 . Obviously,
CP1 = P Y = a and P1 P2 = XY = a − b, and therefore, XP = b. This yields
another construction of the points of an ellipse which is frequently called
the trammel construction:
Corollary 8.1.1 Move a line [X, Y ] such that two points X and Y trace
a pair of orthogonal lines. Any point P fixed on the line [X, Y ] with
P ≠ X, Y traces an ellipse.
For the kinematic aspect of this construction we refer to Section 2.3.
Parallel projections of a circle

Let c = (C; r) be a circle in an arbitrary plane ε in Euclidean three-space
E3 . Assume that π ∶ E3 → ϕ is a parallel projection from the Euclidean
space R3 onto some plane ϕ. The fibers of the projection are parallel to
some line f which itself is neither parallel to ε nor to ϕ (Figure 8.2).
Parallel projections preserve affine ratios, and thus, the π-image c′ = π(c)
of the circle c is centrally symmetric with respect to C ′ = π(C). In order
to make sure that c′ is an ellipse, we consider the plane σ of symmetry of
η
P
ξ r
t
C
f
c
X
s
S y ϕ
′ a b ′
C P
c′
Y
x
FIGURE 8.2. The image of a circle c under a parallel projection π ∶ E3 → ϕ is

an ellipse e.
the segment CC ′. It meets the line s ∶= ε ∩ ϕ in a point S. (In the unlikely

case that s ⊂ σ we are allowed to choose S freely on s.) Obviously, the
point S satisfies CS = C ′ S. There are precisely two points X and Y on
s, with XS = Y S = CS, with [X, C]B[Y, C], and [X, C ′ ]B[Y, C ′ ] since C
and C ′ lie on a sphere centered at S passing through X and Y . (If σ ∥ s,
then the sphere degenerates into a plane and the points S and X become
the ideal points of s, while Y becomes the common foot of the normals
from C and C ′ onto s.)
Now, we fix a Cartesian coordinate system centered at C with axes ξ and
η through X and Y . Then, an arbitrary point P ∈ c has coordinates
ξ = r cos t, η = r sin t (8.1)
where t = <) ξCP . The image C ′ of C under π can be described in Cartesian

coordinates in the image plane ϕ: The Cartesian system shall be centered
at C ′ and the x- and y-axes shall run through X and Y , respectively.

Therefore, we have
x = αξ, y = βη. (8.2)
The factors α and β are those distorsion ratios that are to be multiplied
with all ξ- and η-coordinates, respectively. We have
XC ′ Y C′
α= and β= . (8.3)
XC YC
From (8.1) and (8.2) we find
x = a cos t, y = b sin t where a = αr, b = βr. (8.4)
From the first two equations in (8.4) we can eliminate t and arrive at the
Cartesian equation of c′ :
x2 y 2
+ = 1.
a2 b2
From Example 7.1.1 in Section 7.1 we know that any pair of conjugate
diameters of a circle is a pair of orthogonal diameters, and vice versa.
The tangents at the endpoints of one diameter are parallel to the conju-
gate diameter. The images of any such pair under a parallel projection
will, in general, not be a pair of orthogonal lines any more. Since paral-
lelity is preserved under π, the circumscribed square of tangents at the
endpoints of conjugate diameters of c will be mapped to a circumscribed
parallelogram of tangents of c′ .
Let now an arbitrary pair of orthogonal diameters be the pair of axes of
a Cartesian coordinate system. Consequently, c can be parametrized via
(8.1). The corresponding frame [x, y] in the image plane ϕ will not be
Cartesian any more. However, it will be a general affine frame wherein
the ellipse c′ still can be given by (8.3). Now, a and b denote half of the
lengths of a pair of conjugate diameters as seen in Figure 8.3. On the
other hand, any two segments in ϕ, say C ′ A′ and C ′ B ′ , emanating from
a point can always be considered as the images of a pair of orthogonal
semidiameters M A and M B under a parallel projection. Therefore, in
any affine coordinate frame, x = a cos t, y = b sin t parametrizes an ellipse.
So we can say:
η
y
B P B′
P′
r ξ
A b
t c′ x
c C a A′
C′
FIGURE 8.3. Left: The undistorted version of a circle shows a pair of conjugate
and orthogonal diameters together with the circumscribed square of tangents at
the respective endpoints. Right: The image of the circle under a parallel projec-
tion still shows a pair of conjugate diameters which in general is not a pair of
orthogonal diameters. The square of tangents is mapped to some parallelogram
of tangents.
Theorem 8.1.1 The image of an ellipse in E3 under a parallel projection

π ∶ E3 → ϕ into some plane ϕ is an ellipse, provided that the fibers of π
are not parallel to the carrier plane of the ellipse.
It is sufficient to use a pair of conjugate diameters of the given ellipse c

as the axes ξ and η of an affine coordinate system. With
ξ = a cos t, η = b sin t (8.5)
and (8.2), we obtain a parametrization of the image curve c′ = π(c).

◾ Example 8.1.2 Prove that for all pairs of conjugate semidiameters CP and CQ of an
2 2
ellipse the sum CP + CQ of squared lengths is the same.
Ellipse on a pair of conjugate diameters - Rytz’s construction
In Constructive Geometry, there are many cases where an ellipse is to be

constructed from a pair of conjugate diameters. This means that a pair
(CP, CQ) of conjugate semidiameters of an ellipse is given and we have
to find the axes as well as the semiaxis lengths of the thus defined ellipse.
Very often a construction is used that is due to the Swiss mathematician
David Rytz von Brugg (1801–1868).
Y
Q1
Q⋆ P1
B I
Q2
Q
P2
b
P
C a A X
FIGURE 8.4. Points of an ellipse constructed out of the incircle and the circum-
circle.
Let us have a look at Figure 8.4: Like in Figure 8.1 we can see that
there are two congruent right triangles QQ1 Q2 and P P2 P1 . The diame-
ters [C, Q] and [C, P ] of the ellipse with center C, principal axis [C, A],
and auxiliary axis [C, B] form a conjugate pair since [C, Q1 ]B[C, P1 ].
If we apply a quarter turn about C in clockwise direction to the trian-
gle QQ1 Q2 , we see Q1 ↦ P1 , Q ↦ Q⋆ , and Q2 ↦ P2 . Thus, we obtain
a rectangle Q⋆ P1 P P2 whose sides are parallel to the ellipse’s axes. The
diagonal [P, Q⋆ ] meets the axes in the points X and Y and encloses
the same angles with the axes as [P1 , P2 ] does. Consequently, we have
Y P = CP1 = a and XP = CP2 = b and also for the center I of the rectan-
gle we have IX = IC = IY . This justifies the construction given by Rytz
as shown in Figure 8.5.
Note that the result does not depend on the direction in which the point
Q is rotated about C through 90○ .
● Exercise 8.1.1 Conjugate diameters and focal points of an ellipse. Let the center of an
ellipse be the origin of Cartesian coordinates (x, y) which are combined to complex numbers
z = x + iy. Suppose that p, q ∈ C are the complex
√ coordinates of the endpoints P and Q of a
pair of conjugate semidiameters. Prove that ± p2 + q 2 are the complex coordinates of the two
real focal points of the given ellipse.
A one-parameter family of triangles of equal area

Affine transformations map hyperbolas to hyperbolas (Figure 8.6). Let
P = (ξ, η) be a point on a hyperbola h with semimajor axis length a and
semiminor axis length b as shown in Figure 8.7. First we observe:
Y
a
Q⋆
I
Q B
P
b b
C a A X
FIGURE 8.5. Rytz’s construction of the axes and vertices of an ellipse on a

given pair of conjugate semidiameters CP and CQ.
̃ ̃
h h′ h′
h
C C′
FIGURE 8.6. The image of a pair (h, ̃ h) of conjugate hyperbolas under an affine
transformation is again a pair (h′ , ̃
h′ ) of conjugate hyperbolas.
Lemma 8.1.2 The point P of contact of a hyperbola h and its tangent t

at P is the midpoint of the segment T1 T2 on t between the two asymptotes.
Proof: The hyperbola’s diameter parallel to t meets t in the common ideal point Tu . This
diameter is conjugate to the diameter P . Thus, P is the fourth harmonic point to Tu with
respect to intersections T1 and T2 of t and h’s asymptotes (Figure 8.7). ◾
The locus of midpoints of segments on chords parallel to a diameter of a

hyperbola (indeed of any conic with center) is the conjugate diameter.
Figure 8.7 (right) shows two triangles, each bounded by a tangent of h
and the asymptotes. As can be seen at once, the left (orange) triangle
has the area A = ab since the base equals twice the semiminor axis length
b and and the altitude through h’s center C equals the semimajor axis
length a. Surprisingly, we have:
S1
T1 T1
t t
b P
d C P C
V a
c v
T2 T2
S2 h h
FIGURE 8.7. Left: The point P of contact of the tangent t and the hyperbola
h is the midpoint of the segment T1 T2 . Any chord of h determines equally long
segments between h and the asymptotes. The midpoints of interior segments on
parallel chords gather on a diameter. Right: The area of the triangle built by a
tangent t of h and the asymptotes is constant and independent of t.
Theorem 8.1.2 The area of the triangle built by the asymptotes and a
tangent of a hyperbola h at any point P ∈ h is independent of the choice
of P and equals the product of the semiaxis lengths, i.e., A = ab.
Proof: Let P be a generic point on h with the tangent t. Assume further that t meets the
asymptotes in the points T1 and T2 .
From the right-hand side of Figure 8.7 and from Lemma 8.1.2 we can conclude that projections
of P parallel to one asymptote onto the other are the midpoints of the segments CT1 and CT2
where C is the center. Thus, there is a parallelogram (salmon parallelogram in Figure 8.7, left)
defined by P . Its area is half the area of the triangle enclosed by t and the asymptotes.
t′ h′′ h′
y
P′
t y ′′
P′
P P ′′
C h′
x
h x′′
C
FIGURE 8.8. Rotation (left) and shearing (right) for the proof of Theorem 8.1.2.
Now, we have to find the area of the parallelogram. For that purpose, we rotate the hyperbola h
about C through an angle ϕ such that one asymptote
√ is mapped to the x-axis (see Figure 8.8,
left). The angle ϕ is defined by cos ϕ = a/ a2 + b2 . The equation b2 x2 − a2 y 2 = a2 b2 of h
changes to −2abxy − (a2 − b2 )y 2 = a2 b2 . Then, we apply a shear transformation that preserves
areas by substituting x = x′ + cy ′ and y = y ′ . The constant c is to be determined such that
the coefficient of y 2 vanishes (Figure 8.8, right). This yields c = (b2 − a2 )/2ab and, once again,
the equation of the hyperbola simplifies to ab + 2xy = 0 while the area of the parallelogram
does not change. Since x and y are the edge lengths of the rectangle (still a parallelogram),
the area of the parallelogram equals 12 ab, and thus, the area of the triangle between t and the
asymptotes is constant and equals ab. ◾
Pairs of conjugate hyperbolas

Any hyperbola h with semimajor axis ah and semiminor axis bh determi-
nes a conjugate hyperbola k. The major axis of h equals the minor axis of
k; the minor axis of h equals the major axis of k. The same holds true for
the semiaxis’s lengths: ah = bk , bh = ak , see Figure 8.9. The hyperbolas h
and k share the asymptotes. From Theorem 8.1.2, we can deduce:
Theorem 8.1.3 Let h and k be a pair of conjugate hyperbolas with com-

mon center C. For P ∈ h let [C, Q] be the diameter of h conjugate to
[C, P ] such that Q ∈ k. The tangents of h parallel to the tangent at P
together with the tangents of k parallel to the tangent at Q form a paral-
lelogram whith the area A= ah bh = ak bk independent of the choice of P .
k k
h h
C C
FIGURE 8.9. Left: A pair (h, k) of conjugate hyperbolas. Right: The parallelo-
grams built by tangents of h and k have fixed area.
● Exercise 8.1.2 Asymptotes and axes of hyperbolas. The two hyperbolas

x2 y 2 ̃ x2 y 2
h∶ − =1 and h ∶ 2 − 2 = −1
a2 b2 a b
share the asymptotes and the involutions of conjugate diameters. Suppose that P ∈ h and
Q∈̃ h are the given endpoints of conjugate semidiameters. How to find the asymptotes and
axes of h and h (note Figure 8.6)?
● Exercise 8.1.3 Focal points of a hyperbola. Let p, q ∈ C be the complex coordinates of the
endpoints P and Q of conjugate
√ semidiameters of a hyperbola h as explained in Exercise 8.1.2
with P ∈ h. Verify that ± p2 + q 2 are the complex coordinates of the focal points of h.
◾ Example 8.1.3 Center of a conic. Assume we are given a conic c with the equation
c ∶ xT Ax = 0 (8.6)
with A ∈ R 3×3
being a regular symmetric matrix with entries from the field R of real numbers
and x = (x0 , x1 , x2 ) being homogeneous coordinates in the real projective plane. According to
Section 7.1, the dual conic c∗ , i.e., the set of tangents of c is given by the equation
c⋆ ∶ uT A−1 u = 0 (8.7)
where u = (u0 , u1 , u2 ) are homogeneous coordinates of c’s tangents or of the “points” of c⋆ .

Therefore, the center of c equals m = A−1 (1, 0, 0)T . The existence of the inverse A−1 of A is
guaranteed for A is regular. If aij ∈ R with i, j ∈ {0, 1, 2} are the entries of A, then
m = (a11 a22 − a212 , a02 a12 − a01 a22 , a01 a12 − a02 a11 ). (8.8)
The point M = mR from equation (8.8) is a proper point if, and only if, its first coordinate
does not vanish, i.e.,
a a12
a11 a22 − a212 = det ( 11 ) ≠ 0.
a12 a22
The matrix
a11 a12
A ∶= ( ) (8.9)
a12 a22
is the right lower 2 × 2-submatrix of A from (8.6).
◾ Example 8.1.4 Axes are conjugate orthogonal diameters of a conic with a center. Given the
conic c ∶ xT Ax = 0 in homogeneous Cartesian coordinates with A = AT in P2 (F). Compute
the axes of c as the orthogonal conjugate diameters of c, provided c is no parabola.
Principal axes transform within the affine setting

Now we want to treat conics in the affine plane A2 (F) in terms of affine
coordinates. We start with the homogeneous equation x ∶ xT Ax = 0 with
x = (x0 , x1 , x2 ) and A ∈ F3×3 . We switch to affine coordinates be setting
(x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (1 ∶ x ∶ y). Thus, we obtain
c ∶ a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + 2a01 x + 2a02 y + a00 = 0 (8.10)
with coefficients aij ∈ F and i, j ∈ {0, 1, 2}. This time, we allow A ∈ F3×3
to be singular. Let the vector x stand for x = (x, y) ∈ F2 .
Now the equation of c can also be written as the sum of a quadratic form
in x and y, a linear from in x and y, and a constant, as
xT Ax + 2aT x + a00 = 0 (8.11)
a11 a12
with the vector a = (a01 , a02 ) and the matrix A = ( ) ∈ F2×2 .
a12 a22
In a first step, we apply a translation to c such that the linear form in

(8.11) becomes the zero-form. For that purpose we let
x = x′ + m (8.12)
with m ∈ R2 to be determined. We insert (8.12) into (8.11) and find
x′ Ax′ + 2(mT A+aT )x′ + mT Am + 2aT m + a00 = 0,

T
(8.13)
since mT A + aT = (AT m + a)T and A T = A. Only in the cases where A

is regular, the vector m can be chosen such that the linear form in (8.13)
vanishes. At this point we have to distinguish between two cases: A is
either regular or singular:
1. A is regular. Then, we have
m = −A −1 a (8.14)
which represents the center. (8.13) changes to
F (x) = x′ Ax′ + α = 0
T
(8.15)
where α = aT A−1 a − 2aT A −1 a + a00 . It remains to discuss the cases

α = 0 or α = −1 since otherwise we can divide the equation by −α.
Though A ∈ F2×2 is symmetric, it will in general not be a diagonal
matrix. However, it is easy to diagonalize A by an appropriate choice
of our affine coordinate frame. We only have to pay attention to the
fact that A defines an involution of conjugate diameters as well as that
of conjugate ideal points. Let E1 = e1 = (1, 0) and E2 = e2 = (0, 1) be
the unit points. Then, we can express the entries of A as
1 Ae1 , a12 = e1 Ae2 , a21 = e2 Ae1 , a22 = e2 Ae2 .

a11 = eT T T T
This reveals that A has diagonal form if, and only if, the base vectors
point into conjugate directions. So, we can choose one basis vector e′1
such that a′11 = e′1 Ae′1 ≠ 0. Then, we have e′1 Ae′2 = 0 for the second
T T
basis vector. If F = R, we can still scale e1 and e′2 in an appropriate

′
way. In the case a′11 > 0 we let e′′1 = √1′ e′1 , otherwise e′′1 = √ 1 ′ e′1 .
a11 −a11
Thus, the new entry a′′11 can be +1 or −1. Similarily, we obtain a′′22 = +1,
or a′′22 = −1, or a′′22 = 0. The latter case only arises if A is singular.
2. In the case det A = 0, we have no solution for m. But after changing

to the new basis {e′1 , e′2 } with e′2 T Ae′2 = 0, we get (x + a01 )2 + 2a02 y +
a00 − a201 = 0. We set x′ = x + a01 , and under the assumption a02 ≠ 0,
we rescale e2 in order to obtain a02 = 1, and eliminate the constant by
a translation along the y-axis.
If a02 = 0, the rescaling of e1 reduces the constant either to 0, −1, +1.
Theorem 8.1.4 In the real affine plane A2 (R) there is an affine coordi-
nate frame such that the equation of any regular or singular conic can be
reduced to one of the following standard equations:
x2 + y 2 − 1 = 0, x2 − y 2 − 1 = 0, x2 + y 2 + 1 = 0, x2 + 2y = 0,
x2 + y 2 = 0, x2 − y 2 = 0, x2 + 1 = 0, x2 − 1 = 0, x2 = 0.
● Exercise 8.1.4 Center of a conic and the critical points of quadratic functions.
Assume f (x, y) = a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + 2a01 x + 2a02 y + a00 is a quadratic function over R2 .
Show that the maxima/minima of f are found at the zeros of the gradient gradf = 2Ax + 2a,
−1
or equivalently, at xm = −A a.
10
(5, 2)T
(−2, −3)T 36.869○ 43.603○ O 10

T
(1, 4)
1 61.928○
1 1
O 1
O
FIGURE 8.10. The conics from Exercise 8.1.5
● Exercise 8.1.5 The following equations describe conics in the Euclidean plane (cf.
Figure 8.10). Find out the type and all metrical invariants, such as centers (if there is one), the
lengths of axes, and the angle enclosed by the principal axis and the x-axis of the coordinate
system. In case of a parabola, find the vertex.
Hint: The eigenvectors of the coefficient matrix A of the quadratic part deliver a basis of
an orthonormal frame centered either at the center or the vertex of the conic depending on
whether it is an ellipse/hyperbola or a parabola.
1. −38x2 + 168xy − 87y 2 − 656x + 858y − 1968 = 0,
2. 10656x2 − 5880xy + 10369y 2 + 2208x − 77072y + 31936 = 0,
3. 64x2 + 240xy + 225y 2 − 2650x − 1284y + 10918 = 0.
8.2 Conics are rational quadratic Bézier curves 365
8.2 Conics are rational quadratic Bézier curves
Bézier curves and the algorithm of de Casteljau

We shall describe briefly and without going into too much detail what
a Bézier curve is. We restrict ourselves to quadratic Bézier curves since
conics allow rational quadratic parametrizations.
B1 B1 B1
1−
1−
t
t
t
t
B01 B11 B01 1− t t
B11
B02
t
t
t
t
1−
1−
B2 B2 B2
B0 B0 B0
FIGURE 8.11. Repeated affine combinations of points reduces the number of
control points in each step of de Casteljau’s algorithm. Finally, the algorithm
terminates if the last polygon consists of just one point.
Let B0 = b0 , B1 = b0 , and B2 = b2 be three different non-collinear points

in an affine plane A2 (F), e.g., in the Euclidean plane. We call these points
control points and the open polygon is called a control polygon. Now, by
choosing a value t ∈ [0, 1], we construct points B01 and B11 in between
the given control points as affine combinations b10 = (1 − t)b0 + tb1 and
b11 = (1 − t)b1 + tb2 . Once again, we can introduce a new “in between
point” B02 as
b20 = (1 − t)b10 + tb11
with the same fixed t ∈ [0, 1].

In the first step, we defined two new points from three given points. In
the second step, we gained one new point from two points. This proce-
dure is called algorithm of de Casteljau due to the French physicist and
mathematician Paul de Casteljau (born 1930 in Besançon). (It can
easily be guessed how it works with an arbitrary number of initial points.)
Figure 8.11 shows how to construct the point B02 according to de Cas-
teljau.
It is obvious that the b20 depends on t which plays the role of an affine
ratio, and if t runs through the entire interval [0, 1], then b20 is the para-
metrization of a quadratic Bézier curve1 . We obtain this parametrization

in full length by inserting the affine combinations for b10 and b11 . This
leads to
b20 (t) = (1 − t)2 b0 + 2t(1 − t)b1 + t2 b2 . (8.16)
Equation (8.16) parametrizes a parabola if t ∈ R. The part of the Bé-
zier curve that is parametrized over the unit interval [0, 1] is shown in
Figure 8.12 (left). The three quadratic functions
f0 = (1 − t)2 , f1 = 2t(1 − t), f 2 = t2 (8.17)
are the well-known Bernstein polynomials of degree 2 which constitute a

basis in the space of univariate polynomials of degree 2.
Now, we have:
Lemma 8.2.1 Any quadratic Bézier curve is a parabola. Any parabola

can be parametrized as a quadratic Bézier curve.
Proof: In order to show that (8.16) parametrizes a parabola, we assume (without loss of
y
B1 B2 =(b, c)
B2 x
B0 B0 =(0, 0) B1 =(a, 0)
FIGURE 8.12. Left: A parabola as a quadratic Bézier curve with control points
B0 , B1 , and B2 . Right: An appropriately chosen coordinate system, cf. proof of
Corollary 8.2.1.
generality) that b0 = (0, 0)T , b1 = (a, 0)T , and b2 = (b, c)T with a ≠ 0, a ≠ b, b ≠ 0, c ≠ 0 (see
Figure 8.12). Then, we compute an implicit equation of the curve by eliminating the parameter
t from x = 2at(1 − t) + bt2 and y = ct2 and find (cx + (2a − b)y)2 − 4a2 cy = 0 which is a parabola
with axis direction (2a − b, c)T .
For the second part, we refer to Example 6.3.1 in Section 6.3. Here we have shown that any
conic allows a rational parametrization. For a parabola we choose the center of the stereogra-
phic projection (that gives the rational parametrization) as the one and only ideal point of
the parabola. Then the parametrization becomes polynomial. ◾
1
Pierre Étienne Bézier (1910–1999) was a French engineer.
8.2 Conics are rational quadratic Bézier curves 367
One important property of Bézier curves is the affine invariance of their

representation. Since B02 (t) is a composition of affine combinations, the
affine image of any Bézier curve is the Bézier curve defined by the trans-
formed control polygon.
Conics with center

The quadratic Bézier representation can only be used for the parametriza-
tion of parabolas (cf. Lemma 8.2.1). What about the other conics? From
Section 6.3 we already know that conics admit rational parametrizations.
Thus, we can use the concept of rational Bézier curves.
A rational quadratic Bézier curve can be written in the form
2 −1 2
c(t) = (∑ wi fi (t)) ⋅ ∑ wi bi fi (t) (8.18)
i=0 i=0
where bi are the coordinate vectors of the control points, fi (t) are the
Bernstein polynomials (8.17) of degree 2, and wi ∈ R are weights. Incre-
asing weights of any control point, pulls the curve towards this point.
With appropriately chosen weights, we change not only the shape of the
rational Bézier curve, we can even change the type of conic. Thus, we can
parametrize ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas in this way.
-0.8
B2 -0.6
B2
-0.5
-0.4
-0.2
ϕ B1 0 0.3 B1
C ϕ 1 3 10
B0 B0
FIGURE 8.13. Left: A circle as a rational Bézier curve and the geometric mea-
ning of the weight w1 . Right: Some rational quadratic Bézier curves with com-
mon control polygon and different weights of B1 .
With the help of the unit circle centered at (0, 0)T , we demonstrate how
to find weights and control points in order to make the rational Bézier
curve a circle. We are interested in a segment of the circle. The segment

shall have the central angle 0 < 2ϕ < π. Thus, we can fix the control points
B0 and B2 and the point B1 lies on the tangents at both endpoints of the
curve segment. We obtain
b0 = (cos ϕ, − sin ϕ)T , b1 = (1/ cos ϕ, 0)T , b2 = (cos ϕ, sin ϕ)T .
Note that the point B1 is inverse to the point [C, B1 ] ∩ [B0 , B2 ] with
respect to the circle. We choose w0 = w2 = 1 and insert the latter control
points into (8.18). With the unknown weight w1 , we find the parametri-
zation
(1 − 2t + 2t2 ) cos ϕ + 2w1 (1 − t)t cos−1 ϕ (2t − 1) sin ϕ
c(t)= ( , )
(1 − t) + 2w1 (1 − t)t + t
2 2 (1 − t)2 + 2w1 (1 − t)t + t2
which obviously differs from that given in (6.6) (cf. Example 6.3.1 in
Section 6.3) since it parametrizes a certain part of the curve over the unit
interval. The parametrization fulfills the equation x2 + y 2 = 1 of the unit
circle if, and only if, w1 = ± cos ϕ. Therefore, the weight of the control
point B1 has to be ± cos ϕ if the radii at the two endpoints B0 and B2
enclose an angle of 2ϕ.
Figure 8.13 (left, enclosed in the large ellipse) shows how the control
points of a rational quadratic Bézier curve have to be chosen such that it
becomes a circle.
B2
B1 B0
B2
B1
B0
FIGURE 8.14. Control points for pieces of conics: ellipse (left), hyperbola (right).
● Exercise 8.2.1 An equilateral hyperbola and an ellipse. Compute a rational parametrization

of the part of the equilateral hyperbola starting at b0 = (1, 1)T ending at b2 = (e, 0)T for
arbitrary e ∈ R. What happens if e → ∞? Where is the control point b1 and what are the
weights (see Figure 8.14, right)?
● Exercise 8.2.2 Symmetric arc on an ellipse. Give a rational parametrization of the symme-
tric arc of an ellipse with b0 = (a cos ϕ, −b sin ϕ)T and b2 = (a cos ϕ, b sin ϕ)T with 0 < ϕ < π/2
and a, b ∈ R {0, }. Show that b1 = ( cosa ϕ , 0)T and w1 = ± cos ϕ (cf. Figure 8.14, left).
8.3 Conics and number theory 369
8.3 Conics and number theory
Diophantine quadratic equations

The solutions (x, y) of a quadratic equation in two variables x and y
⎛1⎞
a00 + 2a01 x + 2a02 y + a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 = (1 x y)A ⎜ x ⎟ = 0 (8.19)
⎝y⎠
with coefficients a00 , . . . , a22 ∈ F are the points of a conic in the affine
plane A2 (F). Special interest was given to the case where F is replaced
with the ring Z of integers. This was studied by Carl Friedrich Gauß
(1777–1855) and many others before. The case a01 = a02 = a12 = 0 and
a11 = a22 = −a00 = 1 leads to the unit circle with four integer solutions
(±1, 0) and (0, ±1).
We have derived a rational parametrization of the unit circle in Section 6.3
(see page 231):
1 − t2 2t
( , ).
1 + t2 1 + t2
We recall that the stereographic projection was used in order to elaborate
this. Now we replace the affine parameter t with homogeneous parameters
(u, v) by t = uv and then we switch to the u homogeneous representation
(u2 − v 2 , 2uv, u2 + v 2 ) with (u, v) ∈ F2 {(0, 0)}. (8.20)
Thus, we have parametrized the Pythagorean triplets (x, y, z) satisfying

x2 + y 2 = z 2 over any field F with charF ≠ 2 and even over Z.
If the integer square z 2 equals the sum x2 + y 2 of two integer squares,
then the circle with radius z carries at least twelve points with integer
coordinates: (0, ±z), (±z, 0), (±x, ±y), and (±y, ±x). Note that in any case
x ≠ y, for 2x2 cannot be an integer square. The decomposition of integer
squares into sums of integer squares is not unique (Figure 8.15).
● Exercise 8.3.1 Rational parametrization of the pseudo-Euclidean unit circle.
Apply the stereographic projection to an equilateral hyperbola x2 − y 2 = 1, in order to obtain
a rational parametrization which (after homogenizing) yields
(u2 + v2 , 2uv, u2 − v2 ) with (u, v) ∈ F2 {(0, 0)}. (8.21)
This is a description of the rational points on the pseudo-Euclidean unit circle.
(13, 84)
(0, 85)
(40 , 77)
)
, 75
(36
)
(0, 65)
3)
68
)
(16, 6
, 60
1,
)
(5
(3 3, 56
(25
)
)
52
51
(3
9,
68,
) ( )
39 , 40
52, 3) (75 , 36)
(
6, 3 (77
(5 )
, 25
(60
6)
(63, 1 (84, 13)
(65, 0) (85, 0)
FIGURE 8.15. The decomposition of integer squares need not be

unique: The circle with radius 65 carries 36 lattice points since
652 = 162 + 632 = 252 + 602 = 332 + 562 = 392 + 522 (left). The same works
with 852 = 132 + 822 = 362 + 772 = 402 + 752 + 512 + 682 (right).
Equation (8.20) gives a rational representation of the solutions of the

quadratic diophantine equation (8.19) in two variables in a normal form
(diagonalized). However, these solutions are in general not integer soluti-
ons.
For any n ∈ N at least one ellipse can be given such that it contains exactly
n lattice points (points with integer coordinates). However, there are only
finitely many lattice point on each such ellipse. For the hyperbola it is
feasible that there are infinitely many integer points on it. This is also the
case for the parabola: If a conic c has the normal form x2 − 2ay = 0 with
a ∈ F {0} and charF ≠ 2, then it is easy to find all points with coordinates
in F2 on c.
Problems of this kind are, indeed, number theoretic in nature. Results
including bounds on the number of integer lattice points on arcs contained
in ellipses can be found in [14]. The case of hyperbolas is discussed in [15].
In Table 8.1, we have collected the smallest ellipses passing through n =
3, 4, . . . , 20 integer lattice points. Here, an ellipse is called small if the
semimajor axis is as small as possible. The attached figure illustrates
some of the ellipses from the left-hand side of the Table 8.1. To be more
precise: The figure shows some translata of some of the ellipses from the
table in order to make it easier to illustrate the curves.
n equation of the ellipse

3 x2+xy+y 2−x−y=0
4 x2+y 2−x−y=0
5 2x2−xy+2y 2−x+y−3=0
6 x2−xy+y 2−1=0
7 2x2−xy+2y 2−5x−4y−6=0
8 x2+y 2−x−y−2=0
9 x2−xy+3y 2−7x−6y=0
10 x2−xy+4y 2−5x−5y−6=0
11 3x2−3xy+4y2−21x−21y−10=0
12 x2+y 2−5x−5y=0
13 2x2−xy+3y 2−31x−26y−25=0
14 x2−xy+4y 2−12x−9y−13=0
15 2x2−xy+5y 2−39x−36y−41=0
16 x2+y 2−7x−7y−8=0
17 2x2−xy+3y 2−51x−51y−54=0
18 x2−xy+y 2−7x−7y=0
19 2x2−xy+3y 2−61x−61y−6=0
20 2x2−xy+2y 2−27x−27y−29=0
TABLE 8.1. Smallest ellipses passing through n = 3, . . . , 20 integer lattice points.

A bold-faced number indicates that this particular ellipse is a circle.
For the general form of quadratic diophantine equation as given in (8.19)

solutions can easily be parametrized if at least one integer solution (ξ, η)
is known. The pencil of lines with vertex (ξ, η) is now parametrized by
p = (ξ + t, η + kt) with the parameter t on the lines and the parameter
k in the pencil. Both parameters can be replaced by homogeneous ones
if necessary. Inserting p in (8.19) yields a linear equation in t because t
splits off from the quadratic polynomial for p is a solution of (8.19). From
the remaining linear equation we find t as rational expression in aij and
k:
kT Ax
t = −2 T
x Ax
where x = (1, ξ, η) and k = (0, 1, k).
Pell equation
The diophantine quadratic equation
x2 − dy 2 = ±1 (8.22)
with d ∈ N {0} is usually called Pell equation after the English mathe-
matician John Pell (1611–1685). The solutions (±1, 0) are called trivial
and are obviously independent of d. The case d = 1 has no integer solution
tC
B A
N
c=n
tA tB
C
FIGURE 8.16. Just a rough idea what a conic in P2 (Z2 ) may look like: N is c’s
nucleus where the three tangents of c meet each other.
(besides the trivial ones) since the difference of two integer squares cannot
be 1.
This special type of diophantine equation can be interpreted as the equa-
tion of a hyperbola. The task is to find integer points on the hyperbola for
any d ∈ N. Once a solution (ξ0 , η0 ) is found, many others can be generated
by the linear recurrence
ξk+1 ξ dη0 ξ
( )=( 0 )( k ).
ηk+1 η0 ξ0 ηk
However, the linear recurrence does not necessarily produce all solutions.
Solving Archimedes’s cattle problem requires to solve a Pell equation2 .
Conics over finite fields
In a projective plane over a finite field F there are only finitely many
points. Let N = #F be the number of elements in F. Then, any line has
N + 1 points and any conic contains that many points (see Example 6.4.8
in Section 6.4). The number of points in P(F3 ) equals N 2 + N + 1.
The very special case N = 2, i.e., the projective minimal plane, shows
conics with a completely different behavior than anywhere else: Assume
that a conic c in the projective plane is given by the homogeneous equation
c ∶ x20 + x21 + x22 = 0.
2
H.W. Lenstra: Solving the Pell equation. Notices of the AMS 29/2 (2002), 182–192.
Clearly, there are only three points on c because it contains as much points
as a line does. These points are
A = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 1), B = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), C = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0).
These three points lie on one line n ∶ x0 + x1 + x2 = 0 which never happens

in any other projective plane! The tangents at A, B, and C are the lines
tA ∶ x1 + x2 = 0, tB ∶= x0 + x2 = 0, t C ∶ x0 + x1 = 0
which are concurrent in one point, namely N = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1). The point N is

called the nucleus of c, and it is the pole of n with regard to c. Note that
the equations of c and n describe the same set of points. Therefore, c = n.
What about an affine classification? Assume that n is the line at infinity.
Then, the affine part of c is empty. Only the center of c is present. It is
the point N since it is the pole of n with regard to c. Figure 8.16 shall
illustrate the incidence relations of c’s tangents.
Note that polarities in P2 (Z2 ) are nullpolarities at the same time, i.e.,
each polar line contains the corresponding pole.
For more details on conics in finite geometry we refer to [36].
● Exercise 8.3.2 Study the normal forms of conics in P2 (Z3 ) and give an affine classification
of the conics in this plane.
The One-Seventh-conic
The rational number 1/7 can be written in decimal expansion as

1
= 0, 142857 . . .
7
Now we take overlapping pairs of subsequent digits of the expansion and
interpret them as affine coordinates of points in a plane. Thus, we have
the six points
(1, 4), (4, 2), (2, 8), (8, 5), (5, 7), (7, 1).
Surprisingly, these six points lie on an ellipse with the equation
s ∶ 19x2 + 36xy + 41y 2 − 333x − 531y + 1638 = 0.
The ellipse s is called the one-seventh-conic (see Figure 8.17).

y y
x x
FIGURE 8.17. The one-seventh-ellipses carry six points with integer coordinates
derived from the decimal expansion of 17 .
● Exercise 8.3.3 More one-seventh-conics

1
From the decimal expansion of 7
we can create more sixtuples of overlapping pairs of integers:
(1, 4), (4, 2), (2, 8), (8, 5), (5, 7), (7, 1),
(14, 42), (42, 28), (28, 85), (85, 57), (57, 71), (71, 14),
(142, 428), (428, 285), (285, 857), (857, 571), (571, 714), (714, 142),
(1428, 4285), (4285, 2857), (2857, 8571), (8571, 5714), (5714, 7142), (7142, 1428),
⋮
Show that these sixtuples of points are located on an ellipse if the number of digits in each
coordinate is either 3k + 1 or 3k + 2 (with k ∈ N). The ellipses have the centers
9 99 9999 99999
(1, 1) , (1, 1) , (1, 1) , (1, 1) , ....
2 2 2 2
If the number of digits in each place of the coordinate vectors equals 3k (with k ∈ N {0}),
then the one-seventh-conics degenerate into pairs of parallel lines with the direction (2, −1).
There also exists a family of one-thirteenth-conics: Write down the decimal expansion of 1/13
and define points in the same way as above. Show that these points define either ellipses or
pairs of parallel lines. The centers of the ellipses defined from 1/13 are identical with the ones
given above. The parallels have the direction (1, −3).
9 Special problems
A one-sheeted hyperboloid is a ruled quadric and carries two one-parameter

families of lines. A top view shows the pattern of rulings as a part of a Poncelet
grid. According to theoretical kinematics, the framework of crossing rods is
flexible if all crossings of generators are realized as hinges.

376 Chapter 9: Special problems
9.1 Conics in triangle geometry
There are many ways to define conics related to a triangle Δ with vertices
A, B, C. We are going to pick out very few examples. All triangles have a
circumcircle, i.e., the uniquely defined conic passing through the triangles
vertices and the absolute points1 of Euclidean geometry. In Section 7.3,
we have seen that each triangle in the Euclidean plane defines a pencil of
equilateral hyperbolas including the Kiepert hyperbola, cf. Example 7.3.4.
The base points of this pencil are the three vertices of the triangle together
with the orthocenter. By the same token, the set of the vertices together
with the orthocenter H is called an orthocentric quadrangle and has some
symmetry: The orthocenter of any triangle built from three of these points
is the fourth point.
C
k k
C
n
X22 X115
X22
B
k A
X10 X44
X4
A B
k
FIGURE 9.1. Left: The Kiepert hyperbola k is the locus of perspectors of isosce-
les triangles attached to Δ’s sides and contains the centroid2 X2 and the ortho-
center X4 . The three unlabeled points are the first Fermat point X13 , the outer
Vecten point X485 , and the first Napoleon point X17 . Right: The Kiepert center
X115 is located on the nine point circle n. The Kiepert hyperbola also contains
the Spieker center X10 .
1
The absolute points of Euclidean geometry are explained in Section 6.4. Every Euclidean
circle passes through this pair of complex conjugate points on the line at infinity. Conversely,
any non-degenerate conic that passes through the absolute points of Euclidean geometry is
a Euclidean circle.
9.1 Conics in triangle geometry 377
Figure 9.1 shows an elementary approach to Kiepert’s hyperbola k: We

attach three similar isosceles triangles to the sides of Δ either to the
outside or to the inside. The additional points of the attached triangles
form triangles which are perspective to the base triangle Δ. This means
that the three connecting lines with the opposite vertices have a common
point, the perspector. It turns out that all perspectors lie on k independent
on whether the triangles are erected inside or outside Δ.
Each triangle has four tritangent circles, the incircle and the three ex-
circles (see Figure 9.2, left). These are the conics tangent to three lines
passing through the absolute points. From Example 7.2.2, we learn that,
generally speaking, there are four solutions to this problem.
An exhaustive list of circles and conics related to triangles is available at
[41] or [69]. In triangle geometry, special circles and conics are of interest:
those that carry a huge bunch of centers or so-called central conics, i.e.,
conics whose equations in terms of homogeneous trilinear or homogeneous
barycentric coordinates show a cyclic symmetry, cf. [40].
In the following, we list and illustrate some of the central conics, not just
circles, that frequently appear in triangle geometry.
Homogeneous trilinear coordinates, barycentric coordinates
In Section 5.3, we defined homogeneous coordinates in a projective plane.

Here we need a special kind of homogeneous coordinates. The plane we are
dealing with is the Euclidean plane E2 . Whenever necessary, we use the
projective and the complex extension. The vertices A, B, C shall serve as
the base points which then have homogeneous coordinates A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0),
B = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), C = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1). Any point in the plane of the triangle
Δ = ABC (except the ones on [A, B] ∪ [B, C] ∪ [C, A]) can be used for a
unit point. The choice of the unit point specializes the coordinates. Two
choices are frequently used: The choice of the triangle’s incenter X1 as
the unit point leads to the (homogeneous) trilinear coordinates, sometimes
called (homogeneous) trilinear distances. The choice of the centroid X2
for the unit point yields the (homogeneous) barycentric coordinates.
2
When we deal with triangle geometry, we shall follow the usual notation: X1 is the incenter of
the triangle Δ, X2 is the centroid or barycenter, X3 is the circumcenter, X4 is the orthocenter.
For a complete list of named triangle centers we refer to [41].
e2 e2
e1
e1 n
C
u
i X1
B X5
A
i X11
e3
e3
FIGURE 9.2. The prominent representatives of circles related to a triangle: Left:

The incircle i, the three excircles e1 , e2 , e3 , and the circumcircle u. Right: The
nine point circle n touches the four tritangent circles of a triangle. The point
of contact of n and i is the so called Feuerbach point X11 . Further, n passes
through the midpoints of Δ’s edges and the midpoints of certain segments of
the altitudes.
The term homogeneous should be used with care when dealing with
trilinear distances. The geometric meaning of the coordinates based on
(A, B, C, X1 ) is the following: The incenter X1 has coordinates (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1)
for it is the chosen unit point. The incenter has equal distances to the
three side lines of Δ, it is the radius of the incircle, thus ( , , ) is also
a representation of X1 , expressing that X1 is actually at distance to
any side of Δ. The vector ( , , ) is, therefore, called the actual trilinear
coordinates of X1 . These coordinates are no longer homogeneous.
Any point P in the plane of Δ can be described by trilinear coordinates
which are simply the oriented distances of P to the side lines [B, C],
[C, A], [A, B] of Δ in that particular ordering. These coordinates show
signs in the different areas defined by Δ’s sides. Figure 9.3 shows the
distribution of signs of the trilinear coordinates.
We denote the side lengths of Δ by c = AB, a = BC, b = CA. Let further
F denote the area of Δ. Then, homogeneous trilinear coordinates (p0 ∶
p1 ∶ p2 ) can be transformed into actual trilinear coordinates (d0 ∶ d1 ∶ d2 )
(− − +)
(+ − +) (− + +)
(+ + +)
(+ − −) A (+ + −) B (− + −)
FIGURE 9.3. The distribution of signs of trilinear coordinates.
via
2F
(d0 , d1 , d2 ) = (p0 , p1 , p2 )
ap0 + bp1 + cp2
which can easily be seen by computing the area F of Δ as the sum of
the areas of the three subtriangles ABP , BCP , CAP . The scaling of
coordinates fails if
ap0 + bp1 + cp2 = 0
which characterizes points on the line L∞ at infinity. Thus, L∞ has (ho-
mogeneous) trilinear coordinates (a ∶ b ∶ c). A point P is called a triangle
center or simply center of Δ if its trilinear coordinates are cyclic sym-
metric functions in the side lengths of Δ. The first coordinate is usually
called a center function. For example X1 = (1, 1, 1) (incenter) is a center.
The centroid X2 = (bc ∶ ca ∶ ab) is also a center, since a → b → c → a
changes bc to ca, ca to ab, and ab to bc. A central line is a line whose
homogeneous trilinear coordinates are center functions.
Central circles
In terms of trilinear coordinates (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ), conics are given by homo-
geneous quadratic equations
⎛ q00 q01 q02 ⎞ ⎛ x0 ⎞

(x0 , x1 , x2 ) ⎜ q01 q11 q12 ⎟ ⎜ x1 ⎟ = 0 (9.1)
⎝ q02 q12 q22 ⎠ ⎝ x2 ⎠
as is the case in terms of any kind of homogeneous coordinates (cf.

Section 6.3).
In triangle geometry, especially to those conics is payed attention to,

whose equation can be written as a cyclic sum. The terms in the sum are
cyclic symmetric functions of the side lengths a, b, c of Δ.
In [40] it is shown that all circles have a trilinear equation of the form
(λ0 x0 + λ1 x1 + λ2 x2 )(ax0 + bx1 + cx2 ) + κ(ax1 x2 + bx2 x0 + cx0 x1 ) = 0 (9.2)
with appropriate λ0 , λ1 , λ2 , κ ∈ R. This is an affine parametrization of a

pencil of conics (see Section 7.3) with the affine parameter κ ∈ R. The first
term of (9.2) is a singular conic consisting of the common radical line of
all circles in the pencil and the line at infinity. The representation of the
pencil can be homogenized by replacing κ with κ1 ∶ κ0 . Then, κ0 = 0, or
equivalently κ = ∞ yields the interpretation of the second term in (9.2):
it is the circumcircle of Δ with the equation
ax1 x2 + bx2 x0 + cx0 x1 = 0.
● Exercise 9.1.1 Center of a circle. Show that the center of a circle given by (9.2) has the
following trilinear coordinates
(−λ0 + λ1 cos C + λ2 cos B − κ cos A ∶
λ0 cos C − λ1 + λ2 cos A − κ cos B ∶
λ0 cos B + λ1 cos A − λ2 − κ cos C)
where cos A = (b2 + c2 − a2 )/(2bc) is the cosine of Δ’s interior angle at A.3 The values cos B
and cos C are the cosines of the interior angles at B and C. Make use of the fact that the
center of a conic is the conic’s pole of the ideal line (cf. page 266).
● Exercise 9.1.2 Center of an arbitrary conic. Show that the centers of the circumconics given
by (9.4) have the trilinear coordinates
(q01 (−aq01 + bq02 + cq12 ) ∶ q02 (aq01 − bq02 + cq12 ) ∶ q12 (aq01 + bq02 − cq12 )). (9.3)
Simson line
A well-known theorem which is erroneously ascribed to the English mathe-
matican Robert Simson (1687–1768) is actually due to the Scottish ma-
thematician William Wallace (1768–1843). It characterizes the points
on the circumcircle:
3
This notation is standard in triangle geometry and shall not lead to any confusion.
Theorem 9.1.1 The pedal points of the normals from a point P to the
side lines of a triangle are collinear if, and only if, P is a point on the
circumcircle u.
The locus of collinearity is called the Simson line. A proof of this result
can be found in the textbook [19]. Figure 9.4 illustrates the contents of
Theorem 9.1.1 and some more results that relate to Theorem 9.1.1.
s
C
P C
u u
s
B B
A A
FIGURE 9.4. Some results related to Theorem 9.1.1: Left: the Simson line.
Middle: If the point P traverses u, then the Simson line envelopes a Steiner
hypocycloid. Right: The remaining intersections of the normals through P and
the circumcircle u give rise to three lines parallel to s.
Simson’s theorem appears in connection with parabolas:
Theorem 9.1.2 Let p be a parabola with focus F and assume that u, v,

w are three (mutually distinct and finite) tangents of p. The circumcircle
of the triangle built by u, v, w passes through F .
Proof: In Figure 2.13, we can see that the normals of a parabola’s tangent from the focus F
meet the tangents at the tangent line of the vertex. Thus, the pedal points of the normals to
the sides of the tangent triangle are collinear and F must be a point on the circumcircle of
the tangent triangle according to Theorem 9.1.1. ◾
Figure 9.5 illustrates the contents of Theorem 9.1.2.
Central conics
For conics that pass through the vertices, i.e., conics circumscribed to Δ,
(9.1) is characterized by
q00 = q11 = q22 = 0.

c
t2 P2
p
t3
P1
t1
F
P3
FIGURE 9.5. The circumcircle of any tangent triangle of a parabola p passes

through p’s focus (cf. theorem 9.1.2).
Therefore, the equations of the circumconics can be written in the form

q01
∑ =0 (9.4)
cyclic x2
where the cyclic sum means that all terms are obtained from the given one
by a cyclic shift in all indices in {1, 2, 3} and components. For example
q q q q
∑cyclic x012 = x012 + x120 + x201 .
Obviously, it is sufficient to prescribe one coefficient (center function) in
order to determine the conic. In Section 7.5, we have learned that the
isogonal conjugation and the isotomic conjugation are quadratic Cremo-
na transformations. Comparing the normal form (7.15) of a Cremona
transformation with three base points and (9.4), we can see that the cir-
cumconics are the isogonal transforms of certain central lines.
● Exercise 9.1.3 Show that (9.1) is the equation of a parabola circumscribed to Δ if, and
only if, the coefficients qij satisfy
2abq01 q02 − a2 q01
2
+ 2bcq02 q12 − b2 q02
2
+ 2caq01 q12 − c2 q12
2
=0
together with the regularity condition det(qij ) ≠ 0.
Steiner ellipses
Among the conics circumscribed to Δ there is a special well-defined ellipse

s called Steiner circumellipse. The tangents of s at Δ’s vertices are parallel
to the opposite side lines. It is clear that these three line elements fit to a
conic, since the tangents form the anticomplementary triangle of Δ which
is perspective to Δ with the centroid S for the perspector. The perspector
S also serves as the Brianchon point in a special version of Theorem 6.2.3
of these three line elements (see Figure 6.7).
B A
S
C s
FIGURE 9.6. The common centroid S of Δ = ABC and its anticomplementary

triangle is the Brianchon point of Δ’s Steiner ellipse s.
We shall compare the area AΔ of an equilateral triangle Δ with the area

Au of its circumcircle u (Figure 9.6): Provided
√
that the circumradius of
Δ equals R, we find AΔ = 2 R sin 3 = 4 R and Au = R2 π. Note that
3 2 2π 3 3 2
for an equilateral triangle the circumcircle is its Steiner circumellipse.

Surprisingly, the ratio of these two areas is constant:
Theorem 9.1.3 The area As of the Steiner circumellipse s of a triangle

Δ and the area AΔ of Δ are related via
√
AΔ ∶ As = 3 3 ∶ 4π (9.5)
independently of the choice of the triangle.
Proof: There exist affine transformations α which map the given triangle Δ = ABC onto an
equilateral triangle A1 B1 C1 and, hence, the Steiner circumellipse s of Δ onto the circumcircle
s1 of A1 B1 C1 . Choose, e.g., A1 = A, B1 = B. Then, the affine transformations multiply all
(signed) areas with a constant factor f = det A if A ∈ R2×2 represents the associated linear
mapping in a Cartesian or an affine frame. Thus, the ratio AΔ ∶ As is affinely invariant. ◾
u s u s
B1 B2 C1 C2
S1 S2 t S1 S2
z
A1 =A2 Z L T R
FIGURE 9.7. Left: The circumcircle u of an equilateral triangle can be mapped
via an area preserving affine transformation (affine shearing, see page 186) to
the Steiner circumellipse s of an arbitray triangle. Right: The construction of
the principal axis of the Steiner ellipse s uses the Thales circle t centered at T
on the axis of the affine mapping (shearing) and the bisector of the two centers
S1 and S2 .
Figure 9.7 shows an elementary way to find the principal axis of the
Steiner ellipse s being the affine image of the circumcircle u. In fact, this
construction can be used for arbitrary affine mappings applied to a circle,
provided that there is an axis, i.e., the affine mapping is a perspective
affine mapping. Note that α is center preserving, for it preserves affine
ratios.
The construction in Figure 9.7 (right-hand side) uses the fact that con-
jugate diameters of a circle are orthogonal. Furthermore, the axes of the
image s of u are conjugate and orthogonal. Thus, the fixed points L and
R on the axis z (of α) have to lie on the Thales circle t through the centers
of u and s.
The Steiner circumellipse also appears in combination with three concur-
rent osculating circles of an ellipse (see page 97).
The following theorem is usually ascribed to Morris Marden (US ma-
thematician, 1905–1991),4 though it was first published and proved by
4
Marden published this result in 1945, never claiming that it was his result, see: M. Marden:
A note on the zeroes of the sections of a partial fraction. Bull. AMS 51/12 (1945), 935–940.
Jörg Siebeck (German mathematician).5 It relates the Steiner inellipse

of a triangle to the roots of a complex polynomial:
Theorem 9.1.4 The zeros ϕ1 and ϕ2 of the derivative p′ (z) of the com-
plex cubic polynomial p(z) = (z − α)(z − β)(z − γ) are the focal points of
the Steiner inellipse of the triangle with vertices α, β, γ, provided that the
complex numbers are identified with points in the Euclidean plane.
A
CC
m
B F1 X2 F2
C
FIGURE 9.8. The Steiner inellipse m of the triangle ABC with focal points F1
and F2 is centered at X2 .
Proof: We assume that the Steiner inellipse of Δ is given by the equation

x2 y 2
m∶ + = 1.
a2 b2
The Steiner inellipse of a triangle Δ touches the sides at the midpoints. Therefore, we assume
that one point C1 of contact has the complex coordinate
1 − t2 2t
γ1 = a + ib .
1 + t2 1 + t2
Then, Δ’s vertex C opposite to C1 is given by γ = −2γ1 , because the center of the inellipse m
is the centroid X2 of Δ and divides the Cevian at the ratio 1 ∶ 2 (cf. Figure 9.8). The tangents
from C to m meet the tangent [A, B] at the triangle vertices A and B with coordinate vectors
√ √
α = 1+t 2 (a(1 − t − 2 3t) + ib(2t + 3(1 − t2 )) ,
1 2
√ √
β = 1+t 2 (a(1 − t + 2 3t) + ib(2t − 3(1 − t2 )) .
1 2
Now, we build
p(z) = (z − α)(z − β)(z − γ).
5
Jörg Siebeck: Über eine neue analytische Behandlungsweise der Brennpunkte. J. reine u.
angew. Mathematik 64 (1864), 175–182.
Differentiating once with respect to z, we find p′ (z) = 3(z 2 − a2 + b2 ) whose zeros in C are
√ √
ϕ1 = a2 − b2 and ϕ2 = − a2 − b2
which are the complex coordinates of the focal points of m. ◾
Remark 9.1.1 Another proof of Theorem 9.1.4 can be found in: D. Kalman: An Elementary
Proof of Marden’s Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly 115 (2008), 330–338.
Marden’s theorem can be generalized: Assume that α, β, γ are roots of a polynomial p(z) and
have multiplicities r, s, t, i.e., they are the roots of p(z) = (z − α)r (z − β)s (z − γ)t . The two
non-trivial zeros of p′ (z) are the focal points of the inellipse of Δ that touches the sides at
points dividing the edges of Δ at ratios r ∶ s, s ∶ t, and t ∶ r.6
If Vi (with i ∈ {1, . . . , n}) are the vertices of an n-gon (not necessarily regular) that has an
inscribed ellipse i, then there is a complex polynomial p(z) of degree n that vanishes at all Vi
(or at the respective complex numbers). The focal points of i are among the roots of p′ (z).7
A characterizing property of the focal points of the Steiner circumellipse is given in [1].
Kiepert parabola
We have found the Kiepert hyperbola as the locus of perspectors of Δ

and the “new” points of triangles attached to Δ’s sides. What about the
perspectrices? Surprisingly, the perspectrices turn out to be the set of
tangents of a conic p, namely the Kiepert parabola (see Figure 9.9).
Like in the case with the Kiepert hyperbola, we attach isosceles and simi-
lar triangles to Δ’s sides. The outermost points of the attached triangles
again form triangles which are perspective to Δ. Let us perform the pro-
jective closure of the Euclidean plane. This allows us to study extremal
attached triangles. If the base angles of the isosceles triangles attached to
Δ reach 90○ , then the triangle of outermost points degenerates into the
line at infinity. Thus, the line at infinity is the perspectrix in this case.
Therefore, one of the tangents of the envelope is the line at infinity.
The Brianchon point of p equals the Steiner point X99 of Δ which is
located on the Steiner circumellipse s.
Nine Point Conics and the Nine Point Circle
The famous nine point circle n (Figure 9.2) is centered at X5 (the nine
point center) and is half the size of the circumcircle. The circle n is the
circumcircle of the medial triangle, i.e., the triangle of the midpoints of
6
B.Z. Linfield: On the relation of the roots and poles of a rational function to the roots of
its derivative. Bull. AMS 27 (1920), 17–21.
7
J.L. Parish: On the derivative of a vertex polynomial. Forum Geom. 6 (2006), 285–288.
pe
rsp
p
ect
e
rix
C C
X99
u s
B′ X3 X110
A′ X2
X4
C′
A B A B p
FIGURE 9.9. Left: The Kiepert parabola p is the envelope of all perspectrices x
of Δ and the triangles Δx built by the “new” points A′ , B ′ , C ′ of the attached
triangles. Right: The Euler line e of Δ is the directrix of the Kiepert parabola
p. The focal point of the Kiepert parabola is the triangle center X110 .
Δ’s sides. It contains six more points: The three feet of the altitudes
of Δ and the three midpoints of the altitudes’ segments between the
orthocenter and the vertices.
C C
MCD R
n
MAC MCD MBC MAC MBC
Q Q
n
R X4
D MAD MBD
MAD
MBD
A MAB P B A P MAB B
FIGURE 9.10. Left: The nine point conic n is a circumconic of the diagonal
triangle of a complete quadrangle and carries the midpoints of all six sides.
Right: The nine point circle of a triangle ABC is the nine point conic of an
orthocentric quadrangle which means of the quadrangle ABCX4 with X4 being
the orthocenter of ABC.
However, the nine point circle is a special appearance of a more general

conic which is associated with any complete quadrangle, i.e., the six lines
joining the four vertices of a quadrangle.
Assume that Q = ABCD is a quadrangle. Each side has a midpoint,
for example, MAB is the midpoint of the edge AB. Thus, there are six
midpoints of edges. Further, there are three diagonal points P = [A, B] ∩
[C, D], Q = [A, C] ∩ [B, D], and R = [A, D] ∩ [B, C]. Now, we have
constructed a total of nine points out of the four vertices of Q and the
following holds:
Corollary 9.1.1 There exists a unique conic passing through the six mid-
points of the edges and the three diagonal points of a quadrangle.
The left-hand side of Figure 9.10 shows the nine point conic of a non-
convex quadrangle. It doesn’t matter if the quadrangle is convex or not.
The nine point conics always exists, but may sometimes degenerate as is
the case with a rectangle. In Section 7.5, we use a quadratic birational
transformation to construct the nine point conic as the image of a line
(see page 339).
● Exercise 9.1.4 Proof of Corollary 9.1.1. Proof the existence of the nine-point conic by
assuming that A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), B = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), C = (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), and D = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1). Assume further
that (a ∶ b ∶ c) are the homogeneous coordinates of the line at infinity L∞ which helps to define
midpoints of the edges as fourth harmonic points of the ideal points of the edges with respect
to the edges.
Show that the diagonal points are P = (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 0), Q = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), R = (0 ∶ 1 ∶ 1) and the
midpoints are
MAB = (b ∶ a ∶ 0), MAC = (c ∶ 0 ∶ a), MAD = (2a + b + c ∶ a ∶ a),
MBC = (0 ∶ c ∶ b), MBD = (b, a + 2b + c, b), MCD = (c ∶ c ∶ a + b + 2c).
The coefficient matrix of the equation of the nine point conic equals
⎛ 2a a+b a+c ⎞
⎜ a+b 2b b+c ⎟
⎝ a+c b+c 2c ⎠
and the center equals X1125 = (bc(2a + b + c) ∶ ca(a + 2b + c) ∶ ab(a + b + 2c)).

If D = X4 (the orthocenter), then n is the nine-point circle.
Two famous quadratic Cremona transformations

Isogonal conjugation - a Cremona transform
In triangle geometry, the isogonal conjugation plays an important role.

Besides the fact that many triangle centers are related via this particular
mapping, it relates lines and circumconics of the base triangle Δ = ABC.
γ
γ
X
X′
α
β
α β
A B
FIGURE 9.11. Corresponding points of the isogonal conjugation are projected

from the vertices by lines symmetric w.r.t. the angle bisectors.
The isogonal conjugation κ is defined for all points in the Euclidean plane
off the lines [A, B], [B, C], [C, A], i.e., the side lines of Δ. The mapping
κ is defined as follows (see Figure 9.11): Any point X ∈/ [A, B] ∪ [B, C] ∪
[C, A] can be joined with Δ’s vertices. Then, we have
α = <) CAX, β = <) ABX, γ = <) BCX.
We reflect [A, X] in the interior (or exterior) angle bisector at A; and

we reflect [B, X] in the angle bisector at B. The κ-image X ′ of X is the
intersection of these reflected lines. Thus, <) X ′ AB = α and <) X ′ BC = β.
It is elementary to verify that the third reflected line also passes through
X ′ . This can be done using Ceva’s theorem.
It is clear from the definition of κ that the interior and exterior angle
bisectors are fixed as a whole but not pointwise.
A coordinate representation can be derived in the following way: Assume
that (ξ, η, ζ) are the actual trilinear coordinates of a point X in an ad-
missible position. We are looking for the trilinear coordinates (ξ ′ ∶ η ′ ∶ ζ ′ )
of X ′ . The latter may in general not be actual trilinear, so we aim at

homogeneous coordinates. Then, note that
XC sin(C − γ) = XB sin β = ξ,
where the C in the sine denotes the interior angle at the vertex C. Fur-
thermore, we obtain four more equations of the same type by cyclically
shifting a → b → c → a, ξ → η → ζ → ξ, and A → B → C → A. For the
image point X ′ = κ(X), we find six similar equations:
X ′ C sin γ = X ′ B sin(B − β) = ξ ′
plus four equations obtained by cyclically shifting all involved quantities.
Now, we eliminate sin(A − α), sin(B − β), sin(C − γ) in a first step. In the
second step, we do the same with the remaining sines. In the third step,
the ratios X ′ A ∶ XA, X ′ B ∶ XB, X ′ C ∶ XC are eliminated. This yields
(ξ ′ ∶ η ′ ∶ ζ ′ ) = (ηζ ∶ ζξ ∶ ξη). (9.6)
Obviously, this agrees with the normal form of a quadratic Cremona trans-
form of the first type (cf. equation (7.15) in Section 7.5) with three dis-
tinct base points. These exceptional points are the vertices of Δ. This
can easily be seen by inserting their homogeneous coordinates into (9.6)
which produces (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 0), i.e., no point.
Though the coordinate representation (9.6) of the isogonal conjugation
equals that of the harmonic conjugation from Section 5.4, it differs in a
crucial point: Here, the coordinates are that of a point, in the other case
the coordinate vector represents a line.
It is not only the algebraic representation (9.6) that makes clear that al-
gebraic curves of degree n are mapped to curves of degree 2n, generally
speaking. (Exceptions occur if a curve passes through at least one excep-
tional point.) If we look at the pencils about Δ’s vertices, we see that,
e.g., the lines [A, X] and [A′ , X] are corresponding lines in the symme-
tric involution about A. This holds true in B and C as well. If now a
point X traces a line l, X and X ′ are projected by pencils which are
related by a projective mapping that is not perspective. Thus, l′ = κ(l) is
a conic as defined in Definition 6.1.1, provided l does not contain a single
exceptional point.
Figure 9.12 shows the action of κ applied to some special curves. The
circumcircle u is the isogonal transform of the line L∞ (the line at infinity).
j
u C
e i
i′
X
X11
X
X232X
X33
32
3 X
X44
A B
FIGURE 9.12. The circumcircle u is the image of the line L∞ , the Euler line
maps to the Jeřabek hyperbola j, and the incircle i is mapped to a quartic i′
with three cusps at the exceptional points A, B, C.
● Exercise 9.1.5 The circumcircle as isogonal transform of the line at infinity. Use the theorem
of the angle of circumference and Definition 6.1.1 and show that the circumcircle of Δ is the
isogonal transform of the ideal line. It turns out that the isogonal transform of L∞ is generated
with the help of congruent pencils of lines, cf. Example 6.2.2.
From κ(κ(x0 , x1 , x2 )) = κ(x1 x2 , x2 x0 , x0 x1 ) = x0 x1 x2 (x0 , x1 , x2 ) and the

definition of κ by means of involutive projectivities, we can immediately
see that κ is involutive. Thus, the κ-image of u is L∞ . The Euler line
e = [X2 , X3 ] (or L2,3 in Kimberling’s notation) is mapped to the Jeřabek
hyperbola h, see Figure 9.12.
In fact, any line l with homogeneous trilinear coordinates (l0 ∶ l2 ∶ l2 ) is
mapped to a conic with the equation
c ∶ l0 x′1 x′2 + l1 x′2 x′0 + l2 x′0 x′1 = 0
which is circumscribed to Δ. If (l0 ∶ l1 ∶ l2 ) are the coordinates of a
triangle center, then they can be identified with the trilinear coordinates
of a central line which has a corresponding central conic circumscribed

conic to Δ. So there are three one-to-one correspondences: 1. between
triangle centers and central lines, 2. between central lines and central
conics, and 3. between central conics and triangle centers.
In Figure 9.12 we can also see what happens with the incircle i if we apply
the isogonal transformation κ. The image curve i′ is a quartic curve with
three cusps since i touches the three base lines (i.e., the joins of the three
exceptional points). In case of an equilateral triangle Δ, the quartic i′
has a three-fold symmetry and is frequently called deltoid, but it is a
hypocycloid, namely Steiner’s hypocycloid.
Isotomic conjugation
Another transformation that appears frequently in triangle geometry is

called the isotomic conjugation. Like the isogonal conjugation, this map-
ping is also an involutive quadratic Cremona transformation.
Figure 9.13 shows how to apply the isotomic conjugation to a point X
in the plane of the triangle Δ: The vertices XA , XB , XC of the Cevian-
triangle of a point X are reflected in the midpoints of Δ’s sides. For
example, XC ∈ [B, C] is mapped to XC′ via the reflection in the midpoint
′ ′
MC of AB. The points XA , XB , and XC′ are the vertices of the Cevian
triangle of the isotomic conjugate X ′ of X.
C
XB′
′
MB X ′ XA
MA
XA
XB
X
A XC MC XC′ B
FIGURE 9.13. The isotomic transformation is somehow dual to the isogonal
transformation: The vertices XA , XB , XC of the Cevian-triangle of X are re-
flected in the midpoints of the sides of Δ which results in the Cevian-triangle of
the isotomic conjugate X ′ of X.
● Exercise 9.1.6 Isotomic conjugation. Show that the isotomic conjugation as explained
above is a quadratic Cremona transformation of type 1 (cf. the normal form given in (7.15)).
Show that a point X with homogeneous trilinear coordinates (ξ ∶ η ∶ ζ) is mapped to
(b2 c2 ηζ ∶ c2 a2 ζξ ∶ a2 b2 ξη).
● Exercise 9.1.7 The Steiner ellipse as the isotomic image of the line at infinity. Show that
the image of the ideal line L∞ under the isotomic conjugation is the Steiner circumellipse s
of Δ with the equation
s ∶ bcx1 x2 + cax2 x0 + abx0 x1 = 0.
Figure 9.14 shows the action of the isotomic mapping on the grid of lines parallel to the sides
of the base triangle Δ.
FIGURE 9.14. Left: grid of lines parallel to Δ’s sides, Right: the isotomic trans-
form of the grid.
9.2 Isoptic curves of conics
FIGURE 9.15. Isoptic curves of an ellipse (left), a parabola (middle), and a

hyperbola (right). The orthoptic circles (left and right) and the orthoptic line
(middle) are drawn in dark blue.
The locus iϕ of points from which a given curve c can be seen under
a constant angle is called isoptic curve, or simply, isoptic. Especially, if
ϕ = π2 , we call iϕ the orthoptic curve of c. The orthopic curves of ellipses
are circles (cf. 2.2.6). However, it is clear that the isoptic curves of circles
are concentric circles. The radius rϕ of the isoptic circle cϕ of a circle c
with radius r equals
r
rϕ = .
cos ϕ2
In the following we shall derive the isoptic curve of conics. We start with
an ellipse and pay attention to the isoptics of parabolas. The computations
of isoptics of a hyperbola shall be left to the reader as an exercise.
Isoptic curves of ellipses

The ellipse e is given by the equation
X2 Y 2
e∶ + 2 =1
a2 b
where a > b is an admissible assumption. If the point with Cartesian
coordinates (x, y) is a point on the isoptic curve iϕ of e, then there are
9.2 Isoptic curves of conics 395
two tangents t and τ of e passing through (x, y). The tangents t and τ
touch e at the points (u, v) and (ξ, η) which yields
ux vy xξ yη
t∶ + = 1, τ∶ + =1 (9.7)
a2 b2 a2 b2
and
u2 v 2 ξ 2 η2
+ = 1, + = 1. (9.8)
a2 b2 a2 b2
c c=̂
c
π−ϕ
̂
c
e
e
FIGURE 9.16. Left: The two branches c and ̂ c of the isoptic curve of an ellipse
e appear as the zeros of one algebraic equation. From points on c, the ellipse e
is seen under the angle ϕ; from points on ̂ c the ellipse is seen under the angle
π − ϕ. Right: If ϕ = π, then the two branches c and ̂ c become one branch
√ of
multiplicity two. It is the director circle with center (0, 0) and radius a2 + b2 .
The measure of the angle enclosed by the tangents t and τ shall be ϕ.

From the equations (9.7) of t and τ , we can determine the slope angles
against the x-axis:
ub2 ξb2
tan <) (t, x-axis) = = tan ϕ1 , tan <) (τ, x-axis) = = tan ϕ2 .
va2 ηa2
Since ϕ = ϕ2 − ϕ1 , we use the formula
tan ϕ2 − tan ϕ1
tan(ϕ2 − ϕ1 ) =
1 + tan ϕ1 tan ϕ2
which results in
ξv − ηu
tan ϕ = a2 b2 . (9.9)
a4 ηv + b4 ξu
The isoptic curve iϕ of e is now determined by the equations (9.7), (9.8),
and (9.9). These are five equations in the six unknowns u, v, ξ, η, x, and y.
We eliminate all variables but x and y and arrive at an implicit equation
of iϕ . In a first elimination step we use (9.7) and eliminate for example u
and ξ from (9.8) and (9.9). In a final step, v and η are to be eliminated
from the modified equation in (9.9) and we arrive at the quartic curve
iϕ ∶ (x2 + y 2 − a2 − b2 )2 + 4 cot2 ϕ(a2 b2 − b2 x2 − a2 y 2 ) = 0. (9.10)
From (9.10), we can see that the orthoptic curve iπ/2 is a circle of multi-
plicity two: With ϕ = π2 , or equivalently, cot ϕ = 0, (9.10) simplifies to
(x2 + y 2 − a2 − b2 )2 = 0,
and thus, the isoptic circle iπ/2 of e is centered at (0, 0), i.e., it is concentric
√
with e and has the radius a2 + b2 (compare with Theorem 2.2.6). Figure
9.15 shows some isoptic curves of a hyperbola, a parabola and an ellipse.
The orthoptic curves are shown in dark blue. In Figure 9.16, the isoptic
curve of an ellipse with ϕ = π3 is shown. Here, we observe that the isoptic iϕ
consists of two separated branches c and ̂ c provided that ϕ ≠ 0, π2 , π. This is
a consequence of the fact that cot(π−ϕ) = − cot ϕ and cot2 (π−ϕ) = cot2 ϕ.
However, the two branches c and ̂ c are two disjoint components of one
irreducible algebraic variety given by (9.10).
We introduce homogeneous coordinates by letting x = x1 x−1 −1
0 and y = x2 x0
4 2
and multiply (9.10) by x0 tan ϕ which gives
tan2 ϕ(x21 + x22 − (a2 + b2 )x20 )2 + 4x20 (a2 b2 x20 − b2 x21 − a2 x22 ) = 0.
If ϕ = 0 or ϕ = π, we have
x20 (a2 b2 x20 − b2 x21 − a2 x22 ) = 0
as the equation of i0 or iπ . Thus, i0 and iπ consist of e and the ideal line

of the real projective plane. The ideal line appears with multiplicity two
since the tangents drawn from ideal points to e enclose an angle of 0○ as
well as 180○ .
The absolute points (0 ∶ 1 ∶ i) and (0 ∶ 1 ∶ −i) are double points on iϕ

(ϕ ≠ 0, π2 , π): This can easily be seen if iϕ is intersected with the ideal line
ω ∶ x0 = 0. This gives (x21 + x22 )2 = (x1 + ix2 )2 (x1 − ix2 )2 = 0.
We summarize:
Theorem 9.2.1 The isoptic curves iϕ of ellipses are quartic curves with
double points at the absolute points of Euclidean geometry if ϕ ≠ 0, π2 , π.
The orthoptic of an ellipse√is a circle of multiplicity two concentric with
the ellipse and with radius a2 + b2 if a and b are the ellipse’s semimajor
and semiminor axes.
This result holds similarly for hyperbolas, see the exercise on page 399.
Isoptic curves of a parabola
p
̂
c p
π−ϕ ϕ
c
c=̂
c
FIGURE 9.17. Left: The two branches c and ̂ c of the isoptic curve of a parabola
p are part of one conic. From points on c, the parabola p is seen under the angle
ϕ; from points on ̂c the ellipse is seen under the angle π −ϕ. Right: If ϕ = π, then
the two branches c and ̂ c become one line of multiplicity two. It is p’s directrix.
The equation of a parabola p in Cartesian coordinates (X, Y ) is

p ∶ X 2 − 2qY = 0
where q ∈ R {0}. The point (x, y) is a point of the isoptic curve iϕ of p
if it is the intersection of two tangents
t ∶ xu − q(v + y) = 0, τ ∶ ξx − q(η + y) = 0 (9.11)
which touch p at the points (u, v) and (ξ, η), respectively. The contact
points satisfy
u2 − 2qv = 0, ξ 2 − 2qη = 0. (9.12)
Again, we use the equations of the tangents (9.11) and read off the tan-
gent of the angles enclosed with the x-axis of the underlying Cartesian
coordinate system. We denote these angles by the same Greek letters as
done in the case of the ellipse and arrive at
u ξ
tan ϕ1 = and tan ϕ2 = .
q q
With the formula for tan(ϕ2 − ϕ1 ) we have
ξ+u
tan ϕ = tan(ϕ2 − ϕ1 ) = q (9.13)
q 2 + ξu
for the tangent of ϕ = <) (t, τ ). From (9.11), (9.12), and (9.13) we eliminate
u, v, ξ, and η in order to find the implicit equation of the isoptic curves
of the parabola p. This yields
iϕ ∶ (q + 2y)2 − 4 cot2 ϕ(x2 − 2qy) = 0. (9.14)
Surprisingly, the equation of the isoptics of parabolas are quadratic. Thus,

these curves are conics. Moreover, the quadratic part of (9.14) equals
y 2 − x2 cot2 ϕ
from which we infer that iϕ is a hyperbola as long as ϕ ≠ 0, π2 , π. For an

elementary approach to this result, we refer to Exercise 2.2.7. Figure 9.15
(middle) shows some isoptic hyperbolas of a parabola.
The unexpected reduction of the degree of the isoptics in the present case
is caused by the following fact: In the last elimination step, the factor
4x2 + (q − 2y)2
splits off from the final resultant. This quadratic polynomial does not
involve ϕ and can, therefore, not describe a part of the isoptic curve. If
it is set equal to zero, this is the equation of the pair of isotropic lines
through the focus of the parabola p.
h
ϕ
iϕ i π2
FIGURE 9.18. Left: Isoptic curve of a hyperbola h. Right: Orthoptic curve of a

hyperbola h.
Since (9.14) can be rearranged and homogenized as done above for the
isoptics of the ellipse, we can write
tan2 ϕ(px0 + 2x2 )2 − 4(x21 − 2px0 x2 ) = 0.
Now, the equation of the orthoptic is found by inserting ϕ = π

2 which gives
(px0 + 2x2 )2 = 0.
Thus, the orthoptic of a parabola is its directrix with multiplicity two.

In other words: Tangents of a parabola that intersect in points of the
directrix are orthogonal. Figure 9.15 as well as Figure 9.17 shows some
isoptic curves of a parabola and the directrix as the orthoptic.
Now we can summarize the results:
Theorem 9.2.2 The isoptic curves iϕ of parabolas are hyperbolas if ϕ ≠

0, π2 , π. The directrix of a parabola is the parabola’s orthoptic curve.
● Exercise 9.2.1 Isoptic curves of a hyperbola.
Show that the equation of the isoptic curve iϕ of the hyperbola
x2 y 2
− 2 =1
a2 b
is
(x2 + y 2 − a2 + b2 )2 + 4 cot2 ϕ(b2 x2 − a2 y 2 − a2 b2 ) = 0.
√
The orthoptic curves of the given hyperbola is the circle centered at (0, 0) with radius a2 − b2
provided that a > b. What happens in the cases a = b or a < b (cf. Figure 9.18)? What is the
difference between iϕ and iπ−ϕ ?
The double role of an isoptic of a conic with center
iϕ
h h
FIGURE 9.19. Any isoptic curve iϕ of a conic e is also an isoptic curve to another
conic h, but for a different angle.
The only coefficients in the equation of the isoptic of an ellipse as given

in (9.10) which depend on a, b, and ϕ are those of the monomials x2 , y 2 ,
and the of the term free of x and y:
Cx ∶= −2(a2 + b2 − 2b2 cot2 ϕ),

Cy ∶= −2(a2 + b2 − 2a2 cot2 ϕ), (9.15)
C0 ∶= (a + b ) + 4a b cot ϕ.
2 2 2 2 2 2
Assume that we are given an isoptic curve iϕ of an ellipse e for some

ϕ ≠ 0, π2 , π. Then, the coefficients Cx , Cy , and C0 are uniquely determined.
On the other hand, we can consider only Cx , Cy , and C0 as given values
and assume that we have forgotten a, b, and ϕ. So, the equations (9.15) are
a system in the unknowns a2 , b2 , and cot2 ϕ. Since the first two equations
are linear and the second equation is quadratic, we find up to two values
for a2 , b2 , cot2 ϕ. Therefore, we can say:
Theorem 9.2.3 Any isoptic curve iϕ of a conic e with center is an isop-

tic curve iϕ̂ for another concentric conic h. The squares of the semiaxes
lengths and the angle are the solutions of the system given in (9.15).
Figure 9.19 shows two conics e and h with the same curve iϕ for an isoptic
of both conics.
The isoptic curves of conics are spiric curves. Some of these curves can
be seen in Figure 3.37 in Section 3.2 where spiric curves appeared as
generalizations of conics.
9.3 Pedal points on conics, Apollonian hyperbola
Pedal points on ellipses and hyperbolas
h h P
e e
P e
P
h
FIGURE 9.20. Different appearances of Apollonian hyperbolas correspond to

different numbers of pedal points: from left to right: four, three, and two normals
from P to e.
Let us now face a problem that may be important for various problems
in computational geometry, e.g., for collision detection. Assume we are
given an ellipse e with the Cartesian equation
x2 y 2
e∶ + =1
a2 b2
with a > b and a point P = (u, v) in the plane of the ellipse. We ask for a
point N ∈ e that is closest to the given point P .
For an extremal distance between a parametrized curve c(t) and the point
P with coordinate vector p it is necessary that
d
⟨c − p, c − p⟩ = ⟨ċ, c − p⟩ = 0.
dt
This means, at points in extremal distance to P the normal of the curve
has to pass through P . Therefore, we measure the distance of P to the
ellipse e on a normal n of the ellipse that is passing through P . The point
F ∈ e where n is the ellipse’s normal is called pedal point of the normal
n drawn from P to e. Thus, the distance of P to the ellipses satisfies
eP = F P .
The normal n at N = (x, y) ∈ e is parallel to the gradient
1 x y
gradc (N ) = ( 2 , 2 )
2 a b
9.3 Pedal points on conics, Apollonian hyperbola 403
of the left-hand side of e at N , and thus, we have the condition

y
u−x ⎛ − 2 ⎞
⟨( b
) , ⎜ x ⎟⟩ = 0.
v−y ⎝ ⎠
a2
The latter equation can be written as
h ∶ (a2 − b2 )xy + vb2 x + ua2 y = 0. (9.16)
Equation (9.16) is the equation of an equilateral hyperbola h passing

through the center M of the ellipse since (0, 0) satisfying (9.16). The
hyperbola is called Apollonian hyperbola and does not change if (a, b) is
replaced with (λa, λb) while λ ≠ 0. Its asymptotes are parallel to the axes
of the ellipse. Obviously, we can find the candidates of closest points as
the at most four points of intersection of h and the given ellipse e. Thus,
we have:
Theorem 9.3.1 The pedal points of the normals drawn from a point P
to an ellipse e are located on the Apollonian hyperbola h. The hyperbola
h contains the point P and the center M of the ellipse. Furthermore, it
is equilateral since its asymptotes are parallel to the axis of the e. The
hyperbola h remains the same when the ellipse is transformed by a central
similarity with center M and scaling factor λ ≠ 0.
The number of solutions to the initial problem is at most four since there
are at most four common points of e and h. We can find at least two real
solutions, i.e., there are at least two real normals of e passing through a
point P in e’s plane because the hyperbola h contains the center M of the
ellipse e. Figure 9.20 shows three different choices of P such that there
are four, three, and two real normals form P to e.
● Exercise 9.3.1 Normals from a point P to a hyperbola.

Show that Theorem 9.3.1 holds in similar way if we replace the ellipse e by the hyperbola l
with the equation
x2 y 2
l ∶ 2 − 2 = 1.
a b
In this case, the Apollonian hyperbola has the equation
(a2 + b2 )xy − vb2 x − ua2 y = 0. (9.17)
Figure 9.21 shows some appearances of Apollonian hyperbolas depending on P .

l P l
l h l l h
h P P
h
h h
l
FIGURE 9.21. Different appearances of Apollonian hyperbolas h correspond to

different numbers of pedal points: from left to right: two, three, and four normals
from P to the hyperbola l.
The Apollonian hyperbola for an ellipse or a hyperbola degenerates and

splits into a pair of different lines if u = 0 or v = 0, i.e., if the point P lies
on one of the axes of the ellipse or hyperbola, cf. (9.16) and (9.17). If we
insert a = b into (9.16), then we see that the Apollonian hyperbola of a
circle is the circle’s diameter through P .
Pedal points on parabolas
● Exercise 9.3.2 Pedal points on a parabola. Now we treat the normals from a point P =
(u, v) to the parabola p with the equation
p ∶ x2 − 2qy = 0
with q ≠ 0. The techniques are almost the same. We treat this case separately since the
number of solutions differs from that in the case of ellipses and hyperbolas. Again, we find an
Apollonian hyperbola h. Here, it has the equation
h ∶ xy + (q − v)x − uq = 0.
We cannot expect the same behavior of h for there is no center to pass through. If u = 0, then
P is a point on the axis of the parabola. Exactly in this case, the Apollonian hyperbola of p
splits into p’s axis (with equation x = 0) and a further line (with equation y = v − q).
h h h
P p P
P
p
h h
p
FIGURE 9.22. The normals from a point P to a parabola p (from left to right):
two solutions, one with multiplicity two, the generic case with three solutions,
one solution.
9.3 Pedal points on conics, Apollonian hyperbola 405
The two conics c and h share one ideal point (0 ∶ 0 ∶ 1), and thus, we
obtain at most three common points and at least one real common point
(see Figure 9.22). So, we have
Theorem 9.3.2 The number of real normals which can be drawn from
a generic point P to a parabola p ranges between one and three. The
pedal points lie on an equilateral hyperbola h which also contains P . The
asymptotes of h are parallel to the axis and the tangent at the vertex of
the parabola p.
9.4 Pedal curves of conics
Pedal curve of a circle

Assume we are given a conic c and a point F in c’s plane. We define the
pedal curve p of c with respect to F as the set of pedal points of normals
from F to c’s tangents. In the simple case of a circle c and the choice of F
as the center of c the pedal curve p equals the initial circle. Theorem 2.2.2
was a first non-trivial result on pedal curves of conics and showed that
circles may appear as pedal curves.
p p p
c c
c
F F F
FIGURE 9.23. Pascal’s limaçons as pedal curves p of a circle c for three different
choices of F . Left: F is an ordinary double point on p if c sends two tangents
through F . Middle: F is an isolated double point of p if F is an interior point
of c. Right: The pedal curve has a cusp at F if F ∈ c; p is a cardioid.
Some basic properties of pedal curves (as we can observe them in

Figure 9.23) can be seen from the definition and hold if c is an arbi-
trary conic (ellipse, parabola, hyperbola). There are two, one, or no real
tangents of c passing through F . Thus, there are two, one, or zero real
normals and the same number of pedal points coinciding with F . There-
fore, the point F is an ordinary double point on p in the first case, a cusp
of the first kind on p (like (0, 0) on x3 = y 2 ), or an isolated double point
on p.
If c is a circle and F does not coincide with the center C, then let d = CF .
The equations of the pedal curves of c now depend on d. Without loss of
generality we may assume that c is the circle with equation (x−d)2 +y 2 = r 2
with r > 0 and d ∈ R and F = (0, 0). The tangents of c are given by
t ∶ (x − d) cos ϕ + y sin ϕ = r
9.4 Pedal curves of conics 407
and the corresponding normals through F have the equation
n ∶ − x sin ϕ + y cos ϕ = 0
with ϕ ∈ [0, 2π[ defining the point of contact. The intersection of t and n
results in a parametrization of the pedal curve p and reads
p(ϕ) = (cos ϕ(r + d cos ϕ), sin ϕ(r + d cos ϕ)). (9.18)
We eliminate the parameter ϕ from 9.18 and find the implicit equation
of the circles’ pedal curves as
p ∶ (x2 + y 2 )2 − 2dx(x2 + y 2 ) + (d2 − r 2 )x2 − r 2 y 2 = 0. (9.19)
Since the terms of lowest degree in x and y are quadratic, the curve p has
a double point at F = (0, 0). The linear factors
√ √
(x d2 − r 2 + ry) (x d2 − r 2 − ry) = 0
of the quadratic term of (9.19) give the equations of the tangents of c at

F . This again shows that the point F is an ordinary double point if d > r,
that F is a cusp if d = r, that F is isolated if d < r.
The curve p given in (9.19) has cusps at the absolute points (0 ∶ 1 ∶ ±i).
This can be concluded from properties of the pedal transformation (cf.
Theorem 7.5.3 on page 335).
Conchoids of a circle
Let F = (0, 0) be a point in the plane of the circle c with center C = (d, 0)
and radius r > 0. Now we construct a curve k from F and the points of
c by adding a segment of constant length l ∈ R to the point X ∈ c on the
lines [F, X]. The curve k is called the conchoid of the circle c at distance
l, cf. Figure 9.24. Note that k has two branches k1 and k2 , one branch
corresponding to l and the other one corresponding to −l. If K is the
endpoint of such a segment, then its trace can be parametrized by first
parametrizing the set of points X ∈ c as (d + r cos t, r sin t) with t ∈ [0, 2π[.
Then, we find a parametrization of the conchoid k
l l
k(t) = ((d + r cos t) (1 + ) , r sin t (1 + )) (9.20)
W W
√
where W ∶= d2 + r 2 + 2dr cos t.
k1
c P1
X
k2 P2 l
l
F
FIGURE 9.24. Construction of conchoids of a circle c: Top row: Determine points

P1 , P2 on [F, X] such that XP1 = d = XP2 = d (left). Some conchoids of a circle
with F as interior point (right). Bottom row: Some conchoids of a circle with F
on the circle (left), and an outer point F (right).
By eliminating the parameter t we obtain an implicit equation of the

conchoid k which reads
(x2 + y 2 )3 − 2(l2 + r 2 − 3d2 + 2dx)(x2 + y 2 )2

−4d2 x2 y 2 + 4dx(l2 + r 2 − d2 )(x2 + y 2 ) (9.21)
+((l − d − r ) − 4d r )(x + y ) = 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Obviously, this is a sextic which has triple points at the absolute points
since (x2 + y 2 )3 = 0 describes the directions to the points of intersection
with the ideal line.
If now F ∈ c, i.e., d = ±r, the sextic splits into a circle about F with radius
l and a quartic:
(x2 + y 2 − l2 )((x2 + y 2 )2 − 4rx(x2 + y 2 ) + (4r 2 − l2 )x2 − l2 y 2 ) = 0
A comparison of the quartic factor with (9.19) shows that, in the special
case F ∈ c, the pedal curve p equals the conchoid k if, and only if, l = ±r
and r = d2 . In this special case, k is known as Pascal’s limaçon, named
after Étienne Pascal (1588–1651), the father of Blaise Pascal. So,
we can state:
Theorem 9.4.1 Pascal’s limaçon is a pedal curve and a conchoid of a

circle at the same time.
Figure 9.24 shows some conchoids of a circle for some choices of F and l.
Pedal curves of parabolas
c
c
c
F F
p
p
F
p
FIGURE 9.25. Pedal curves of a parabola c with respect to F : an outer point

F (left), F ∈ c (middle), and an interior point F (right).
Among the pedal curves of a parabola we find a lot of well-known curves.

We shall give some examples here. Let us assume that a parabola c is
given by the equation
c ∶ x2 − 4ay = 0,
or equivalently, by the parametrization
c(t) = (4at, 4at2 )
where a ∈ R {0} and t ∈ R. The pedal curve will be constructed with
respect to the point F = (u, v). The tangents of c and the normals n
passing through F are now given by their Cartesian equations
4at2 − 2tx + y = 0 and u + 2tv − x − 2ty = 0. (9.22)
We eliminate the parameter t from these two equations and find an im-
plicit equation of c’s pedal curve p with respect to F as
p ∶ (y 2 + x2 )y + (a − v)x2 − uxy − 2vy 2 + u(v − 2a)x + v 2 y + au2 = 0. (9.23)
On the other hand, a rational parametrization of p can be found by simply

solving the system of linear equations given in (9.22) with respect to x
and y. Thus, we can say:
Theorem 9.4.2 The pedal curve p of a parabola c with respect to any

point F is a rational cubic curve with its singularity at F . The cubic p is
circular, i.e., it contains the absolute points (0 ∶ 1 ∶ ±i).
The point F is singular on p, to be more precise, it is a double point by

the same reasons as in the case of a circle. Figure 9.25 shows the pedal
curves p of a parabola c for three different choices of F .
c
c
c
F
F
p p p
F
FIGURE 9.26. Special choices of F result in special pedal curves.
Notable pedal curves appear for some special choices of F . If we choose

F equal to the focus of the parabola c, i.e., u = 0 and v = a, then (9.23)
simplifies and factors into
y(x2 + (y − a)2 ) = 0
which is the equation of a reducible cubic curve being the union of c’s
tangent at the vertex (with the equation y = 0) and the two isotropic lines
x ± i(y − a) = 0 through c’s focus F (see Figure 9.26, left). This means
that the lines through the focus of a parabola which are orthogonal to
the tangents of the parabola meet the tangents in points on the tangent
at the parabola’s vertex (compare with Theorem 2.2.2 and Figure 2.13).
This gives the following kinematic generation of a parabola:
Theorem 9.4.3 Let the vertex of a rigid right angle glide along a line l
such that one leg m is incident with a fixed point F ∉ l. Then, the envelope
of the other leg n is a parabola with focus F and the tangent l at the vertex.
If F = (0, 0), i.e., F is the vertex of c, then (9.23) simplifies to
y(x2 + y 2 ) + ax2 = 0.
This curve is called right cissoide (see Figure 9.26 in the middle) and is
a special case of cissoides. The more general forms of cissoides appear for
any other choice of F on the parabola c.
We obtain MacLaurin’s trisectrix if F = (0, −3a). Then, the tangents at
p’s double point F enclose an angle of 120○ .
Some prominent examples of pedal curves of conics with center
FIGURE 9.27. Some lemniscates as pedal curves of conics with center: Left:
The pedal curve of an ellipse with respect to the ellipse’s center is Booth’s
lemniscate. Right: The pedal curve of an equilateral hyperbola with respect to
its center is Bernoulli’s lemniscate.
● Exercise 9.4.1 Two lemniscates as pedal curves.

Assume a, b ∈ R and a > 0, b > 0. Then,
x2 y2
c∶ 2
+ε 2 =1
a b
is the equation of a conic. The curve c is an ellipse/hyperbola if ε = +1/ε = −1. Show that
p ∶ ε2 (x2 + y 2 )2 − 2ε2 (ux + vy)(x2 + y 2 ) − ε2 (a2 − u2 )x2 ) − (ε2 v2 − b2 )y 2
−2ε2 uvxy − 2ε2 a2 ux − 2b2 vy + a2 ε2 u2 + b2 v2
is the equation of the pedal curve of c with respect to F = (u, v). For the special choice
F = (0, 0) the pedal curve p is Booth’s lemniscate if = +1 and it is Bernoulli’s lemniscate
if = −1 (see Figure 9.27).
9.5 Poncelet porisms
FIGURE 9.28. A Poncelet polygon defines a quadrangular Poncelet grid. There

are two families of conics supplying the vertices of the grid.
A porism is a theorem about a closure property of a geometric figure or

construction. It is a theorem of the form: If some problem has a solution
for a specific choice of initial elements, then it can be solved infinitely
many times, i.e., for any admissible choice of initial elements.
At first we describe the Braikenridge-MacLaurin problem of closed poly-
gons which are inscribed in one polygon and circumscribed to another
9.5 Poncelet porisms 413
polygon at the same time. Then, we pay attention to the porism of Pon-
celet which deals with polygons which are inscribed in one conic and
circumscribed to another conic. The conics appearing in the Poncelet po-
rism can be seen as a generalization of the polygons which occur in the
Braikenridge-MacLaurin problem. In this section, conics are alway assu-
med to be regular unless otherwise stated.
Closure problems in polygons
C3 C4
C3
I2
I2
I3
I3 I1
I4
I1
C1 2′ 1′ 2 1 C2 C1 1′ 3′2′ 32 1 C2
FIGURE 9.29. Closed polygons inscribed in and circumscribed to triangles or
quadrangles always correspond to the solutions of quadratic equations.
For given n ≥ 3 we want to construct an n-gon that is circumscribed to a

given n-gon and inscribed in a given n-lateral in P2 (R). Literally, we shall
try out the problem on a triangle I1 I2 I3 and a trilateral consisting of the
sides of the triangle C1 C2 C3 . We start with a point labeled by 1 on the
side [C1 , C2 ]. We join 1 with I1 and extend the segment to its intersection
with the side [C2 , C3 ]. Then, we extend the line from this point through
I2 and intersect with the line [C3 , C1 ], and finally extend the line from
this point through I3 to intersect [C1 , C2 ] again. If we have the good
fortune to discover that the new point 1′ coincides with 1, then we have
found a solution. Figure 9.29, left, illustrates our attempts. However, this
event will not be the case in general, and so we try again a second and
third time. The sequences of points 1, 2, 3, . . . and 1′ , 2′ , 3′ , . . . are related
via the projectivity
I I I
=1 [C2 , C3 ] ∧
α∶ [C1 , C2 ] ∧ =2 [C3 , C1 ] ∧
=3 [C1 , C2 ].
Now the question arises: Is there a fixed point, i.e., a point 1 which coin-
cides with the corresponding point 1′ = α(1)? We learned in Section 5.2
that α ∶ xR → x′ R is represented by a linear map x′ = Ax with a 2 × 2
matrix A when on the line [C1 , C2 ] homogeneous coordinates are used.
xR is fixed if, and only if, there is an eigenvalue λ ∈ R with Ax = λx. The
eigenvalues of A are the zeros of the quadratic characteristic polynomial
of A, and each eigenvalue λ gives at least one fixed point as nontrivial
solution of the homogeneous linear system (A − λI2 )x = 0. Hence, either
two fixed points (two distinct real, or one real of multiplicity 2, or a con-
jugate complex pair) are to be expected, or, when A happens to be a
multiple of the unit matrix I2 , then α is the identity, and the triangle clo-
ses for each choice. The latter occurs when the point triples {C1 , I1 , I2 },
{C2 , I2 , I3 } and {C3 , I3 , I1 } are collinear (Figure 9.30, left). Since the solu-
tions of a quadratic equation can be found by straightedge and compass,
the Braikenridge-MacLaurin problem can also be solved graphically
by means of classical drawing tools.
● Exercise 9.5.1 The Braikenridge-MacLaurin problem asks for triangles inscribed in the
triangle C1 C2 C3 and circumscribed to I1 I2 I3 . Why is there an infinity of such triangles if, and
only if, the point triples {C1 , I1 , I2 }, {C2 , I2 , I3 } and {C3 , I3 , I1 } are collinear (note Figure
9.30, left)?
The number n of vertices (or equivalently, the number of edges) of the

involved polygons C1 C2 . . . Cn and I1 I2 . . . In (see the case n = 4 in
Figure 9.29) plays no role at this problem; the presented procedure works
in the same way for n > 3. There is always a quadratic equation to be
solved, i.e., there are either two real solutions, or one real solution of
multiplicity two, or two conjugate complex solutions, or even infinitely
many solutions. However, the Braikenridge-MacLaurin problem is
no example of a porism.
There is no big difference between this problem and the modification
in which the polygon C1 C2 . . . Cn is replaced by a conic c. Under the
assumption that none of the vertices I1 , I2 , . . . In is a point of c we can
again start with points 1, 2, 3 ∈ c like before. Thus, we obtain on c a
projectivity α which is the product of involutions with the centers I1 , I2 ,
and so on. Again, the fixed points of α are the starting points for closing
n-gons inscribed in c and circumscribed to the n-gon I1 I2 . . . In .
In the case n = 3 the projectivity α is the identity if, and only if, I1 I2 I3
is auto-polar with respect to c. But this implies that two vertices of this
I3
C3
1 =1′
I1
I2
I3
I2
I1
C2
C1 1 =1′
c
FIGURE 9.30. These are particular cases where each triangle closes which is
inscribed in the triangle C1 C2 C (left) or to the conic c (right) and which has
sides passing in turn through I1 , I2 and I3 .
auto-polar triangle are outside of c, i.e., in the area of points where two
real tangent lines of c are meeting (note Figure 9.30, right).
Special porisms
What about the following? We replace the outer and inner polygon by co-
nics c and i and ask for n-gons which are inscribed in c and circumscribed
P2 c c
P2
P1 P1
M I M I
i i
P3 P3
FIGURE 9.31. Left: triangle with incircle i and circumcircle c. Right: poristic
family of triangles.
to i. A famous and well-known example comes from the elementary geo-

metry of the triangle.
Any triangle T in the Euclidean plane with vertices P1 , P2 , and P3 has a
circumcircle c and an incircle i. The sides of T touch the incircle i while
the vertices are located on c (Figure 9.31). Surprisingly, it turns out that
the incircle i and the circumcircle c of T are incircle and circumcircle for
more than just one triangle. Indeed, there are infinitely many triangles
with vertices on c whose sides touch i.
To put it in another way: Start with two circles, say c and i. Pick a point
P0 on c and draw one of the tangents t0 to i. Then, t0 and c share two
points P0 and P1 . Now apply the same procedure to P1 and let t1 be the
tangent to i that is different from t0 . In the case of the aforementioned
triangle we find P3 = P0 , i.e., the polygon P0 P1 P2 is closed. Furthermore,
if we start with a pair of circles that is known to be the incircle and
circumcircle of a triangle T , then the polygon closes independently of
the choice of P0 . There is a one-parameter family of triangles sharing the
incircle and the circumcircle.
c P2
i i
P3 P1
c
FIGURE 9.32. Triangles inscribed in a conic and circumscribed to another conic.

Left: Both conics are ellipses. Right: Both conics are hyperbolas.
In the next sections we will deal with the generalization for two conics
c and i (Figure 9.32). The theorem of Colin MacLaurin (1698–1746)
states (note Corollary 9.5.5 on page 425)
If there exists one triangle inscribed in a conic c and circumscribed
to another conic i, then there are infinitely many triangles inscribed
in and circumscribed to these conics c and i.
This result is remarkable for the following reason: We learned already in

Section 6.4 that all pairs consisting of a conic and an inscribed triangle
are projectively equivalent. However, for any triangle P1 P2 P3 inscribed in
c there is still a two-parametric family of inscribed conics i. Nevertheless,
each of them constitutes a poristic family together with c. It will turn out
that by Theorem 9.5.2 for any given conic c there is a four-parametric
family of conics i admitting a poristic family of triangles.
E3
t
e
c
P2 T1 P2 T3
P1 c M
E I I
M P1
i i
E2 P3
P3
T2
E1
FIGURE 9.33. Further porisms. Left: While a triangle P1 P2 P3 is traversing its

poristic family, the triangle’s excenters E1 , E2 , E3 trace a circle e. Thus, there
are three nested porisms. Right: The vertices T1 , T2 , T3 of the tangent triangles
of all triangles in a poristic family trace an ellipse t.
There are some more porisms involving one-parameter families of tri-

angles. Figure 9.33 shows a few examples: If a triangle moves through its
poristic family, then the vertices of its excentral triangle, i.e., the triangle
built by the centers of the excircles, move on a circle e. The radius of e
is twice the circumradius of the triangles in the poristic family. Since e’s
center E is the reflection of the incenter I in the circumcenter M , e can
be obtained from the circumcircle c by applying a central dilation with
center I and scale factor 2. On the right-hand side of Figure 9.33 we see a
kind of porism as described in Theorem 9.5: The vertices of the so-called
tangent triangle move on an ellipse while the base triangle is traversing
its poristic family.
Inpolar conics
There are many porisms connected with pairs of conics. This is the reason
why in the coming sections we study relations between two conics which
are projectively invariant. Most important in this respect is the (genera-
lized) characteristic polynomial of two 3 × 3 matrices8 C, D
FC,D (σ, τ ) ∶= det(σC + τ D) = k0 σ 3 + k1 σ 2 τ + k2 στ 2 + k3 τ 3 . (9.24)
The substitutions τ = 0 or σ = 0 reveal k0 = det C and k3 = det D. But
there are also formulas for the remaining coefficients. For regular C and
D we can rewrite FC,D (σ, τ ) as
det(σC + τ D) = det [C(σI3 + τ C−1 D)] = det [(σI3 + τ DC−1 )C] =
= det [D(σD−1 C + τ I3 )] = det [(σCD−1 + τ I3 )D] .
Hence, the generalized characteristic polynomial is related to the (ordi-
nary) characteristic polynomial of CD−1 and its inverse DC−1 by
FC,D (1, −X) = det D ⋅ det(CD−1 − XI3 ),
(9.25)
FC,D (−X, 1) = det C ⋅ det(DC−1 − XI3 ).
The coefficient of X 2 in the (ordinary) characteristic polynomial det(M −
XI3 ) equals the trace tr M. This implies for the coefficients in the gene-
ralized characteristic polynomial FC,D (σ, τ ) introduced in (9.24)
k0 = det C, k1 = det C ⋅ tr(C−1 D) = det C ⋅ tr(DC−1 ),
(9.26)
k3 = det D, k2 = det D ⋅ tr(D−1 C) = det D ⋅ tr(CD−1 ).
Let C, D be symmetric coefficient matrices of two conics in P2 (R). Chan-
ges of the underlying coordinate frame leave the ratio of coefficients
k0 ∶ k1 ∶ k2 ∶ k3 in FC,D (σ, τ ) invariant since for C′ = TT C T and
D′ = TT D T we get
FC′ ,D′ (σ, τ )= det(σD′+τ C′)= (det T)2 det(σD+τ C)= (det T)2 FC,D (σ, τ ).
Nevertheless, the ratios of any two coefficients are still no invariants of the
pair of conics since the replacement of C by a scalar multiple λC yields
FλC,D (σ, τ ) = (λ3 k0 )σ 3 + (λ2 k1 )σ 2 τ + (λk2 )στ 2 + k3 τ 3 . (9.27)
The first binary relation on the set of conics is as follows:
8
The characteristic polynomial is of course defined more generally for n × n matrices, and it
is easy to rephrase the following particular results for general matrices.
Definition 9.5.1 In P2 (R), a conic p is called inpolar to the conic c if

there exists a triangle ABC auto-polar with respect to p and inscribed in
c (Figure 9.34).9
Since the conic p itself does not play a role here but only the polarity
with respect to p, we want to extend this definition to the case that p has
no real points. In any case, the conic c must have real points.
A G
g h
B
p c
H
K
C
FIGURE 9.34. The conic p is inpolar to c
Below is a standard result of Projective Geometry.
Lemma 9.5.1 Let a conic p be inpolar to a conic c. Then, there is a

one-parameter set of triangles ABC which are auto-polar with respect to
p and inscribed in c.
Note that this example shows again a porism: If there is one auto-polar
triangle inscribed in c, then there exist infinitely many.
Proof: Let ABC and GHK be two triangles which both are auto-polar with respect to p.
Then, due to a result of von Staudt, the six vertices are located either on two lines or on a
conic. This holds in each Pappian projective plane. A proof can, e.g., be found in [18, p. 87].
Let the defining triangle ABC be given. Then, specify another point G ∈ c such that its
p-polar line g intersects c at a point H ≠ G (Figure 9.34). Continuity arguments guarantee
the existence of G sufficiently close to A, B, or C. The line g and the polar h of H meet
at a point K which completes a second auto-polar triangle GHK. There must be a conic on
A, B, C, G, H, K. Since this conic is uniquely defined by the first five points, it coincides with
c. ◾
9
Compare [3, p. 33]. Sometimes in the literature the pair (p, c) is called apolar, but this
notation does not reveal clearly that this relation is unsymmetric.
The intersection points H, K of g with c are conjugate with respect to

p, i.e., they are harmonic with respect to the intersection points of g
with p. Hence, the polars g of points G ∈ c intersect the two conics p
and c in harmonic quadruples of points. At most two of them can be
conjugate complex since two pairs of conjugate complex points can never
be harmonic. The desired harmonic position implies that on g the two
involutions of conjugate points with respect to p and to c commute (note
Example 5.4.4).
This is the reason for a slight generalization of inpolarity which is needed
in the following lemma.
Definition 9.5.1’ The conic p in P2 (R) is called inpolar to c if there is a

point G ∈ c, G ∈/ p, such that on the p-polar g of G the induced involutions
of conjugate points with respect to p and c commute.
In this case, the point G together with the two real or complex conjugate
points of intersection between g and c forms a triangle which is auto-
polar with respect to p. Then, Lemma 9.5.1 again implies that this holds
for each choice of G ∈ (c p). In fact, Figure 9.37 on page 428 shows an
example where p is inpolar to c though for all G ∈ c the p-polar g has no
real intersection with c.
Lemma 9.5.2 Let the conics p and c be given by the equations
p ∶ xT P x = 0, c∶ xT C x = 0
with symmetric matrices P and C. We suppose that c contains real points.

Then, p is inpolar to c if, and only if, in the characteristic polynomial
FP,C (σ, τ ) = det(σP + τ C) = j0 σ 3 + j1 σ 2 τ + j2 στ 2 + j3 τ 3
the coefficient j1 = det P ⋅ tr(CP−1 ) is zero.

Proof: We learned that the ratio j0 ∶ j1 ∶ j2 ∶ j3 of coefficients in the characteristic polynomial
FP,C (σ, τ ) does not depend on the choice of the coordinate frame. For the conics p inpolar to
c, we use a coordinate frame defined by the fundamental triangle ABC. Then, P is a diagonal
matrix while C has vanishing diagonal entries, hence
⎛ σp00 τ c01 τ c02 ⎞

σP + τ C = ⎜ τ c01 σp11 τ c12 ⎟
⎝ τ c02 τ c12 σp22 ⎠
and
FP,C (σ, τ ) = det(σP + τ C) = p00 p11 p22 σ3 + τ 2 (eσ + f τ )
with certain coefficients e, f . Obviously, the coefficient j1 of σ2 τ is zero, and by (9.26) j1

equals the product det P ⋅ tr(CP−1 ).
In order to prove the converse, we specify a coordinate frame which diagonalizes P and where
the fundamental point A = (1 ∶ 0 ∶ 0) is located on c. This implies p00 ≠ 0 and c00 = 0.10
Suppose that in the polynomial
⎛ σp00 τ c01 τ c02 ⎞
FP,C (σ, τ ) = det(σP + τ C) = det ⎜ τ c01 σp11 + τ c11 τ c12 ⎟
⎝ τ c02 τ c12 σp22 + τ c22 ⎠
the coefficient of σ2 τ is zero, i.e., j1 = p00 (p11 c22 +p22 c11 ) = 0. On the line a∶ x0 = 0 which is p-
polar to A, the conics p and c induce (regular or singular) involutions (0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) ↦ (0 ∶ x′1 ∶ x′2 )
of conjugate points, satisfying respectively
p11 x1 x′1 + p22 x2 x′2 = 0 or c11 x1 x′1 + c12 (x1 x′2 + x2 x′1 ) + c22 x2 x′2 = 0.
According to Example 5.4.4, j1 = 0, i.e., p11 c22 + p22 c11 = 0, is equivalent to the condition
that these two involutions commute. This proves (in the complex extension) the existence of
a triangle ABC inscribed in c and auto-polar with respect to p. ◾
When we dualize p and c and reverse their order, i.e., when we replace
the ordered pair (P, C) by (C−1 , P−1 ), then the characterization of ‘in-
polarity’ given in Lemma 9.5.2 remains valid since
det(σC−1 + τ P−1 ) = det [C−1 (σP + τ C)P−1 ] .
This means that there are infinitely many triangles auto-polar with re-
spect to c and circumscribed to p, provided that also p has real points
(and tangents). Thus, we obtain11
Corollary 9.5.3 Let p and c be conics with real points. Then, p is inpolar
to c if, and only if, c is “outpolar” to p, i.e., there are triangles auto-polar
with respect to c and circumscribed to p.
For given p there is a two-parametric family C of conics c such that p is

inpolar to c. The set C is linear, i.e., with c1 , c2 ∈ C all conics of the pencil
spanned by c1 and c2 are in C since
tr [P−1 (λ1 C1 + λ2 C2 )] = λ1 tr(P−1 C1 ) + λ2 tr(P−1 C2 ).
Conversely, for a given conic c the family P of conics p inpolar to c is
two-parametric, and the duals of p constitute a linear family.
10
Only for p = c this choice would be impossible, but under P = C we get j1 = 3 det C ≠ 0.
11
Alternative proofs can be found in [62, p. 213], [3, p. 33–34], or [8, p. 85–86]. The three-
dimensional versions of Lemmas 9.5.1 and 9.5.1 can be found in [62, p. 213], the n-
dimensional versions in [55, p. 862, footnote 287].
Triangles inscribed in and circumscribed to conics

Let p be inpolar to c. The polarity in p transforms points of c into tangents
of a second conic i. The auto-polar triangles inscribed in c are at the same
time circumscribed to i. So, there are infinitely many triangles inscribed
in c and circumscribed i (see Figure 9.35).
We are going to show that this is the only way to obtain such a pair of
conics, and start with the following
c i
p
M O
G
FIGURE 9.35. There is an infinite set of triangles inscribed in the circle c and
circumscribed to the hyperbola i. Two triangles are degenerate; the others are
auto-polar with respect to the circle p. They share the orthocenter O and the
centroid G.
Lemma 9.5.4 Let c and i be two different conics with real points such
that there exists a triangle inscribed in c and circumscribed to i. Then,
the tangent lines of i intersect c in points which are conjugate with respect
to a regular or singular conic p.
When C, P and D−1 are symmetric coefficient matrices of the conics c
and p and of the dual of i, resp., then up to a factor ∈ R {0}
P = −tr(CD−1 ) C + 2 CD−1 C.
Proof: It is easy to show that the stated representation of P is invariant against changes
of the coordinate frame. We can proceed like in the proof for the influence of coordinate
transformations on the characteristic polynomial on page 418. Hence, we can specify
⎛ 0 0 1 ⎞
c ∶ 2(x0 x2 − x21 ) = xT C x with C = ⎜ 0 −2 0 ⎟.
⎝ 1 0 0 ⎠
Any two points of c can be given in parameter form as
pR = (u2 ∶ uv ∶ v2 ) and p′ R = (u′ 2 ∶ u′ v′ ∶ v′ 2 ).
The connecting line pR ∨ p′ R is represented by the vector
⎛ vv′ ⎞
′ ′ ′
u = p × p = (uv − vu ) ⎜ −uv′ − vu′ ⎟ ,
⎝ uu ′ ⎠
which we divide by (uv′ − vu′ ). This factor does not vanish under the assumption pR ≠ p′ R.
Let D−1 = (d̂ij ) with d̂ji = d̂ij be the coefficient matrix of the dual ̂
i of the conic i. Then,
our chord uR of c is tangent to i if, and only if, uT D−1 u = 0 (note the points P and P ′ in
Figure 9.36). This is equivalent to
d̂00 v2 v′ 2 − 2d̂01 (uvv′ 2 + v2 u′ v′ ) + 2d̂02 uvu′ v′ + d̂11 (u2 v′ 2 + 2uvu′ v′ + v2 u′ 2 )

−2d̂12 (u2 u′ v′ + uvu′ 2 ) + d̂22 u2 u′ 2 = 0.
We can re-substitute p and p′ and obtain the vanishing symmetric bilinear form
⎛ d̂22 −2d̂12 d̂11 ⎞

pT P p′ = 0 with P = ⎜
⎜ −2d̂12 2(d̂02 + d̂11 ) −2d̂01 ⎟.
⎟
⎝ d̂11 −2d̂01 d̂00 ⎠
This means that the points pR, p′ R ∈ c are conjugate with respect to a regular or singular
polarity with the symmetric matrix P. By straightforward computation, we obtain due to the
symmetry of D−1
⎛ d̂20 d̂21 d̂22 ⎞ ⎛ d̂22 −2d̂21 d̂20 ⎞

⎜ ⎟ ⎜ ⎟
CD −1
=⎜
⎜ −2d̂10 −2d̂11 −2d̂12 ⎟ , CD−1 C = ⎜
⎟ ⎜ −2d̂12 4d̂11 −2d̂10 ⎟,
⎟
⎝ d̂00 d̂01 d̂02 ⎠ ⎝ d̂02 −2d̂01 d̂00 ⎠
and we verify (d̂11 − d̂02 )C + CD−1 C = 12 P. Of course, the coefficient matrix of any polarity
is unique only up to a non-vanishing factor . ◾
The matrix P in Lemma 9.5.4 is a linear combination of C and CD−1 C.

Therefore, the conic p belongs to the pencil spanned by c and by the polar
of i with respect to c.
If any point A has the same polar line a w.r.t. c and i, then a is also the
polar line of A w.r.t. to p or A is a singular point of p. This can be proved
as follows: Ca = λDa = u for a ≠ 0 implies D−1 Ca = λa, hence
Pa = [−tr(CD−1 ) C + 2 CD−1 C] a = [−tr(CD−1 ) + 2λ] u ∈ uR.

c
P
P′
i
FIGURE 9.36. There is an infinite set of rectangles circumscribed to the ellipse

i and inscribed in its director circle c. Their diagonals are conjugate w.r.t. i.
◾ Example 9.5.1 Rectangles inscribed in the director circle. Figure 9.36 illustrates an example
where the matrix P has rank 2 : Here, c is the director circle of the ellipse i, i.e.,
⎛ −a − b 0 0 ⎞ ⎛ −1 0 0 ⎞
2 2
⎛ 0 0 0 ⎞
C=⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟ , D−1 = ⎜ 0 a2 0 ⎟ , P = ⎜ 0 −2b2 0 ⎟ .
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠ ⎝ 0 0 b2 ⎠ ⎝ 0 0 −2a2 ⎠
The tangents of i intersect c at points pR, p′ R which are placed on conjugate diameters of i.
This means exactly that for of each rectangle which is inscribed in the director circle c and
circumscribed to the ellipse i, adjacent vertices are conjugate w.r.t. the singular polarity in p.
Theorem 9.5.1 Let c and i be two different conics with real points, and
let the tangents of i intersect c at points conjugate with respect to p. Then,
the following three statements are equivalent:
(i) p is inpolar to c in the generalized sense (Definition 9.5.1’, pa-
ge 420).
(ii) There exist infinitely many triangles (including such with a pair of
complex conjugate vertices) inscribed in c and circumscribed to i.
(iii) c and i are polar with respect to p.
Proof: (i) ⇔ (ii): By Lemma 9.5.1, there is an infinite set of triangles ABC inscribed in c and
auto-polar with respect to p. The vertices B and C are the only points of c which are conjugate
to A. Since the tangents of i which pass through A must intersect c in points conjugate to
A, the sides AB and AC are tangent to i. The same holds for vertex B. Hence, each triangle
ABC is circumscribed to i. When the two tangents from A to i are complex conjugate, then
also B and C are complex conjugate, but their connecting line [B, C] is real.
Conversely, according to the definition of p each triangle inscribed in c and circumscribed to
i has pairwise conjugate vertices with respect to p. Therefore, it is auto-polar.
(ii) ⇔ (iii): The polarity with respect to p maps the vertices A, B, C ∈ c of the auto-polar
triangles onto the corresponding opposite sides. Hence, the envelope i is polar to c.
Conversely, for each point A ∈ c the p-polar a is a tangent of i. Let a intersect c in two real or
complex conjugate points B and C. Then, by the definition of p, the lines [A, B] and [A, C]
are tangents of i, too. Hence, ABC is circumscribed to i and inscribed in c. ◾
Now, the announced theorem of Colin MacLaurin (see page 416) is
just a corollary of Theorem 9.5.1.
Corollary 9.5.5 If for two conics c, i there exists one triangle inscribed
in c and circumscribed to i, then there are infinitely many.
Proof: Suppose, ABC is such a triangle. Then, the vertices A, B, C are pairwise conjugate
with respect to the uniquely defined polarity p (Lemma 9.5.4). Hence, ABC is auto-polar with
respect to p, and thus, p inpolar to c. The rest follows from Theorem 9.5.1. ◾
◾ Example 9.5.2 Triangles sharing the circumcircle and the centroid. For the conics displayed
in Figures 9.35 and 10.19 (page 463), we use a coordinate frame with the center M of the
circle c as origin and the centroid G with cartesian coordinates (g, 0). In Figure 9.35, we have
3g > r, in Figure 10.19, we have 3g < r. The equations of the involved conics are
r2 r 2 − 9g 2
c ∶ x2 + y 2 = r 2 , i ∶ x2 − 3gx + y2 = ,
r2 − 9g 2 4
9g 2 + r 2
p ∶ x2 − 6gx + y 2 = − .
2
In homogeneous coordinates the symmetric coefficient matrices of c, i, and p are
9g 2 −r 2
⎛ − 3g 0 ⎞
⎛ −r
2
0 0 ⎞ 4 2
⎜ ⎟
C=⎜ 0 1 0 ⎟, D=⎜ − 3g 1 0 ⎟,
⎝ 0 ⎜ 2 ⎟
0 1 ⎠ ⎝ 0 0 r2 ⎠
r 2 −9g 2
2 2
⎛ 9g +r ⎞
−3g 0 r 2 − 9g 2
P=⎜
2
−3g ⎟, PC−1 P = D.
⎜ 1 0 ⎟
r2
⎝ 0 0 1 ⎠
The characteristic polynomials read

9(3g 2 − r 2 )2 2 3r 2 (r 2 − 3g 2 ) r4
FC,D (σ, τ ) = −r 2 σ3 + σ τ+ στ 2 + τ 3,
4 2(9g − r )
2 2 4(9g − r 2 )
2
r 2 − 9g 2 3 9g 2 − 3r 2 2
FP,C (σ, τ ) = det(σP + τ C) = σ + στ − r 2 τ 3 .
2 2
We note that in the last polynomial the coefficients j1 of σ2 τ is zero (cf. Lemma 9.5.2). In
FC,D (σ, τ ) the coefficients k0 , . . . , k3 satisfy k22 = 4k1 k3 , and this is in accordance with the
Theorem 9.5.2 below.
We conclude this section with the analytic characterization of two conics

c and i with the property stated in Theorem 9.5.1,(ii). As a preparation,
we pick out the statement (i) ⇒ (iii) from the aforementioned theorem
and present additionally an analytical proof:
By virtue of Lemma 9.5.4, there is a polarity in a regular or singular conic
p with the coefficient matrix P = −tr(CD−1 ) C + 2 CD−1 C. This implies
PC−1 = −tr(CD−1 ) I3 + 2 CD−1 (9.28)
and
tr(PC−1 ) = −3 tr(CD−1 ) + 2 tr(CD−1 ) = −tr(CD−1 ). (9.29)
Let p be inpolar to c. Then, due to Lemma 9.5.2, the coefficient j1 in

FP,C (σ, τ ) = det(σP + τ C) vanishes. By (9.25), we obtain
FP,C (1, −X) = det C det(PC−1 − XI3 ) = j0 X 0 + j2 X 2 − j3 X 3 .
Now, we use the theorem of Cayley-Hamilton. When in the characteristic

polynomial det(PC−1 − XI3 ), the indeterminate X is replaced by the
matrix PC−1 , then we obtain the zero matrix O3 . This yields
j0 I3 + (PC−1 )2 [j2 I3 + j3 PC−1 ] = O3 (9.30)
with
j0 = det P, j2 = det C tr(PC−1 ), j3 = det C.
By (9.28) and (9.29), we obtain from (9.30)
det P I3 −(PC−1 )2 [det C tr(CD−1 )I3 −tr(CD−1 ) det CI3 −2CD−1 ] = O3 ,
det P I3 − 2(det C) PC−1 PC−1 CD−1 = O3 ,

hence, (det P)DC−1 = 2(det C)PC−1 PC−1 or
D = 2 det C(det P)−1 PC−1 P, (9.31)
and this shows that i is p-polar to c.

Some of these formulas will also be needed in the proof of
Theorem 9.5.2 Let c and i be two conics with symmetric coefficient ma-
trices C, D, respectively. Then, there exist infinitely many triangles (with
possibly two complex conjugate vertices) inscribed in c and circumscri-
bed to i if, and only if, in the corresponding characteristic polynomial
FC,D (σ, τ ) shown in (9.24) the coefficients k1 , k2 , k3 satisfy 4k1 k3 −k22 = 0.
Proof: We recall that by (9.26)
k1 k3 = det C det D tr(DC−1 ), k2 = det D tr(CD−1 ).
Note that the condition 4k1 k3 − k22 = 0 does not change when C or D is replaced by a scalar
multiple.
Suppose there are infinitely many triangles inscribed in c and circumscribed to i or — equi-
valently — p is inpolar c. Then, Lemma 9.5.2 implies tr(CP−1 ) = 0, and with (9.31) follows
8(det C)2 2 det C

det D = and DC−1 = (PC−1 )2 . (9.32)
det P det P
For any 3 × 3 matrix M = (mjk ), we have
[ tr(M)]2 − tr(M2 ) = ∑ 2 (mjj mkk − mjk mkj ) = 2 det M tr(M−1 ).

0≤j<k≤2
This gives for M = PC−1
[tr(PC−1 )] − tr(PC−1 )2 = −2 det(PC−1 ) tr(CP−1 ) = 0,

2
hence, by (9.32) and (9.29),
2(det C)2 det D

[tr(PC−1 )]
2
k1 k3 = det C det D tr(DC−1 ) =
det P
(det D)2 1
[tr(PC−1 )] = k22 .
2
=
4 4
Conversely, under 4k1 k3 = k22 we have by (9.24)

τ
FC,D (σ, τ ) ∶= k0 σ3 + k1 σ2 τ + k2 στ 2 + k3 τ 3 = k0 σ3 + (k2 σ + 2k3 τ )2 .
4k3
Due to (9.25), we obtain
X
FC,D (1, −X) = det D det(CD−1 − XI3 ) = k0 − (k2 − 2k3 X)2 .
4k3
Now, we substitute the coefficients ki from (9.26) and apply the theorem of Cayley-Hamilton:
4(det C det D)I3 = (CD−1 )(det D)2 [tr(CD−1 ) I3 − 2CD−1 ] .

2
By (9.28) the term in brackets equals −PC−1 , and we conclude with

det C det D
4 DC−1 = (PC−1 )2 , D= PC−1 P.
det D 4 det C
This shows that i is p-polar to c which by Theorem 9.5.1 is equivalent to the existence of
triangles inscribed in c and circumscribed to i. ◾
◾ Example 9.5.3 Theorem 9.5.2 is only valid in P2 (C). We show that the condition 4k1 k3 −
k22= 0 is not sufficient for the existence of real triangles inscribed in c and circumscribed to i.
The following symmetric coefficient matrices of the conics c, i and p displayed in Figure 9.37
are all diagonalized:
1 1 1 1 1 1
C = diag (−1, , ), D = diag (−1, , ), P = diag (−1, ,− ).
8 5 128 125 32 25
p i
A
g1 =πp (G1 )
g G2
G1
C
B G c
g2 =πp (G1)
FIGURE 9.37. The conics c, i, and p satisfy the conditions of the Theorems 9.5.1
and 9.5.2, but all the infinitely many triangles inscribed in c, circumscribed to
i, and auto-polar with respect to p have two complex conjugate vertices. The
displayed triangle ABC is circumscribed to p and auto-polar with respect to c;
it confirms by Corollary 9.5.3 that p is inpolar to c.
It is easy to verify that p corresponds to c and i in the sense of Lemma 9.5.4. Furthermore,
i is polar to c with respect to p as C = PD−1 P, and in accordance with Theorem 9.5.1 the
conic p is inpolar to c in the generalized sense (see page 420). Hence, the matrices satisfy
the conditions presented in Lemma 9.5.2 and in Theorem 9.5.2. But all triangles inscribed in
c and circumscribed to i and consequently auto-polar w.r.t. p have two conjugate complex
vertices. Hence, there is nothing to see of the porism in Figure 9.37, except a real triangle
ABC auto-polar with respect to c and with sides tangent to p (note Corollary 9.5.3 on page
421).
Also the fact that the tangents of i intersect p and c in harmonic quadruples √ cannot be
√ check: For example, the p-polar g1 of√the vertex
visualized. We can only √ G1 = ( 8, 0) of c
√ Its intersection points with c are (8 2, ±5i 3), those with p have
has the equation x√= 8 2.
the coordinates (8 2, ±5 3), and these√ two pairs separate harmonically√(see Example 5.4.1).
Analogously,
√ √the p-polar g2 of√G2 = (0,
√ 5) ∈ c has the equation y = −5 5. It intersects c at
(±8i 3, −5 5) and p at (±8 3, −5 5), and again this is a harmonic quadrupel of points.
Instead of triangles inscribed in c and circumscribed to i we can look for

quadrangles or generally for n-gons, n > 3. In view of this, note the Figures
9.36, 9.38, and 9.28 for n = 4, n = 7, and n = 36, respectively.
Suppose P1 P2 . . . Pn is an n-gon inscribed in c with pairwise different
vertices and with sides [P1 , P2 ], [P2 , P3 ], . . . tangent to i. Then, by virtue
of Lemma 9.5.4, P1 and P3 are conjugate to P2 with respect to p, i.e., the
diagonals [P1 , P3 ], [P2 , P4 ], . . . , [Pn−2 , Pn ] are tangent to the polar i′ of c
with respect to p. Hence, for n = 2m the polygon P1 P2 . . . P2m closes, i.e.,

the last side [P2m , P1 ] is tangent to i if, and only if, the sides of the closed
polygon P1 P3 . . . P2m−1 are tangent to i′ . By iteration we would be able
to find characterizations for pairs of conics (c, i) with the property that
there are closing n-gons inscribed in c and circumscribed to i. However,
in the next section we follow the traces of Poncelet and Cayley on a
direct approach to the remarkable Theorem 9.5.4.
● Exercise 9.5.2 Formulate the dual of Lemma 9.5.4 on page 422.
Suppose there is an n-gon P0 , . . . , Pn−1 inscribed in c and circumscribed to i with n > 4. Where
are the intersection points [Pi , Pi+1 ] ∩ [Pi+2 , Pi+3 ] (indices modulo n) located?
● Exercise 9.5.3 Prove the following converse of Lemma 9.5.4:

For any two conics c and p there is a regular or singular conic i contacting all lines l which
intersect c in points conjugate with respect to p. The conic i is called von Staudt’s conic of
̂ of the tangent equation of
the pair (c, p) (see [8, p. 91]). The symmetric coefficient matrix D
i can be expressed in terms of the symmetric coefficient matrices C and P by
̂ = −tr(PC−1 )C−1 + C−1 PC−1 or
D
̂ = −tr(CP−1 )P−1 + P−1 CP−1 for any , σ ∈ R.
σD
● Exercise 9.5.4 Suppose there is a quadrangle P1 . . . P4 inscribed in c and circumscribed

to i. Then, the coefficients in the characteristic polynomial FC,D (σ, τ ) of (9.24) satisfy 8k0 k32 −
4k1 k2 k3 + k23 = 0. Prove this statement by the following steps:
1. The matrix P of the polarity stated in Lemma 9.5.4 has to be of rank 1.
2. From det P = 0 one can conclude that 1
2
tr(CD−1 ) is an eigenvalue of CD−1 .
3. Express this eigenvalue in terms of the coefficients k1 , . . . , k3 and plug this into the cha-
racteristic polynomial.
Poncelet porisms
Jean-Victor Poncelet (1788–1867) studied “porisms” and proved that
MacLaurin’s theorem (see page 416) holds for general n-gons. This par-
ticular example of a porism involving two conics is called Poncelet porism.
Theorem 9.5.3 Let c and i be two conics in a projective plane. If there

exists a closed polygon P0 . . . Pn−1 such that the vertices Pi are on c and the
side lines [Pk , Pk+1 ] are tangent to i for all k ∈ {0, 1, . . . , n−1} with indices
taken modulo n, then there are infinitely many such closed polygons.
Theorem 9.5.3 gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence
of infinitely many inscribed and circumscribed closed polygons. But it
FIGURE 9.38. Poristic figures may be regular, or unsymmetric, or symmetric.

The inscribed polygons can be regular, or convex, or star-shaped.
says nothing about how to specify two conics c and i such that they
admit such polygons.
Figure 9.38 shows some porisms of Poncelet type. The theorem as well as
its first proof is due to Poncelet. He was a French mathematician and
engineer who joined the French army and participated in Napoleon’s in-
vasion of Russia from 1812 to 1814. However, he became a prisoner of war
and, while imprisoned at Saratow, he found the time to write his famous
work on the figures in geometry, a work that could be considered one of
the fundamentals of Projective Geometry, containing also Theorem 9.5.3
and its proof. It should be noted that none of the techniques that are
used nowadays for the proof were developed at that time.
The proof of Theorem 9.5.3 involves complex functions, differential geo-
metry, and elliptic curves. Because of its relations to many subdisciplines
of mathematics, this theorem is often called a pearl of mathematics. We
shall only give a sketch of the proof, since it is far beyond the scope of
our book. Details can be found in [26, 24, 25].
Proof: (Sketch) Let P and t be a point and a line in a projective plane P2 . We describe P
as well as t by homogeneous coordinates, i.e., P = (p0 ∶ p1 ∶ p2 ) and t = (t0 ∶ t1 ∶ t2 ). Since
P ∈ c, the point P can be represented by quadratic functions pi = pi (u) in the parameter u for
i ∈ {0, 1, 2}. The same holds true for the tangents t of c; this one-parameter family of tangents
allows an analogous parametrization tj = tj (v) with v ∈ R for j ∈ {0, 1, 2}. The incidence of P
with t can be written in terms of coordinates as
p0 t0 + p1 t1 + p2 t2 = 0. (9.33)
This is a biquadratic equation in u and v. It can be interpreted as the equation of a curve m

in the (u, v)-plane. The points of the curve correspond to incident pairs (P, t) where P is on
the conic c and t is tangent to i.
The algebraic curve m of degree 4 is elliptic if the conics c and i are in general position, i.e., if
they span a pencil of conics of the first kind. In this case, the conics c and i have four mutually
different points and four mutually different tangents in common if we extend into the complex
(u, v)-plane. The curve m is called the Poncelet correspondence.
There acts an involution σ on m mapping the pair (P, t) to the pair (P ′ , t) where P and P ′
are the two points of intersection of t with c; points of m corresponding under σ share the
v-coordinate. Obviously, by virtue of Lemma 9.5.4, the involution σ is the restriction of the
conjugacy with respect to p onto the conic c. A further involution τ sends the pair (P, t) to
the pair (P, t′ ) where t and t′ are the tangents of i which pass through P . The composition
μ ∶= τ ○ σ acts like a translation on m; it is called Poncelet map.
Let P1 . . . Pn be a polygon inscribed in c and circumscribed to i with t1 = [P1 , P2 ], t2 = [P2 , P3 ],
. . . . Then, we have
μ∶ (P1 , t1 ) ↦ (P2 , t2 ), (P2 , t2 ) ↦ (P3 , t3 ), . . . .
The polygon closes if μn but not μ keeps (P1 , t1 ) fixed.

It can be proved that μn equals the identity on m as soon as it has at least five fixed points.
However, four fixed points (P, t) of μ and μn are already known from the beginning: t is one of
the four common tangents of c and i, and P is its point of contact with c. Hence, the existence
of one closing in- and circumscribed n-gon, i.e., of one additional fixed point, implies that all
these n-gons must close.
The proof, sketched so far, was given for two conics in general position. It works in a similar
way if the conics c and i are in a special position, i.e., if they span a pencil of conics of the
second, third, fourth, or fifth kind. ◾
There is another surprising result which gives a criterion on two conics

for the existence of in- and circumscribed n-gons, n ≥ 3. It includes
Theorem 9.5.2 and the statement presented in Exercise 9.5.4.
Let C and D be the symmetric coefficient matrices of the conics c and
i in any coordinate frame. Now, we recall from (9.24) on page 418 the
characteristic polynomial
FC,D (σ, τ ) = det(σC + τ D)
and expand the following function in a power series:

√ √
FC,D (t, 1) = det(t C + D) = a0 + a1 t + a2 t2 + a3 t3 + ⋯ . (9.34)
The following theorem dates back to the British mathematician Arthur

Cayley (1821–1895).
Theorem 9.5.4 There exists an n-sided polygon inscribed in c and cir-

cumscribed to i if, and only if, the coefficients of the power series given
in (9.34) satisfy
⎛ a2 . . . am+1 ⎞
det ⎜ ⋮ ⋮ ⎟ = 0, if n = 2m + 1, m ≥ 1,
⎝ am+1 . . . a2m ⎠
(9.35)
⎛ a3 . . . am+1 ⎞
det ⎜ ⋮ ⋮ ⎟ = 0, if n = 2m , m ≥ 2.
⎝ am+1 . . . a2m+1 ⎠
The proof of this result uses the same ideas as the proof of Theorem 9.5.3
(see, e.g., [26]). The determinant det(t C + D) is a cubic polynomial in t.
It has no multiple roots if c and i span a pencil of conics of the first kind.
Otherwise there would be less than three singular conics in the pencil (cf.
Section 7.3).
Cayley’s Theorem 9.5.4 is more than just a projectively invariant criteri-
on on the equations of two conics. As a byproduct, even metric properties
of poristic figures result from the formula presented in (9.35). Consider
the following
◾ Example 9.5.4 Criteria for bicentric n-gons. An n-gon is called bicentric if it has a circum-
circle c and an incircle i. Theorem 9.5.4 delivers conditions on the radii and the distance of
the centers of c and i to make them the circumcircle and the incircle of a bicentric n-gon.
Let c and i be two circles with equations in terms of Cartesian coordinates that read
c ∶ x2 + y 2 = R2 and i ∶ (x − d)2 + y 2 = r 2 , (9.36)
where R, r, d are real or complex numbers and, without loss of generality, R > r (in the real
case). According to Theorem 9.5.4, we have to expand the function
√
−(t + 1) (t2 R2 + t(R2 + r 2 − d2 ) + r 2 )
in power series as given in (9.34). We obtain
i i
ri + (R2 + 2r 2 − d2 )t + 3 (R2 − 2Rr − d2 )(R2 + 2Rr − d2 )t2 + ⋯ .
2r 8r
Now, we use the condition from Theorem 9.5.4: When we look for triangles circumscribed
to i and inscribed in c, the determinant given in (9.35) is that of the 1 × 1 -matrix (a2 )
(compare Theorem 9.5.2). Therefore, the radii R and r and the distance d of the incenter and
circumcenter of a triangle satisfy
R2 − 2Rr = d2 . (9.37)
The second factor of the coefficient a2 of t2 only differs by the sign of r. The formula given in
(9.37) was at least known to Leonhard Euler (1707–1783).
Many other formulas relating the radii of the incircle and the circumcircle of an n-gon can
be derived from Cayley’s formula. The case of two circles like in Example 9.5.4 can also
be treated by elementary methods, and a huge amount of formulas for arbitrary n-gons was
elaborated in the past.
Figures displaying Poncelet porisms as well as such of MacLaurin type

are invariant under projective transformations. That means: Once you
have found a poristic figure, you can apply any collinear transformation,
and you find a new poristic figure. This is also the case for the so-called
Poncelet grid displayed in Figure 9.28.
The Poncelet grid arises in a natural way. The edges of one Poncelet
polygon create a pattern of quadrilaterals. Surprisingly, each vertex of
the quadrilateral grid lies on two conics and the grid built by the edges
can be replaced by the grid formed by two families of conics [53].
◾ Example 9.5.5 Billiards in ellipses. Suppose a small ball can move within an ellipse c and
its collisions with the boundary are perfectly elastic. Then, the trace of the ball is called a
billiard, i.e., a polygon inscribed in c such that any two adjacent sides meet c under equal
angles (see Figure 9.39).
When at a point P ∈ c any line l is reflected at the conic, then l together with its mirror l′
are tangents of the same conic i confocal to c, and i does not change after iterated reflections
in c. Hence, a billiard is a polygon inscribed in c and circumscribed to i so that we can claim
that if c and i admit one billiard which closes after n reflections, then there are infinitely
many with this property.
Suppose, c is an ellipse with axes a, b. Then, we can set up the confocal ellipse i by the equation
x2 y2
i∶ + 2 = 1, 0 > k > −b2 .
a2 +k b +k
After some computation we obtain closing billiards with n = 3 reflections if, and only if, by
virtue of Theorem 9.5.2,
a2 b2 √
k= (a2 + b2 − 2 a4 − a2 b2 + b4 ) .
(a2 − b2 )2
◾ Example 9.5.6 Spatial ball-bearings. We end this section with a particular porism for two
circles c1 , c2 in 3-space: If there exists one closed n-gon in form of a zig-zag between c1 and c2
such that all sides are of equal length l, then there are infinitely many. The proof (see [38, 67])
is again based on Poncelet’s closure theorem since the orthogonal projections of the sides
into the plane of one circle ci envelope a conic [64].
There is an application in mechanical engineering: Suppose the vertices of the n-gon are
movable along the respective circles c1 , c2 and at the same time the centers of balls with
radius l/2. Then, we obtain the spatial version of a ball-bearing [4], because each ball remains
in permanent contact with the two adjacent balls which are centered on the other circle.
i
c c
FIGURE 9.39. Billiards in an ellipse c are always circumscribed to a confocal

ellipse i. Here closed billiards with either three or five reflections are displayed.
10 Other geometries
M
3
−2
O
m
o
At the ‘spherical Wankel engine’ the common path t of the three vertices of the
rotor is a trochoid. It can be generated when the circle m which is attached to
the rotor, is rolling along the fixed circle o. The angular velocities of the rotor’s
rotations about M and additionally about the fixed center O build the constant
ratio −3 ∶ 2.

436 Chapter 10: Other geometries
10.1 Spherical conics
FIGURE 10.1. A spherical conic and its quadratic projection cone. The foci of
the projected ellipse are not the images of the spherical foci.
This chapter deals with a generalization of conics on the sphere. We call

curves on a sphere “spherical conics” when they fulfill the classical condi-
tion that we know from ordinary conics: When the sum or the difference
of the distances from two fixed points on the sphere — measured on shor-
test paths on the sphere — is constant, we speak of spherical ellipses and
hyperbolas.
It turns out that any spherical ellipse is at the same time a spherical
hyperbola, and vice versa. The borderline case of a spherical parabola,
10.1 Spherical conics 437
where the spherical distance from a point is equal to the distance from a
great circle, can also be interpreted as such a spherical conic.
Spherical conics are the intersections of a sphere with quadratic cones
with the apex in the center of the sphere (Figure 10.1). Thus, they are
algebraic curves of degree four on the sphere. Their images under ortho-
gonal projections into their planes of symmetry are portions of planar
conics.
Many theorems about ordinary conics can be transferred to the sphere,
e.g., the property that the tangent and the normal of a spherical conic are
the bisectors of the focal rays through the spherical foci. Proclus’s (de
la Hire’s) construction of a conic and Ivory’s theorem about confocal
conics work on the sphere as well. Theorems of planar projective geometry,
e.g., Pascal’s and Brianchon’s theorem can be transferred without
difficulties onto the sphere.
Geometry on the sphere

In the introduction we reported that there are many analogies in the
theory of conics between the spherical and the planar case.
In order to be able to prove these analogies, we first have to provide the
reader with some particularities of the geometry on the sphere. The reader
may skip this section and refer to it later on when necessary.
It is important that on the sphere we measure only angles: Since we have
no straight lines on the sphere, the role of straight lines is taken over by
great circles.
• Each point P on the sphere has an antipodal point or antipode P ∗ , and
each great circle passing through P contains also P ∗ .
• For any two different points P and Q ≠ P ∗ there exists a unique connec-
ting great circle denoted by [P, Q]. In the sequel, when we speak of
the segment, the arc, or the side P Q for any two non-antipodal points
P, Q, we always mean on the great circle [P, Q] the shorter of the two
arcs terminated by P and Q.
• The (spherical) distance P̂Q is defined as length of the side P Q, mea-
sured on the unit sphere S with center O. Thus, we have 0 ≤ P
2 ̂ Q ≤ π,
∗
when we include also the limiting cases Q = P and Q = P . The di-
stance P̂Q equals the central angle <) P OQ of the segment. When p,
q with ∥p∥ = ∥q∥ = 1 are the position vectors of the two points, then
̂
we use the scalar product to compute the distance by cos P Q = ⟨p, q⟩.
Theorem 10.1.1 Triangle inequality: For any three points A, B, C

on the sphere the inequality
̂ ≤ AC
AB ̂ + BC
̂
holds true. In the case of an equality, the three points must be located on
a great circle.
̂ = π. There exists a great circle passing through
Proof: Firstly, we treat the particular case AB
A, B = A∗ and C, and AB ̂ = AĈ + BC.
̂
For the remaining case AB ̂ +BX
̂ < π we can prove that there is no point X ∈ S 2 satisfying AX ̂<
̂ This statement is equivalent to the triangle inequality:
AB.
The set of points X ∈ S 2 with a given positive spherical distance r < π from a point M ∈ S 2 is
a circle denoted by (M ; r) or (M ∗ ; π − r). The points M and M ∗ are the spherical centers of
this circle. The plane spanned by the circle is orthogonal to the diameter connecting M with
M ∗.
̂ be given. Then the intersection of the circles
Let two positive reals rA , rB with rA + rB < AB
(A; rA ) and (B; rB ) is empty. We see this by inspecting the orthogonal projection onto the
plane of the great circle [A, B] (Figure 10.2, left). The two circles are depicted as two disjoint
line segments.
̂ (Figure 10.2, right) the two circles share exactly one point
In the limiting case rA + rB = AB
C on the side AB. ◾
S2
S2
<) AOB
A O A O
rA B rA B
C
rB rB
̂
rA + rB < AB ̂
rA + rB = AB
FIGURE 10.2. Proving the spherical triangle inequality by orthogonal projection
onto the plane of the great circle [A, B].
Corollary 10.1.1 The shortest path between any two points P and Q on
the sphere S 2 is their connecting arc P Q.
• The (spherical) bisector of any two different points P, Q ∈ S 2 is defined

as the set of points X ∈ S 2 obeying XP̂ = XQ.
̂ Since equal spherical
distances imply also equal 3D-distances along the chords, the bisector
is the great circle in the plane of symmetry of P and Q.
• The angle between two great circles g1 , g2 is defined as the angle of the
respective tangent lines t1 , t2 at their intersection points. It is equal to
the angle between the planes spanned by the circles. We may restrict
it by <) g1 g2 = <) t1 t2 ≤ π2 . The angle between two arcs P Q and P R is
bounded by 0 ≤ <) QP R ≤ π.
• Below, when we speak of a triangle ABC on S 2 , then the three points
are never collinear, i.e., they are not located on the same great circle.
Each side is shorter than π, and also each (interior) angle is smaller
than π.
In the following theorem we summarize some formulas from spherical
trigonometry.
Theorem 10.1.2 Let A, B, and C be a spherical triangle on S 2 with

̂ b = CA,
side lengths a = BC, ̂ and c = AB ̂ and with interior angles α, β,
and γ. Then the following formulas hold:
1. Spherical Law of Sines:
sin a sin b sin c
= = .
sin α sin β sin γ
2. Spherical Laws of Cosines:
cos a = cos b cos c + sin b sin c cos α,

cos α = − cos β cos γ + sin β sin γ cos a.
3. Spherical Pythagoras theorem for α = π2 :
cos a = cos b cos c.
4. Area of the triangle:
A = α + β + γ − π.
A planar triangle ABC can be defined (up to rotation, translation or

reflection) by the lengths a, b, c of its sides. This allows us to calculate
the interior angles α, β, γ, since we have many formulas connecting a, b,

c and α, β, γ. Note that on the sphere a triangle is even uniquely defined
by its three angles α, β, and γ.
Ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas on a sphere?
Any planar section of a sphere is a circle, a point, or the empty set. Since
conics lie in a plane, there are no ordinary conics on a sphere. However,
we can carry over the gardener’s construction of an ellipse to the sphere.
P
F1
S1
F2 S2
P
FIGURE 10.3. Gardener’s constructions in the plane and on the sphere.
Let us consider the well-known construction of an ellipse in the plane as

the locus of points whose distances to two fixed points – the foci F1 and
F2 – sum up to a constant (Figure 10.3, left). A rope of constant length
2a is stretched tight in every position P of the pencil so that we have
F1 P + F2 P = 2a.
This construction also works on the sphere. Again, we consider two fixed
points S1 and S2 ≠ S1 , S1∗ on the unit sphere (Figure 10.3, right) and
choose a rope of constant length 2a which we preliminarily restrict by
requiring 2a < π. Now, we move the pencil such that the rope is stretched
tight all the time. This means that in every position the two portions
of the rope run along geodesic curves on the sphere, i.e., great circles.
According to Corollary 10.1.1, they form two segments S1 P and P S2 ,
and the distances again satisfy
Ŝ ̂
1 P + S2 P = 2a.
C
C
a b a
b
A F1 e M F2 B A
S1 e B
M S2
D
FIGURE 10.4. The lengths a, b, and e at planar and spherical conics.
Obviously, the point P traces a spherical curve with two-fold symmetry

which shall be called a spherical ellipse. The points S1 and S2 are called
the spherical foci or spherical focal points.
Now, we recall some basic facts (Figure 10.4): A planar ellipse has a
major axis and a minor axis on its only two perpendicular and conjugate
diameters which intersect at the ellipse’s center M . On the major axis we
find the vertices A and B. The intercepts of the ellipse with the minor axis
are the auxiliary vertices C and D. The ellipse is symmetric with respect
to both the major and the minor axes. Therefore, it is also symmetric
w.r.t. the center M . By definition, we have AB = 2a. The two given foci
are at a distance F1 F2 = 2e. According to Pythagoras’s theorem, the
semimajor axis a, the semiminor
√ axis b, and the linear eccentricity e are
related via CD = 2b = 2 a2 − e2 .
Let us do the rope construction again on the unit sphere S 2 (Figure 10.5,
left): We choose two fixed points S1 and S2 and a tightened rope with
given length 2a through a point P . The locus of P is what we called a
spherical ellipse, and we have Ŝ ̂
1 P + S2 P = 2a. Now consider the antipode
∗ ̂ ̂ ∗
S1 of S1 . Since we have S1 P + S1 P = π (half the circumference of S 2 ), we
get (π − Ŝ∗ ̂
1 P ) + S2 P = 2a or, equivalently,
Ŝ
∗ ̂
1 P − S2 P = π − 2a.
It becomes an equivalent if we interchange of S1 with S2 and S1∗ with S2∗ .

P
P
S1∗
S1 , S2 S1∗ , S2∗
S1
S2
FIGURE 10.5. A spherical ellipse is at the same time a spherical hyperbola
Therefore, the points on the spherical ellipse satisfy a sum relation and
a difference relation on their distances to the foci at the same time. The
constancy of the absolute value of differences was the defining property
of hyperbolas in the plane. When in the plane the order of the two focal
points is prescribed and the difference is signed, then the locus of points
X is one branch of a hyperbola.
Theorem 10.1.3 Any spherical ellipse with focal points S1 and S2 and
major axis 2a is a branch of a spherical hyperbola with ordered foci S2
and S1∗ and major axis π − 2a, where S1∗ is the antipode of S1 .
Now, we consider the symmetric curve on the sphere with respect to the
bisector plane of S2 and S1∗ (Figure 10.5, right). Each point Q of the
reflected ellipse obeys the condition
2a = Ŝ
∗ ̂∗ ̂ ̂
1 Q + S2 Q = (π − S1 Q) + (π − S2 Q),
hence
Ŝ ̂
1 Q + S2 Q = 2π − 2a > π.
At the same time we have
Ŝ ̂∗
2 Q − S1 Q = π − 2a.
This is the second branch of our hyperbola. Hence, a spherical hyperbola

consists of two mutually antipodal spherical ellipses.1
When both focal points are replaced by their antipodes, then
Ŝ
∗ ̂∗ ̂ ̂
1 P + S2 P = π − S1 P + π − S2 P = 2π − 2a.
We again come up with a constant sum; but this time for the same curve
the sum is > π.
What is the locus of points P obeying Ŝ ̂
1 P + S2 P = π ? Each such point
P has the property Ŝ ̂∗
2 P = S1 P . Hence, the locus is a great circle, the
spherical bisector (note the definition on page 439) of S2 and S1∗ and at
the same time bisector of S1 and S2∗ . Hence, we don’t lose any proper
spherical conic by the restriction 2a < π.
Finally which curves are the spherical analogues of parabolas? What is

the locus of points P with equal distances to a given point S1 and a
given great circle l which does not pass through S1 ? Since the spherical
distance to a great circle never exceeds π2 the requested locus of points P
lies within the hemisphere with center S1 . Let S2 be the spherical center
of the great circle l with Ŝ1 S2 < 2 . Then, taking into account to which
π
hemisphere the point P belongs to,
P̂ ̂l = π − P̂
S1 = P S2 or P̂ ̂l = P̂
S1 = P
π
S2 − .
2 2
The first equation is equivalent to P̂ S1 + P̂

S2 = π2 and gives an ellipse
with focal points S1 , S2 , and 2a = 2 . The second equation is equivalent to
π
P̂S1 + P̂
S2∗ = π2 with S2∗ denoting the antipode of S2 . This second condition
can never be satisfied since, due to the spherical triangle inequality,
S1 + P̂
P̂ S2∗ ≥ Ŝ ∗ ̂ π.
1 S2 = π − S1 S2 >
2
Theorem 10.1.4 On the sphere S 2 we are given a point S1 and a great

circle l not passing through S1 . Let S2 ∈ S 2 be the spherical center of l
1
Sometimes, in the literature, a “spherical conic” is generally defined as a pair of antipodal
curves, a spherical ellipse together with its mirror. Nevertheless, we distinguish between the
two connected components.
d
P
l
c
π
2
−d
d
S1 S2
FIGURE 10.6. The spherical parabolas c are also spherical ellipses.
with Ŝ 1 S2 < 2 . Then the locus of points P with equal distances to S1 and
π
l is either an ellipse c with the major axis 2a = π2 and with focal points S1
and S2 (see Figure 10.6) or in the case S1 = S2 a circle with radius π4 .
Analogies to planar conics

Due to the fact that lines radiating from F1 are reflected in a planar
conic such that they all then pass through F2 (Figure 10.7, left), these
two points are called focal points.
P tP
F2 S1
S2
F1 P
tP
FIGURE 10.7. After reflection in the planar or spherical conic, all rays radiating
from one focus pass through the other focus.
The same holds for spherical conics (Figure 10.7, right):
Theorem 10.1.5 The tangent tP at point P to the spherical ellipse

with focal points S1 , S2 bisects the exterior angle of the spherical trian-
gle S1 P S2 .
Note that now tangents and normals are ‘curved’. To be precise, they are
great circles.
Proof: We can repeat the arguments used in the second proof of the planar version stated in
Theorem 2.2.1 on page 31 (note Figure 2.11, right): With respect to each focal ray P Si , i = 1, 2 ,
the velocity vector v at P can be decomposed into two mutually orthogonal components. One
is the radial component vri tangent to [P, Si ]. It expresses the change of the focal distance
̂
P Si . Because of the constant sum one distance increases while the other decreases by the
same amount. Therefore, the radial components vr1 and vr2 of v have the same length but
different directions w.r.t. the focal points S1 and S2 . Therefore, the two triangles formed by v
and the radial components are symmetric w.r.t. the tangent tP (see Figure 2.11, right). This
means that the tangent tP bisects the exterior angle of the spherical triangle S1 P S2 .
In terms of physical reflection on the sphere, this means that incoming and reflected rays
build equal angles with the tangent and the normal, respectively. This is the optical property
of spherical conics. ◾
Mh
M A
A∗
B∗
FIGURE 10.8. The points A∗ and B ∗ are the centers of curvature at the vertices
A, B of a spherical conic c. This construction is analogous to that for planar
ellipses or hyperbolas.
At the end of this section, we mention two further properties which hold
for spherical conics as well as for planar conics:
• Figure 10.8 reveals that the construction of the circles of curvature
at the vertices A, B of an ellipse (Figure 3.11 or Figure 2.10, left) is
PA
PB P c
a
cb
c
M
FIGURE 10.9. This is the spherical analogue of the construction named after
Proclus or de la Hire.
still valid for spherical conics c. This is even true when c is seen as
a spherical hyperbola with center Mh , with vertex A and ideal point
B (Figure 2.10, right, or Figure 3.14, left). This can be verified either
analytically or using the spherical version of the quadratic transforma-
tion defined by conjugate normals (see Section 7.5).
• Figure 10.9 shows the spherical analogue of the construction of de la
Hire (Figure 2.6). This can be proved by a projection analogue to the
one illustrated in Figure 10.11.
Analytic description of a spherical conic

Now we want to find an analytic representation of a spherical conic.
We assume that the foci are given by S1 = (cos e, − sin e, 0) and S2 =
(cos e, sin e, 0), where e < π2 . The point P traces the spherical conic if
Ŝ ̂
1 P + P S2 = 2a = const. Without loss of generality, we may assume
u
e e
y
S1
S2
x v
FIGURE 10.10. Deriving the equation of a spherical conic.
0 < e < a < π2 . We set P = (cos u cos v, cos u sin v, sin u). The parame-
ters u and v can be interpreted as latitude and longitude on the unit
sphere as shown in Figure 10.10.
By virtue of the spherical Pythagoras Theorem 10.1.2, we have
cos Ŝ
1 P = cos u cos(v + e) and cos P̂
S2 = cos u cos(v − e). (10.1)
From the definition of the spherical ellipse with major axis 2a we have
S2 = cos (2a − Ŝ
cos P̂ ̂ ̂
1 P ) = cos 2a cos S1 P + sin 2a sin S1 P . (10.2)
Eqs. (10.1) and (10.2) together yield
cos u cos(v − e) = cos 2a cos u cos(v + e) + sin 2a sin Ŝ

1P . (10.3)
We solve this equation for sin Ŝ 2 ̂

1 P , square it, and insert sin S1 P = 1 −
2 ̂
cos S1 P = 1 − cos u ⋅ cos (v + e). Because of
2 2
cos(v ± e) = cos v cos e ∓ sin v sin e
(10.2) simplifies to
2
cos2 e 2 sin e
cos2 u (cos2 v + sin v ) = 1. (10.4)
cos2 a sin2 a
In order to give a geometric meaning to the coefficients in (10.4) we recall

that the major and minor semiaxes are related to the linear eccentricity
by cos a = cos b ⋅ cos e. Consequently, (10.4) can be rewritten as
cos2 u
( cos2 v sin2 a + sin2 v(cos2 b − cos2 a)) = 1.
sin2 a cos2 b
The fact that this equation holds for u = 0 and v = a and for u = b and
v = 0 confirms that a and b are the semimajor and semiminor axes.
Spherical conics on quadratic cones

In this section we prove that a spherical conic is not only contained in
a sphere. It turns out that there are three quadratic cylinders and a
quadratic cone that also pass through the spherical conic.
In the previous subsection we assumed that the point P moves along a
spherical conic. Thus, x = cos u cos v, y = cos u sin v, and z = sin u are its
coordinates with respect to the Cartesian standard coordinate system.
Now, (10.4) reads
cos2 e 2 sin2 e 2
L∶ x + y =1 (10.5)
cos2 a sin2 a
which is the equation of an elliptic cylinder with generators parallel to
the z-axis. On the other hand, (10.5) can be viewed as the equation of
an ellipse in the plane z = 0. The generators of L are lines of sight of the
orthogonal projection onto the plane z = 0. Thus, we have
Theorem 10.1.6 The orthogonal projection of a spherical conic onto the

symmetry plane through its foci is located on an ellipse.
Note that the coefficients in (10.5) are always positive, since they are
squares of real numbers.
We can rephrase Theorem 10.1.6 by saying that the top view of any
spherical conic with foci in the plane z = 0 is a part of an ellipse.
The equation of the unit sphere
S 2 ∶ x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 (10.6)
is also satisfied by the coordinates of the points of the spherical conic. Each
linear combination of (10.5) and (10.6) gives an equation of a quadratic
surface passing through the spherical conic. In particular, the difference

of the equations leads to
cos2 e sin2 e 2
C∶ ( − 1) x 2
− (1 − ) y − z 2 = 0, (10.7)
cos2 a sin2 a
which is obviously free from linear and constant terms in x, y and z.
Hence, it is the equation of a quadratic cone with its apex in the center
of the sphere (compare with the standard equation (4.5) of quadratic
conics).
Because of our assumption 0 < e < a < π2 , the signature of the quadratic
form on the left hand side, i.e., the sequence of signs at the coefficients
of x2 , y 2 , and z 2 is (+ − −).
Theorem 10.1.7 A spherical conic is a connected component of the in-

tersection between a quadratic cone and a sphere centered at its apex.
Conversely, each quadratic cone centered at the origin and with signature
(+ − −) or (+ + −) intersects the unit sphere in two antipodal conics or
circles.
Proof: Following the above discussion, it only remains to show that for each quadratic cone
satisfying the listed conditions, there is a Cartesian coordinate system such that its equation
can be written in the form of (10.7). Here, we refer to (4.5): The cone’s equation can be written
in the form u2 x2 − v2 y 2 − z 2 = 0 . A comparison of coefficients with (10.7) results in
v2 (1 + u2 )v2
cos2 a = , cos2 e = .
u2 + v 2 u2 + v 2
This defines the positive quantities a and e for the spherical conic uniquely, and they satisfy
a > e. ◾
A parametrization of a spherical conic

In this subsection we shall derive a parametrization, where a uniform
subdivision of the parameter interval serves for a fair distribution of the
points on the curve. Thus, it is useful for computer drawings. The new
parametrization allows us to prove in another way that spherical conics
are the intersection curves of the sphere with quadratic cones.
Let us start with the projection of a suitably positioned ellipse e0 with the
semiaxes a0 and b0 onto the unit sphere S 2 , as depicted in the Figures
10.11 and 10.12. In a properly chosen Cartesian coordinate system, a
point P on the ellipse e0 has the coordinates (x0 , a0 cos u, b0 sin u)T , where
S2
P C
c
e0
F1 c
O
S1
S2 y
x
F2
FIGURE 10.11. The planar ellipse e0 is projected from the center O of a sphere
S 2 onto the sphere (via a quadratic cone C). The result is a pair of antipodal
spherical conics c. Note that the spherical foci S1 and S2 of c do not correspond
to the foci F1 and F2 of the planar ellipse e0 .
z ′′ z ′′′
S2
S2
P ′′ P ′′′
c′′ C ′′′
C C ′′ C C e′′′
0
′′′ ′′′
a0 c c
O′′ y ′′
O ′′′ x′′′
e′′0 b0
FIGURE 10.12. Front view (left) and side view (right) of the spherical conic c.
The projections of c are portions of planar conics c′′ , c′′′ .
$→
u ∈ [0, 2π]. Now we just have to normalize the vector OE in order to get
the position vector c of the corresponding point C on the spherical curve
c (Figure 10.12)
⎛ cx ⎞ 1 ⎛ x0 ⎞
c = ⎜ cy ⎟ = √ ⎜ a0 cos u ⎟ .
⎝ cz ⎠ x0 2 + a20 cos2 u + b20 sin2 u ⎝ b0 sin u ⎠
In order to shorten the following calculations, we let p = a0 /x0 and q =

b0 /x0 . The parametrization of c gives
1 ⎛ 1 ⎞
c= √ ⎜ p cos u ⎟ . (10.8)
1 + p2 cos2 u + q 2 sin2 u ⎝ q sin u ⎠
In spherical coordinates, i.e., with longitude λ and latitude ϕ, the point

C is described by
cy
λ = arctan = arctan(p cos u)
cx
and
cz q sin u
ϕ = arctan √ = arctan √ .
c2x + c2y 1 + p2 cos2 u
We want to prove that the curve c is a spherical conic. Therefore, we need
to show that for all C ∈ c the sum of the distances of C to two points S1
and S2 inside the curve is constant. Then, S1 and S2 will automatically
be the foci of the curve.
It would be a mistake to think that S1 and S2 are the projections of the
foci of the ellipse – we will show below that this is not the case. We rather
calculate the values of a and b of the projected curve c (the presumptive
spherical conic) and from them the spherical distance e.
In order to get the values a and b we project the vertices of the ellipse e0 .
The corresponding angles a and b are the latitude angle at u = 0 and the
elevation angle at u = π/2:
π
a = λ(0) = arctan p, b = ϕ( ) = arctan q.
2
Together with the spherical Pythagoras
√ theorem (page 439) and the well-
known formula cos(arctan x) = 1/ 1 + x2 , this leads to
√
cos a cos(arctan p) 1 + q2
cos e = = =
cos b cos(arctan q) 1 + p2
and further to √
√ p2 − q 2
sin e = 1 − cos2 e = .
1 + p2
Thus, we have found S1 = (cos e, − sin e, 0) and S2 = (cos e, sin e, 0). Their
position vectors are
√
⎛ √1 + q 2 ⎞
1 ⎜ ∓ p2 − q 2 ⎟ .
s1,2 = √ ⎜ ⎟
1 + p2 ⎝ 0 ⎠
The spherical distances Ŝ ̂

1 C and S2 C, i.e., the angles δ1 and δ2 , can be
determined via the dot product of the corresponding position vectors.
We have cos δ1 = ⟨s1 , c⟩ and cos δ2 = ⟨s2 , c⟩. Using the identity
√ √
arccos x + arccos y = arccos (xy − 1 − x2 1 − y 2 ) ,
we find, after some calculations,

1 − p2
arccos ⟨s1 , c⟩ + arccos ⟨s2 , c⟩ = ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ = arccos ,
1 + p2
which equals 2 arctan p = 2a, provided that p > 0.
Thus, we know that the intersection of our quadratic projection cone C
leads to a spherical conic. Any oblique section of C is again a conic, so that
the choice of the carrier plane of the ellipse involved no loss of generality,
and Theorem 10.1.7 is proven in a second way.
Now, it is obvious that the projections of the foci of the ellipse are
√not the
foci of the spherical conic. Otherwise we would obtain e = arctan p2 − q 2 .
The principal views of a spherical conic
We have seen that the orthogonal projection of a spherical conic onto
the symmetry plane σ1 through its foci is a planar conic. The symmetry
plane σ2 of the foci S1 and S2 is another symmetry plane. The plane σ3
perpendicular to both σ1 and σ2 that passes through O completes the
set of symmetry planes of the spherical conic. We call the orthogonal
projections onto these planes the principal views of the conic, and show:
Theorem 10.1.8 The principal views of a spherical conic are located on

ordinary (planar) conics.
Proof: The symmetry planes have the following equations
σ1 ∶ z = 0, σ2 ∶ y = 0, σ3 ∶ x = 0.
Equations of the principal views of the spherical conic are obtained by eliminating z, y, and x
from the equation (10.6) of the sphere S 2 , from eq. (10.5) of the elliptic cylinder L (or likewise
(10.7) of the quadratic cone C). The shape of the top view, i.e., the curve in σ1 , is given by
Theorem 10.1.6, and its equation is given by (10.5). Elimination of y and x from (10.5) and
(10.6) results in
cot2 e sin2 a tan2 e 2 cos2 a

(1 − ) x2 + z 2 = 1 − , (1 − ) y + z2 = 1 − . (10.9)
2
cot a sin2 e 2
tan a cos2 e
These equations can be interpreted as equations of quadratic cylinders through the spherical
conic or of conics in the planes σ2 and σ3 . Because of e < a, in the latter case we obtain a
hyperbola in y = 0 and an ellipse in x = 0. Of course, the principal views of the spherical conic
are the restrictions to the closed unit disks.
Of course, the views of the spherical conic must lie inside the closed unit disk. ◾
FIGURE 10.13. The principal projections of a spherical conic c are placed on

planar conics. Hence, the curve c is the intersection of three quadratic cylinders.
On the left a ∶ b = 3 ∶ 1 and a almost π/2, on the right a ∶ b = 5 ∶ 4.
We can summarize the results (Figure 10.13):
Theorem 10.1.9 There are three quadratic cylinders and one quadratic
cone (concentric with the sphere) passing through any spherical conic.
Just to be complete, we do the same with the parametrization of our

spherical conic given in (10.8):
1. The top view is given by

√
1 p
x = , y = cos u with r = 1 + p2 cos2 u + q 2 sin2 u.
r r
Elimination of the parameter u leads to the equation
p2 − q 2 2
(1 + q 2 )x2 + y = 1.
p2
2. The front view is described by

√
p q
y = cos u, z = sin u with r = 1 + p2 cos2 u + q 2 sin2 u.
r r
Elimination of the parameter u leads to the equation
1 + p2 2 1 + q 2 2
y + z = 1.
p2 q2
3. Finally, the right side view is given by

√
1 q
x = , z = sin u with r = 1 + p2 cos2 u + q 2 sin2 u,
r r
and the elimination of u leads to
p2 2
(1 + p2 )x2 + (1 − ) z = 1.
q2
Figure 10.12 shows the front and right side views of a spherical conic.
Ivory’s theorem on the sphere

According to Theorem 10.1.7, each spherical conic is located on a qua-
dratic cone C of signature (+ − −). By (10.7), we have
cos2 e sin2 e π
C ∶ x2 ( 2
− 1) − y 2
(1 − 2
) − z 2 = 0, 0<e<a< .
cos a sin a 2
The intersection C ∩ S 2 consists of two mutually antipodal spheri-

cal conics. In the half-space x > 0, we get the conic with focal
points S1 = (cos e, sin e, 0), S2 = (cos e, − sin e, 0) and principal vertices
(cos a, ± sin a, 0).
A comparison of (10.7) with the ansatz

x2 y 2 z 2
− − = 0, uvw ≠ 0, (10.10)
u2 v 2 w2
yields
cos2 a sin2 a
u2 ∶v 2 ∶w2 = ∶ ∶1= cos2 a∶sin2 a∶(sin2 a−sin2 e).
cos2 e−cos2 a sin2 a−sin2 e
Under the assumption that v 2 > w2 , we can solve this for the quantities
e, a, and b associated with the conic (see Figure 10.4, right):
v 2 − w2 v2 w2
sin2 e = , sin2
a = , sin 2
b = . (10.11)
u2 + v 2 u2 + v 2 w2 + u2
Therefore, all conics located on quadratic cones with equations
x2 y2 z2
− − = 0, k ∈ R {−u2 , v 2 , w2 } (10.12)
u2 + k v 2 − k w2 − k
have focal points in the set {S1 , S2 , S1∗ , S2∗ }. Therefore, we speak of a
family of confocal spherical conics.
Under our assumption that w2 < v 2 , there are two types of conics to
distinguish in this family:
• For −u2 < k < w2 the focal points are (S1 , S2 ) or (S1∗ , S2∗ ). In view of
Figure 10.5, left, these are ‘spherical ellipses’.
• For w2 < k < v 2 we obtain branches of ‘spherical hyperbolas’ with
respect to the focal points (S1 , S2 ) or (S1∗ , S2∗ ).
For k < −u2 or k > v 2 the cones have the signature (+ + +), they don’t
contain any real point except 0. The limit for k → −u2 is the great circle
in x = 0 (as a, b → π2 ). The great circle in y = 0 occurs as limit for
k → v 2 (as a → 0 ). The limits for k → w2 (as b → 0 ) from k < w2
are the segments S1 S2 or S1∗ S2∗ . As limits from k > w2 , we obtain the
complementary segments S1∗ S2 or S1 S2∗ on the great circle in z = 0.
The family of confocal conics together with these limiting curves forms an
orthogonal net on the sphere (see Figure 10.14). Two mutually orthogonal
net curves pass through each point P ∈ S 2 , and if P lies outside of any
symmetry plane there is precisely one such conic of each type. This follows
from Theorem 10.1.5 since the tangent line of an ellipse bisects the exterior
angle between the focal rays, i.e., the segments P S1 and P S2 . Below we
prove the spherical analogue of Ivory’s Theorem 2.2.3.
Theorem 10.1.10 Ivory’s theorem on S 2 . The orthogonal net of con-

focal conics on the sphere has the property that in each curvilinear qua-
drangle the diagonals are of equal length.
P′
c′
P
Q′
c
Q
S2
FIGURE 10.14. Ivory’s theorem on the sphere states that P̂ ̂

′Q = P Q′ .
Proof: For the sake of simplicity, we identify points P with their position vectors p. Therefore,
we briefly speak of points p, q ∈ S 2 .
Let l be a linear map
⎛ κ 0 0 ⎞
l ∶ R3 → R3 with p ↦ l(p) = Ap, A=⎜ 0 λ 0 ⎟,
⎝ 0 0 μ ⎠
where κ, λ, μ ∈ R and (κ ∶ λ ∶ μ) ≠ (1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1). We look for points p = (x, y, z)T ∈ S 2 whose image
points are again on S 2 . This holds if, and only if,
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = κ2 x2 + λ2 y 2 + μ2 z 2 = 1,
or equivalently
∥p∥ = 1 and (κ2 − 1)x2 + (λ2 − 1)y 2 + (μ2 − 1)z 2 = 0.
A comparison with the equation of the cone C in (10.10) shows that if
κ2 − 1 > 0 > λ2 − 1 > μ2 − 1, i.e., κ2 > 1 > λ2 > μ2 ≥ 0
these points p lie on the pair of antipodal conics given by
x2 y 2 z2 1 1 1
C∶ − − = 0 with 2 = κ2 − 1, = 1 − λ2 , = 1 − μ2 ,
u2 v 2 w 2 u v2 w2
after adjusting u, v, and w by an appropriate factor.
As a consequence, when μ2 > 0, the image points l(p) = (x′ , y ′ , z ′ )T = (κx, λy, μz)T are located
on the pair of antipodal conics of
x′ 2 y′ 2 z′ 2 x′ 2 y′ 2 z′ 2
C′ ∶ − 2 2 − 2 2 = 2 − 2 − 2 = 0.
2
κ u 2 λ v μ w u +1 v −1 w −1
We learn from (10.12) that the conics on C and C ′ are confocal (with k = 1) and of the same
type (Figure 10.14), since
w 2 > 1 > −u2 .
Our linear mapping l ∶ p ↦ Ap is selfadjoint, since due to the symmetry of the matrix A, the
adjoint mapping l⋆ ∶ q ↦ AT q equals l. Now, we use a well-known rule from Linear Algebra. It
is a consequence of the following sequence of equations with switches between the dot product
⟨⋅, ⋅⟩ and its matrix representation:
⟨l(p), q⟩ = l(p)T q = (Ap)T q = pT AT q = pT l⋆ (q) = ⟨p, l⋆ (q)⟩.
This expresses directly the statement of Ivory’s theorem p ̂ ̂′ . It only remains to confirm
′ q = pq
that corresponding points p ∈ C and p′ = l(p) ∈ C ′ are always located on the same conic from
the other type of the confocal family, in our case on conics (10.12) with k between v2 and w 2 :
Suppose that simultaneously

x2 y 2 z2 x2 y2 z2
− 2 − 2 =0 and − 2 − 2 = 0,
u 2 v w u2 +k v −k w −k
and k ≠ 0. Then, also
x′ 2 y′ 2 z′ 2 κ2 x2 λ2 y 2 μ2 z 2
− − = − − = 0,
u2 + k v 2 − k w 2 − k u2 + k v 2 − k w 2 − k
because
κ2 u2 + 1 1 1 k−1 1
= 2 2 = + ,
+ k u (u + k) k u2
u2 k u2 + k
which finally yields an affine combination, i.e., a linear combination with coefficients summing
up to 1,
x′ 2 y′ 2 z′ 2 1 x2 y 2 z2 k−1 x2 y2 z2
− 2 − 2 = ( 2 − 2 − 2)+ ( 2 − 2 − 2 ).
u +k v −k w −k k u
2 v w k u +k v −k w −k
When the second conic through p degenerates (i.e., when k → v2 or k → w 2 ), then it is still
true that l(p) lies on the same degenerate conic, since l maps each plane of symmetry onto
itself. ◾
Remark 10.1.1 Ivory’s statement holds also for degenerate conics in the family of confocal
conics since the linear map l in the proof above is singular if μ = 0. Then, one conic on C ′ is the
segment S1 S2 between the focal points of C. Since the endpoints S1 and S2 are the l-images
of the vertices A, B ∈ C, we obtain
S1 + P̂
P̂ S2 = P̂
A′ + P̂
B ′ = P̂ ̂
′A + P ̂ = 2a.
′ B = AB
In this way, Ivory’s theorem can be used to prove directly that the intersection curves between
a quadratic cone and the unit sphere satisfy the properties of a spherical ellipse.
After inverting the coefficient matrices of the confocal conics in (10.12),

we obtain their tangential equations (see Section 7.1)
(u2 + k)x2 − (v 2 − k)y 2 − (w2 − k)z 2 = (u2 x2 − v 2 y 2 − w2 z 2 ) + k(x2 + y 2 + z 2 ) = 0.
We notice: The duals of confocal conics belong to a pencil which is span-

ned by one of the conics and the conic defined by the isotropic cone
satisfying the equation x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 0 . The previously excluded para-

meter values k = {−u2 , v 2 , w2 } define the singular conics in this pencil,
among them the pencils of great circles through the focal points.
Two particular spherical conics

A bundle in the projective three-space, i.e., the set of lines and planes
through a fixed point O, is a projective plane if lines and planes are seen
as ‘points’ and ‘lines’ (cf. Section 5.1). In this sense quadratic cones are
the ‘conics’ of the bundle. Hence, all projective properties of conics occur
again at quadratic cones and at their spherical visualization in the form of
antipodal pairs of spherical conics. For example, all theorems concerning
porisms for planar conics are also true for spherical conics (Figure 10.15).
P1
c
i P7
P2
P6
P3
P5
P4
FIGURE 10.15. A spherical Poncelet porism with heptagons together with conics
passing through the intersections between the sides’ extensions.
However, the metric properties of spherical conics often differ from those
of their planar counterparts. We have already seen this in the previous
sections. A deeper reason for this difference lies in the fact that the iso-
tropic lines (see Section 6.4, especially Example 6.4.7 on page 253) in the
complex extension of the Euclidean plane form a singular dual line-conic
while the quadratic cone of isotropic lines in the bundle is regular.
In Cartesian coordinates, the isotropic cone with the apex at the origin
O obeys the equation
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 0.
The corresponding symmetric coefficient matrix is the unit matrix I3 .
Two vectors v1 = (x1 , y1 , z1 )T and v2 = (x2 , y2 , z2 )T are conjugate with
respect to this cone if, and only if,
0 = x1 x2 + y1 y2 + z1 z2 = ⟨v1 , v2 ⟩,
i.e., the vectors are orthogonal. The polarity in the isotropic cone is also
called absolute polarity of the bundle.
We set up the Cartesian equation of any quadratic cone with apex O as
C ∶ c00 x2 + c11 y 2 + c22 z 2 = 0 with c00 > 0 > c11 ≥ c22 . (10.13)
The intersections of this quadratic cone with the planes z = 0 and y = 0
show that the semiaxes a and b of the corresponding spherical conic in
the halfspace x > 0 obey
c00 c00 c00 c00
tan2 a = − , sin2 a = , tan2 b = − , sin2 b = . (10.14)
c11 c00 − c11 c22 c00 − c22
This follows also upon comparison with (10.7).
Among the quadratic cones we pick out the following two with special
metrical properties:
• equilateral cones have a vanishing trace, i.e., c00 + c11 + c22 = 0;
• normal cones are characterized by c00 + c22 = c11 .
We use these names also for the corresponding spherical conics.
Equilateral spherical conics
As a consequence of (10.14), equilateral spherical conics are characterized

by
sin2 a
sin2 b = . (10.15)
3 sin2 a − 1
The condition b < a for proper conics implies the limits

√ √
2 π 2 π
arcsin < a < , arcsin >b< .
3 2 3 4
In one limiting√ case, our spherical conic becomes a circle with radius
a = b = arcsin 2/3. At the other limit, with a = π/2 and b = π/4, i.e.,
c11 = 0, the quadratic cone splits into two perpendicular planes obeying
x2 − z 2 = 0.
M H
c
G
y z
FIGURE 10.16. The regular right triangle GHK can move around in the equila-
teral spherical conic c while all three vertices G, H, and K run along c.
Theorem 10.1.11 Within any equilateral spherical conic c we can in-

scribe an infinite number of octants, i.e., of regular triangles all of whose
sides are of length π/2 and whose angles are all π/2.
Proof: For the matrix C = diag(c00 , c11 , c22 ) of c we obtain
⎛ σ + τ c00 0 0 ⎞
det(σI3 + τ C) = det ⎜ 0 σ + τ c11 0 ⎟.
⎝ 0 0 σ + τ c22 ⎠
The coefficient of σ2 τ vanishes. Hence, by Lemma 9.5.2 (page 420), the isotropic cone is
inpolar to c. In the bundle of lines and planes through O, each triple of lines which is self-
polar with respect to the isotropic cone consists of three pairwise orthogonal lines. Therefore,
by Lemma 9.5.1 (page 419), an infinite set of octants can be inscribed in the equilateral conic
(Figure 10.16). ◾
The octant performs a periodic continuous spherical motion while the

three vertices GHK simultaneously traverse the same equilateral conic c
(Figure 10.17). During one full turn, the moving triangle GHK returns
twice to its initial position, however rotated under 120○ and 240○ .2 The
sides of the moving octant envelope again a spherical conic i. It is located
on the cone which corresponds to the cone of c in the absolute polarity
(compare also Lemma 9.5.4).
m
G
y M
c
H
FIGURE 10.17. Top view of the motion of the octant GHK turning around
in the equilateral spherical conic c, together with the path m of the triangle’s
center M and the envelope i of the three sides.
Thus, we obtain again a spherical Poncelet porism with a family of tri-

angles which in this particular case are mutually congruent. One can
traverse these triangles by a spherical motion which is overconstrained
as three points trace the same curve. This motion is very special. There
exists no counterpart in the plane. In the limiting case a = b, the octant’s
motion is a pure rotation about its axis of threefold symmetry. At the
2
The generic point paths are of spherical degree 24, i.e., they are projected from the origin by
cones of degree 24. For details see [59].
other limit, with the splitting cone, the continuous motion consists of ro-
tations which keep one of the three vertices fixed. There are poses which
allow a bifurcation between these rotations.
Another spherical motion with the three vertices of a regular triangle
running along the same curve t occurs in the spherical version of a Wankel
engine (Figure 10.18): The curve t is a spherical trochoid generated as
a point path when the rotor rotates about its center M with angular
velocity −2 while additionally it rotates about the fixed center O with
angular velocity 3. During this spherical motion the circle m rolls along
the fixed circle o. In this case the rotor needs not be a spherical octant.
However, the common point path t is not a spherical conic but a curve of
spherical degree 6.
M
3
-2 m
O
o
FIGURE 10.18. At the ‘spherical Wankel engine’ the common path t of the three
vertices of the rotor is a trochoid. It can be generated when the circle m which
is attached to the rotor, is rolling along the fixed circle o. The angular velocities
of the rotor’s rotations about M and additionally about the fixed center O have
the constant ratio −3 ∶ 2.
Let us return to the equilateral conic c: Suppose, we project the moving

octant from the origin into a plane ε which intersects the cone of c along
a circle c0 (Figure 4.23). Then, we obtain a one-parameter set of triangles

with a common circumcircle c0 and a common orthocenter O, which is the
pedal point of ε w.r.t. the center 0 (Figure 10.19)3 . Due to the properties
of the Euler line, also the centroid G is common to these triangles in ε
which envelope again a conic i0 . Conversely, these triangles can serve for
an elementary approach to Theorem 10.1.11.
c0
i0
M G O
FIGURE 10.19. Triangles sharing the circumcircle c0 , the centroid G and the
orthocenter O are circumscribed to the conic i0 .
Normal spherical conics
By (10.14), normal spherical conics are characterized by
sin2 a
sin a = tan b or sin2 b = . (10.16)
sin2 a + 1
On the other hand, the condition c00 + c22 = c11 is equivalent to the
fact that the corresponding cone C from (10.13) intersects the plane of
symmetry y = 0 in lines which are perpendicular to planes
√ √
x c00 − c11 ± z c11 − c22 = 0,
which cut C along circles.
3
Figure 9.35 on page 422 shows a version with the orthocenter O outside of c. In this case the
envelope of the triangles is a hyperbola.
We conclude this section with spherical analogues of wellknown theorems

from plane geometry concerning the Thales circle and the angle of cir-
cumference (compare with Figure 6.9 on page 226).
Theorem 10.1.12 Let A, B be two fixed points on the sphere S 2 with

̂ = 2λ < π/2. The set of points P ∈ S 2 with <) AP B = π/2 is a normal
AB
spherical conic c with A and B as auxiliary vertices. Hence, the semiminor
axis of the conic c is b = λ; the semimajor axis a satisfies sin a = tan b
(Figure 10.20a).
̂ = 2λ ≤ π/2,
Proof: We start with the generalized problem: Given two points A, B ∈ S 2 with AB
what is the locus c of points P ∈ S 2 such that <) AP B = ϕ or <) AP B = π − ϕ with constant ϕ
and 0 < ϕ ≤ π/2 ? The curve c is called isoptic curve of the segment AB.
We denote the position vectors of A, B, and P with a, b and p, respectively, and we assume
that S 2 is centered at 0 . For P ≠ A, B the great circles [A, P ] and [B, P ] have axes in the
direction of the vectors p × a and p × b, respectively. The angle <) AP B or π− <) AP B occurs
also as angle between these two vectors. Hence, their scalar product must satisfy
⟨p × a, p × b⟩ = ± cos ϕ ∥p × a∥∥p × b∥.
After squaring this basic equation, we substitute according to the formula ∥u∥2 ∥v∥2 = ∥u ×
v∥2 + ⟨u, v⟩2
∥p × a∥2 ∥p × b∥2 = [(p × a) × (p × b)]2 + ⟨p × a, p × b⟩2
and obtain
⟨p × a, p × b⟩2 (1 − cos2 ϕ) = cos2 ϕ [(p × a) × (p × b)]2 .
Standard formulas for mixed products of vectors of R3 yield
[⟨p, p⟩⟨a, b⟩ − ⟨p, a⟩⟨p, b⟩]2 = cot2 ϕ [a det(p, p, b) − p det(a, p, b)]2
and finally
[⟨p, p⟩⟨a, b⟩ − ⟨p, a⟩⟨p, b⟩] 2 = cot2 ϕ⟨p, p⟩ [det(a, p, b)]2 .
We set (note the coordinate frame displayed in Figure 10.21)
⎛ x ⎞ ⎛ cos λ ⎞ ⎛ cos λ ⎞
p = ⎜ y ⎟, a = ⎜ − sin λ ⎟ , b = ⎜ sin λ ⎟
⎝ z ⎠ ⎝ 0 ⎠ ⎝ 0 ⎠
and obtain
2
[(x2 + y 2 + z 2 )(cos2 λ − sin2 λ) − (x2 cos2 λ − y 2 sin2 λ)]
= cot2 ϕ(x2 + y 2 + z 2 )[2z sin λ cos λ]2 .
Finally, the cone connecting the center of S 2 with the locus c of the requested points P satisfies
the equation
2
[−x2 sin2 λ + y 2 cos2 λ + z 2 (cos2 λ − sin2 λ)] − 4z 2 sin2 λ cos2 λ cot2 ϕ (x2 + y 2 + z 2 ) = 0. (10.17)
This cone is symmetric with respect to all three coordinate planes (Figure 10.20b–d).
In the case ϕ = π/2, hence cot ϕ = 0, the cone reduces to a quadratic one (Figure 10.20a). A
comparison with (10.13) shows
c00 = sin2 λ, c11 = sin2 λ − cos2 λ, c22 = − cos2 λ.

c
P
P
ϕ
c
a
B λ λ
λ A B λ A
(a) (b)
P c
ϕ
P
ϕ
c
B λ A B λ A
λ λ
(c) (d)
FIGURE 10.20. These are versions of spherical isoptic curves c for the segment
AB, i.e., sets of points P ∈ S 2 with <) AP B = ϕ or π − ϕ. (a) The spherical
analogue of the Thales circle (ϕ = π/2) is a normal conic c with A and B as
auxiliary vertices. In all other cases, c is a spherical quartic, i.e., it is projected
from the center of the sphere by a cone of degree 4. (b) the case AB ̂ = 2λ < ϕ;
(c) 2λ = ϕ, the point D is a singularity of the quartic c; (d) 2λ > ϕ.
Obviously, c00 + c22 = c11 . By (10.14) the semiaxes a, b satisfy
c00 c00
tan2 b = − = tan2 λ = = sin2 a .
c22 c00 − c11
In the limiting case λ = π/4 and cot ϕ = 0, the cone splits into two orthogonal planes. ◾
Under cot ϕ ≠ 0, the cone in (10.17) is of degree four. It is the spherical

counterpart of a pair of circles in the plane.
The intersection of the quartic cone with the unit sphere (shown in
Figure 10.20, (b)–(d)) satisfies at the same time the equation x2 +y 2 +z 2 =
1. We can use this equation to eliminate from (10.17) either x or y. In both
cases, we obtain a pair of elliptic cylinders passing through the spherical
locus c of points P :
x2 (z ± cot λ cot ϕ)2 y2 (z ± tan λ cot ϕ)2

+ = 1, + = 1.
cos2 λ/ sin2 ϕ cot2 λ/ sin2 ϕ sin2 λ/ sin2 ϕ tan2 λ/ sin2 ϕ
In the case λ = ϕ2 , all cylinders touch the sphere at a point on the z-axis.
The locus c has two symmetric singularities (see Figure 10.20c).
As a consequence of Theorem 10.1.12, we can state for the bundle of lines
and planes through the sphere center O: We obtain a projectivity between
two pencils of planes when each plane through the fixed axis [O, A] is
mapped onto the orthogonal plane passing through the second axis [O, B].
However, contrary to the planar case, it is no longer a projectivity when
corresponding planes through [O, A] and [O, B] enclose a given angle
ϕ ≠ π/2.
Figure 6.9 gives rise to a second spherical analogue of the theorem on the
angle of circumference. It refers to the projective generation of spherical
conics by a projectivity between pencils of great circles:
Theorem 10.1.13 Let us assume that on S 2 the projectivity α between

the pencils of great circles through the points P and Q with 0 < P̂ Q<π
is an orientation preserving congruence but no perspectivity. Then, the
generated pair of antipodal conics consist of normal conics. The spherical
bisector of P and Q is the minor axis of these conics (Figure 10.21).
Remark 10.1.2 If on S 2 the congruence α between P and Q is orientation reversing, then

we can replace P by its antipode P . Thus, we again can apply Theorem 10.1.13 because the
assignment between the pencils P and Q is orientation preserving.
Proof: We confine our attention to the conic c passing through P and Q (cf. Figure 10.21).
According to Figure 6.1, right, on page 218 the pre-image 1 = α−1 ([P, Q]) and the image
2′ = α([P, Q]) are tangent to c at the points P and Q. These tangents must build equal angles
with the chord [P, Q] since α is supposed to be an orientation preserving congruence. Hence,
due to properties of the polarity with respect to c , the bisector of P and Q is an axis of
symmetry of c.
4′ ′
a 2
3′ y
B 2 = 1′
A
R
b
x
3 1
4
FIGURE 10.21. On any sphere, two congruent pencils of great circles generate
a normal conic c.
Our congruence α must map the angle bisectors 3, 4 between great circles 1 and 2 onto the
angle bisectors 3′ , 4′ of 1′ and 2′ (Figure 10.21). Corresponding angle bisectors intersect at the
points A, B ∈ c on our axis of symmetry. Because of the orthogonality of (3, 4) and of (3′ , 4′ ),
and by Theorem 10.1.12, the points P and Q are located on a normal conic with the auxiliary
vertices A and B. The auxiliary vertices A and B together with the points P and Q define
the conic c uniquely. Hence, the spherical conic c must be normal.
Conversely, any normal conic is already defined by the two auxiliary vertices A and B because
of (10.16). Therefore, each normal conic c can be generated by a congruence, provided the
basic points P, Q ∈ c are symmetric with respect to the minor axis [A, B]. ◾
◾ Example 10.1.1 Spherical analogue of the Thales circle. Give a proof of Theorem 10.1.12
by confirming that the projection of our spherical conic c from the sphere center O into a fixed
plane orthogonal to the diameter [O, A] gives a circle. Note that corresponding orthogonal
planes through [O, A] and [O, B] intersect our fixed plane along lines which are mutually
orthogonal.
10.2 Conics in non-Euclidean planes

We are going to report on some Euclidean properties of conics which
remain valid even in non-Euclidean planes. However, we restrict ourselves
to two planes, the pseudo-Euclidean plane M2 and the hyperbolic plane
H2 . We focus in particular on Ivory’s theorem which surprisingly is a
connecting link between these geometries. Many other common properties
are omitted, e.g., the optical property of conics which is a consequence of
the dual version of Desargues’s involution theorem (Section 7.4).
The pseudo-Euclidean plane M2
The pseudo-Euclidean plane or Minkowski plane4 M2 is defined as a real
affine plane where the underlying vector space R2 is endowed with a non-
degenerate indefinite symmetric bilinear form, called pseudo-Euclidean
scalar product ⟨ , ⟩m . The pseudo-Euclidean distance dm (P, Q) of points
P, Q with coordinate vectors p, q ∈ R2 is defined as
√
dm (P, Q) = ⟨(p − q), (p − q)⟩m .
This distance is either a nonnegative number or the product of a positive

number with the imaginary unit i.
A line segment P Q as well as the spanned line [P, Q] are called lightlike,
spacelike or timelike if the length dm (P, Q) is zero, positive or imaginary,
respectively. Two vectors with vanishing scalar product as well as the two
spanned lines are called orthogonal in the pseudo-Euclidean sense. Hence,
lightlike vectors are self-orthogonal.
We call an affine coordinate system with basis vectors (b1 , b2 ) orthonor-
mal in the pseudo-Euclidean sense, when the scalar product of two vectors
u = u1 b1 + u2 b2 and v = v1 b1 + v2 b2 can be written as
⟨u, v⟩m = u1 v1 − u2 v2 for all u, v ∈ R2 . (10.18)
Consequently, the basis vectors are orthogonal and satisfy ⟨b1 , b1 ⟩m = 1

and ⟨b2 , b2 ⟩m = −1. The components (u1 , u2 ) of any vector u ∈ R2 with
respect to (b1 , b2 ) are u1 = ⟨u, b1 ⟩m and u2 = −⟨u, b2 ⟩m . The vectors
b1 + b2 and b1 − b2 are lightlike. By virtue of (5.6), any two orthogonal
non-lightlike lines separate the two lightlike directions harmonically.
4
Named after Hermann Minkowski (1864–1909), mathematician and physicist in Göttingen.
10.2 Conics in non-Euclidean planes 469
The figures in this section are based on the standard model of the pseudo-
Euclidean plane M2 . This is embedded into the Euclidean plane E2 such
that the basis vectors of the Cartesian coordinates (x, y) are also ortho-
normal in the pseudo-Euclidean sense. Lightlike lines make an angle of
45○ with the x-axis, spacelike lines have an inclination < 45○ . In the case
of ambiguities we use the prefix “m-” or “e-” at geometric terms in order
to emphasize whether they are meant in the pseudo-Euclidean (Minkow-
skian) or in the Euclidean sense. In this sense we can, e.g., state that two
intersecting lines in the standard model are m-orthogonal if and only if
their e-angle bisectors are lightlike.
O
O
FIGURE 10.22. Euclidean (left) and pseudo-Euclidean rotations (right).
Affine transformations whose associated linear map l ∶ R2 → R2 preserves

scalar products, i.e.,
⟨l(u), l(v)⟩m = ⟨u, v⟩m for all u, v ∈ R2
are called pseudo-Euclidean motions. They preserve distances and ortho-

gonality; the types of lines do not change, in particular, lightlike lines
remain lightlike. When the matrix A = (aik ) represents the linear map
l with respect to the orthonormal basis (b1 , b2 ), then the two column
vectors l(b1 ) and l(b2 ) in A must be orthonormal too, hence
a211 − a221 = 1, a212 − a222 = −1, a11 a12 − a21 a22 = 0. (10.19)
We obtain
(det A)2 = a211 a222 − 2a11 a12 a21 a22 + a212 a221
= (1 + a221 )a222 − 2a221 a222 + (a222 − 1)a221 = 1.
Pseudo-Euclidean motions with det A = +1 are called direct, otherwise

indirect. The lightlike directions remain fixed under direct motions, while
they are exchanged in the indirect case (Exercise 10.2.1).
Translations are direct motions, as well as the motion
x x′ x cosh ϕ sinh ϕ
( ) ↦ ( ′ ) = R1 (ϕ) ( ) with R1 (ϕ) = ( ) (10.20)
y y y sinh ϕ cosh ϕ
and ϕ ∈ R which keeps the origin O fixed. It is called a pseudo-Euclidean

rotation about O. The parameter ϕ acts like an angle of rotation, since
R1 (ϕ1 )R1 (ϕ2 ) = R1 (ϕ1 + ϕ2 ). (10.21)
Figure 10.22 (right) shows an iterated pseudo-Euclidean rotation of two

parallelograms. The rotations preserve the e-area of the parallelograms.
For variable ϕ ∈ R in (10.20) we obtain a continuous rotation about O.
Obviously, it is non-periodic. Points on the lightlike lines through O run
along these lines, while the trajectories of all other points are pseudo-
Euclidean circles with center O and satisfying the equation ⟨x, x⟩m = c =
const., c ≠ 0. In the Euclidean sense, they are branches of equilateral
hyperbolas with the x- or y-axis as principal axis.
The motion
x x′ x cosh τ − sinh τ
( ) ↦ ( ′ ) = R2 (τ ) ( ) with R2 (τ ) = ( ) (10.22)
y y y sinh τ − cosh τ
is indirect and involutory. It can be proved (Exercise 10.2.1) that this is

the pseudo-Euclidean reflection in the line y = tanh τ2 x .
Remark 10.2.1 The Minkowski plane represents the geometry which is associated with the
Einsteinian principle of relativity. The y-coordinate stands for the time t; points in M2 re-
present events (x, t) in space-time. Spacelike lines through the origin correspond to uniform
motions along the x-axis. The scaling of t is such that the motion with maximum speed, i.e.,
the speed of light, corresponds to lightlike lines with 45○ inclination. The pseudo-Euclidean
motions are socalled Lorentz transformations between inertial reference frames. The matrix
equation (10.21) expresses the relativistic law of the ‘velocity-addition’ such that the speed of
light is the same in all inertial reference frames. For further details see [68].
Pseudo-Euclidean conics
The pseudo-Euclidean plane M2 is an affine plane. Therefore, we still can
distinguish between ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas. Now the question
arises: is the Apollonian definition of conics still valid in M2 ?
Given a focal point F , an associated directrix l with F ∈/ l, and the nume-
rical eccentricity ε > 0, what is the set of points P in M2 with proportio-
nal distances dm (P, F ) = ε ⋅ dm (P, l), when dm (P, l) denotes the distance
between P and its pseudo-Euclidean pedal point on l ? Obviously, the
directrix l must not be lightlike since otherwise all lines orthogonal to l
would be parallel to l.
Up to translations and a rotation about O, we can confine ourselves to
the cases that l is either the y-axis with F = (p/ε, 0) or the x-axis with
F = (0, p/ε) for p ∈ R {0}. Hence, for P = (x, y) the condition dm (P, F ) =
ε ⋅ dm (P, l) is equivalent to either
2p p2 2p p2
x2 − x + 2 − y 2 = ε2 x2 or x2 − y 2 + y − 2 = −ε2 y 2 .
ε ε ε ε
We can express these equations in the form
2p p2 2p p2
(ε2 − 1)x2 + y 2 + x − 2 = 0 or x2 + (ε2 − 1)y 2 + y − 2 = 0.
ε ε ε ε
They reveal that the wanted geometric locus c of points P is a conic,
namely for ε > 1 an ellipse, for ε = 1 a parabola and for ε < 1 a non-
equilateral hyperbola which intersects the axis of symmetry through F in
real points. (Note that in the Euclidean case we had ε < 1 for ellipses and
ε > 1 for hyperbolas.) After applying pseudo-Euclidean motions, all obtai-
ned ellipses and hyperbolas have a center and a spacelike and a timelike
axis of m-symmetry. The obtained parabolas have either a spacelike or a
timelike axis of m-symmetry.
The lightlike lines through F intersect the directrix l at two points which
satisfy the Apollonian condition, since their m-distances to F and l vanish.
These lightlike lines cannot meet the conic c at another point since such a
point must again have a zero-distance to l. Therefore, a point F is called
a focal point or focus of a conic c in M2 if and only if the two lightlike
lines through F are tangent to c (Figure 10.23).
y T ch y Q
P
tP l
T
F
l
F
x tP x
Q
c tQ
FIGURE 10.23. The ellipse ce satisfies the Apollonian definition in M2 with

ε ∼ 1.80 , the hyperbola ch with ε = 0.80 . The tangent tP intersects the directrix
l at T such that [P, F ] and [T, F ] are m-orthogonal.
Lemma 10.2.1 In the pseudo-Euclidean plane M2 , the locus c of points

satisfying the Apollonian definition dm (P, F ) = ε ⋅ dm (P, l) with a non-
lightlike directrix l, F /∈ l and ε > 0 is a conic with an axis of symmetry.
We obtain for ε > 1 an ellipse, for ε = 1 a parabola and for ε < 1 a hyperbola
with non-lightlike asymptotes. Point F is a focus of c; the directrix l is
polar to F with respect to c.
Due to properties of the polarity with respect to c (Section 7.1), the

tangent tP to c at P can be constructed by virtue of the pseudo-Euclidean
version of Theorem 2.1.4 via the pole T of the line [P, F ] (Figure 10.23).
According to Lemma 10.2.1, all conics in M2 which satisfy the Apollonian

definition have an axis of symmetry. However conversely, not all conics c
in M2 admit an axial symmetry. For ellipses and hyperbolas, the two axes
of m-symmetry must be conjugate with respect to c and harmonic with
respect to the lightlike directions. Such a pair always exists for ellipses;
for hyperbolas it exists only, when the asymptotes do not separate the
lightlike directions (note Figure 6.30). This gives rise to a classification of
conics in M2 as given below:
Up to m-motions and a commutation of the coordinate axes, there are
six types of conics to distinguish:
1. Circles: Their standard equation is x2 − y 2 = σ ≠ 0. Given two points

A, B with dm (A, B) ≠ 0, e.g., A = (a, 0) and B = (−a, 0), the locus of
points P = (x, y), for which the lines [P, A] and [P, B] are orthogonal, is
the circle x2 − a2 − y 2 = 0 with the diameter AB. This means, Thales’s
theorem is also valid in M2 .
y
F3 3′′
l1 X c l2
3
l3
1′ c′ 2′
F1 1 X′ c′′
2 F2 x
l4
4 Y
Y ′′
F4 4′′
FIGURE 10.24. The ellipse c is of type 2 in M2 . Points X ∈ c satisfy either

dm (X, F1 ) + dm (X, F2 ) = dm (1, 2) or ∣dm (X, F1 ) − dm (X, F2 )∣ = dm (1, 2), as well
as dm (X, F3 ) + dm (X, F4 ) = dm (3, 4) or ∣dm (X, F3 ) − dm (X, F4 )∣ = dm (3, 4).
2. Ellipses or hyperbolas with two axes of symmetry and standard equation

x2 y 2
+ = 1, where στ (σ + τ ) ≠ 0.
σ τ
Under σ +√τ > 0 these conics have four real focal points (±e, 0) and (0, ±e)
with e ∶= σ + τ , like the ellipse c depicted in Figure 10.24. With respect
to the two foci F1 and F2 on the x-axis and the associated directrices l1
and l2 , points X ∈ c satisfy
dm (X, F1 ) = ε ⋅ dm (X, l1 ) and dm (X, F2 ) = ε ⋅ dm (X, l2 ).
Consequently, points X ∈ c between l1 and l2 have a constant sum of

distances dm (X, F1 ) + dm (X, F2 ) = ε ⋅ dm (l1 , l2 ) = dm (1, 2), while points
outside the parallel strip bounded by l1 and l2 satisfy ∣dm (X, F1 ) −

dm (X, F2 )∣ = ε ⋅ dm (l1 , l2 ) = dm (1, 2). Points on l1 or l2 satisfy both condi-
titions.
3. Hyperbolas with a spacelike and a timelike asympote: These conics (see
Figure 10.25) have a center, but no axis of symmetry. Their standard
equation is
σ(y 2 − x2 ) + (1 − σ 2 )xy = τ with τ ≠ 0.
Here, σ with −1 < σ < 1 is the e-slope of the spacelike asymptote. The
pairwise complex conjugate m-focal points are located on the e-isotropic
lines y = ±ix .
y c′ 1
1′
c
X′ X
2
Y′ Y
4′ 3′ =4
x
2′
3
FIGURE 10.25. Confocal hyperbolas without axis of symmetry (type 3) in M2 .
4. Hyperbolas with one lightlike asymptote: We specify the non-lightlike

asymptote as x-axis and obtain the standard equation
xy − y 2 = σ with σ ≠ 0.
√ √
In the case σ > 0 they have two real focal points F1 = (± 2σ, ± 2σ).
5. Parabolas with an axis of symmetry: We choose the axis of symmetry
as x-axis and get the standard form
y22 − 4σx = 0, where σ > 0.
F4
F1 F2
F3
FIGURE 10.26. Nets of confocal conics of type 2 in M2 with real foci (left) or
with imaginary foci (right).
with the focal point (−σ, 0).

6. Parabolas with lightlike diameters: Their standard equation is
(x + y)2 − 2σ(x − y) = 0 with σ ≠ 0.
They have no focal point.
A comparison with Lemma 10.2.1 reveals that in M2 only the conics of
type 5 and those of type 2 with real foci satisfy the Apollonian definition.
In the case of hyperbolas of type 2 (Figure 10.23, right) only foci on
the principal axis are admitted, i.e., on the axis which intersects the
hyperbola in real points. Otherwise one of the distances dm (P, F ) and
dm (P, l) would be spacelike, the other timelike.
Confocal conics in M2
Two conics are called confocal in M2 if and only if their tangential equa-
tions span a linear system which contains the two pencils of lightlike
lines as a singular curve. Therefore, confocal conics share the lightlike
tangent lines and the foci. Also in the pseudo-Euclidean plane, a family
of confocal conics forms an orthogonal net. We prove this below with the
aid of Desargues’s involution theorem.
Let P be a point of any conic c included in a confocal family. When P
is not located on one of the common lightlike tangents of the family, the
tangent to c at P is one of the two fixed lines of the induced Desargues
y
F4 =4′′′ ′′′
X
Y
X 4
5
′ ′
X′ Y 4 5′ =6
6′
F1 1 X ′′ 2 2′ F2 = 2′′
′
1′′ 1 7′ x
c 7
8′
′ ′
c 3
8
F3 =3′′′
FIGURE 10.27. Ivory’s theorem in M2 , applied to confocal ellipses of type 2.
involution at P (Section 7.4). The fixed lines separate the lightlike lines
through P harmonically. Therefore, there exists a second conic of the
family which intersects c orthogonally at P .
Figure 10.26 shows a family of confocal ellipses and hyperbolas of type 2
with real focal points. When one semiaxis of an included ellipse tends to
zero, the limit of the ellipse is the segment F1 F2 and F3 F4 . The analogous
limits of the included hyperbolas consist of pairs of disjoint aligned half-
lines, each terminated by a focus. In the standard model of M2 which
is used in all figures, the pseudo-Euclidean foci belong to the e-director
circle or e-orthoptic circle (Theorem 2.2.6) of all ellipses and hyperbolas
included in the confocal family.
In the Euclidean plane E2 , an important property of confocal conics has
been stated in Theorem 2.2.3 (see Figure 2.23): according to Ivory’s
theorem, in each curvilinear quadrangle formed by two pairs of conics the
two diagonals have the same length. Another formulation of this theorem
uses the fact that for any two confocal conics c, c′ of the same type an affine
transformation α∶ c → c′ can be defined such that curves of the confocal
family which intersect c and c′ orthogonally, pass through corresponding
points X ∈ c and α(X) ∈ c′ . Then Ivory’s theorem in E2 states
X α(Y ) = α(X) Y for all X, Y ∈ c.
This statement holds even for singular α, when c′ = α(c) degenerates into
a point-set on an axis of symmetry (Figure 2.24).
The analogous results are valid for confocal spherical conics, as stated in
Theorem 10.1.10 (see Figure 10.14). It has been proved in [60] that even
in the pseudo-Euclidean plane M2 Ivory’s theorem is valid for all types
of confocal sets. However, one cannot generally define the term ‘of the
same type’. Sometimes the definition works that confocal conics c and c′
are of the same type, if within the confocal family there is a continuous
transition from c to c′ without passing a singular curve (Figure 10.26,
right). But this definition fails in the case depicted in Figure 10.26, left.
In terms of an affine transformation α∶ c → c′ with X ↦ X ′ and Y ↦ Y ′ ,
the pseudo-Euclidean version of Ivory’s theorem claims
dm (X, Y ′ ) = dm (X ′ , Y ) for all X, Y ∈ c.
Figure 10.27 shows Ivory’s theorem in several cases. The distances

dm (X, Y ′ ) = dm (X ′ , Y ) and dm (7, 8′ ) = dm (7′ , 8) are timelike, while 5′ = 6
implies that dm (5, 6′ ) = dm (5′ , 6) = 0. Hence, [5, 6′ ] must be lightlike.
Remark 10.2.2 As in the Euclidean case, it can be proved that in each curvilinear quadrangle
of a confocal net the diagonal lines are tangent to the same conic of the confocal family. This
guarantees also that if one diagonal is lightlike the other must be lightlike, too.
In Figure 10.25 two confocal conics of type 3 are depicted. The distance
dm (X, Y ′ ) = dm (X ′ , Y ) is timelike and dm (1, 2′ ) = dm (1′ , 2) is spacelike.
Figure 10.24 shows singular cases with c′ as x-axis and c′′ as y-axis.
The equations dm (X, 1′ ) + dm (X, 2′ ) = dm (X ′ , 1) + dm (X ′ , 2) = dm (1, 2)
and dm (Y, 3′′ ) − dm (Y, 4′′ ) = dm (Y ′′ , 3) − dm (Y ′′ , 4) = dm (3, 4) reveal the
constant sum or difference of the pseudo-Euclidean focal distances. Also
in Figure 10.27 singular affine transformations X ↦ X ′′ and X ↦ X ′′′
between the ellipse c and its axes c′′ and c′′′ are indicated.
● Exercise 10.2.1 (i) Verify with the aid of (10.19) that direct pseudo-Euclidean motions
keep the directions of lightlike lines fixed, while in the indirect case these directions are ex-
changed.
(ii) Confirm that under the map (10.22) all points on the axis y = tanh τ2 x are fixed, while
other points remain on lines m-orthogonal to this axis.
Conics in the hyperbolic plane

The axioms of the hyperbolic plane H2 and the Euclidean plane E2 differ
only in the parallel postulate. In E2 there is a unique parallel h to a given
line g through any point P . In H2 the opposite is true: through each point
P /∈ g there pass (at least) two lines which do not meet the line g.
We refer to the projective or Cayley-Klein model of H2 : Given a conic
ω, the absolute conic in a projective plane P2 , points of H2 are the points
in the interior of ω, and the lines of H2 are secants of ω. Hyperbolic
motions are projective transformations in P2 which map the absolute
conic ω onto itself — however restricted to H2 . Hyperbolic reflections are
the restrictions of harmonic homologies of ω. For further details see, e.g.,
[17, 42, 44, 46].
We prefer the standard model which is embedded into the projective ex-
tension of the Euclidean plane E2 . We use homogeneous Cartesian coor-
dinates (x0 ∶ x1 ∶ x2 ) = (1 ∶ x ∶ y) and the absolute conic ω as the unit
circle. Then, the polar form with respect to ω can be written as
⟨p, q⟩h = p0 q0 − p1 q1 − p2 q2 .
Points in H2 have coordinate vectors p where ⟨p, q⟩h > 0. The hyperbolic
distance dh (P, Q) can be computed by virtue of
bbb bbb
⟨p, q⟩h
cosh dh (P, Q) = bbbb √ bbb .
bbb ⟨p, p⟩ ⟨q, q⟩ bbbb
b h hb
This distance formula satisfies the axioms of a metric space.

Conics c in H2 are projective conics which contain interior points of H2 .
One can classify all conics c in the hyperbolic plane H2 by classifying
in P2 (R) the pencil of conics spanned by ω and c and, in addition, by
considering the different possibilities concerning the reality of the base
points.
A point M ∈ H2 is a center of c if the polars of M with respect to c and
ω coincide. A line in H2 is an axis of c if its poles with respect to ω and c
are the same. According to results in Section 7.1, conics c in H2 need not
have a center or axis. Figure 10.28 shows a conic c without center and
axis; c osculates the absolute conic c.
A point F ∈ H2 is a focal point of the conic c, if F is the point of intersection
of two common (complex conjugate) tangents of c and ω. Two conics c, c′
c
ω
Y c′
X
Y′
X′
FIGURE 10.28. Ivory’s theorem in the hyperbolic plane H2 in the case of

confocal conics c and c′ which osculate the absolute conic ω.
in H2 are called confocal if and only if their tangential equations span a

linear system which contains the absolute quadric. In this case, common
tangents of c and ω are also tangent to c′ ; therefore confocal conics share
the focal points. Also in the hyperbolic plane a family of confocal conics
forms an orthogonal net. Similarily to the pseudo-Euclidean plane, this
can be concluded from Desargues’s involution theorem.
Just as in the spherical case, the Apollonian definition of conics does
not work in H2 . In general, the geometric locus defined by dh (P, F ) =
ε ⋅ dh (P, l) is not even algebraic.
In [61] it is proved that Ivory’s theorem is valid in the hyperbolic plane
H2 . This is illustrated in Figure 10.28: dh (X, Y ′ ) = dh (X ′ , Y ). When a
conic c has an axis s of symmetry with two real focal points, then similarly
to previous cases (see, e.g., Figure 10.24), one can use Ivory’s theorem
for proving that the sum or difference of distances to the focal points on
the axis s is constant in the hyperbolic plane.
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Index
A asymptotic of a projective plane, 180

absolute direction, 123
conic, 478
points, 111, 253, 254, 274,
line, 123
automorphic collineation of a co-
C
285, 299, 304, 315, Cardan circles, 59
320, 350, 377, 396, nic, 248
Cardano, Gerolamo, 59
407 automorphism of a conic, 248
polarity, 271, 459 cardioid, 406
auxiliary vertex, 441
acceleration vector, 24 axes carrier
of a conic, 270 of a bundle, 180
actual trilinear coordinates, 378
of a hyperbola, 361 of a pencil of lines, 178
adjoint mapping, 262
of an ellipse, 357, 358 Cassini’s curves, 111
affine
combination, 352, 366 axiom Cassini, Giovanni Domenico, 111
coordinates, 194, 195 of Desargues, 184 cattle problem, 372
evolute, 103 of Fano, 183 Cayley lines, 232
geometry, 352 of Pappus, 184 Cayley, Arthur, 431
mapping, 352, 384 axioms Cayley-Klein model, 478
perspective, 384 of a collineation, 234 center, 270
normal, 103 of a projective plane, 179 equation, 18
parameter, 229 axis function, 377, 379
part, 229 of a collineation, 235 of a circle, 266, 380
plane, 352 of a coordinate system, 194 of a collineation, 235
ratio, 194, 201, 352, 384 of a parabola, 270 of a conic, 266, 373, 380
transformation, 103, 352, of a pencil of circles, 322 of a hyperbola, 352
384 of a perspectivity, 189 of a polarity, 265
algebraic curve, 3 of a projectivity, 192, 249 of a projection, 155
algorithm of de Casteljau, 365
B
of a projectivity, 192
angle, 439 of a reflection, 212
bisector, 208 barycentric coordinates, 194, 377
of a triangle, 379
of circumference, 57, 225 base point, 286, 293
of an ellipse, 352, 441
angle of circumference, 326, 466 of a birational mapping,
330, 337 of an inversion, 343
anti-focus, 275 of an involution, 251, 255
of a conic’s generation, 218
anti-holomorphic function, 348 of curvature, 24, 25, 79, 87,
Bernoulli’s lemniscate, 111
anti-inversion, 213, 265 90, 91
Bernstein polynomial, 366
anti-polarity, 265 of osculation, 86
Bézier curve, 90, 365
anti-projectivity, 348 of perspectivity, 189
antipodal points, 182, 437 Bézier, Pierre Étienne, 366 central
antipode, 437 bicentric, 432 circle, 379
apex bicircular curve, 345 conic, 377, 381
of a quadratic cone, 153 bilinearform, 333 line, 379
Apollonian billiard, 433 perspectivity, 413
circles, 326 bipolar coordinates, 328 projection, 155
definition, 13, 16, 23 birational similarity, 186
hyperbola, 343, 403 mapping, 210, 267, 329 centroid, 300, 383
Apollonius of Perga, 2, 8, 13, 326 transformation, 210, 267, Ceres, vi, 175
329
arc, 437 bisector, 60, 322 Cesàro, Ernesto, 106
arc length, 24, 27, 105 spherical, 439 Cesàro curve, 105, 106
of an ellipse, 77 Booth’s lemniscate, 111 characteristic
Archimedes, 372 cross ratio, 214, 236
Boy’s surface, 177, 217
area of a spherical triangle, 439 of a field, 182, 183
Boy, Werner, 177, 217
areal velocity, 66 polynomial, 418
Brahe, Tycho, 62
associated net, 330 generalized, 418
Braikenridge, William, 414
associative, 182 Chasles’s parabola, 44, 342
Brianchon point, 223
astroid, 87 circle, 54, 124, 225, 230, 254, 292,
Brianchon, Charles Julien, 186, 304, 315, 320, 345,
asymptote, 84, 123, 270, 361 222 353, 354, 367, 380,
bundle model 406

G. Glaeser et al., The Universe of Conics, DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45450-3
484 Index
Euclidean, 254 of conic and line, 241 triangle, 294

of Apollonius, 48 order, 86, 346 diameter
pseudo-Euclidean, 470 transformations, 347 of a circle, 266, 328
circular contour of a torus, 117 of a conic, 266
cubic curve, 410 control diophantine equations, 369
section, 155 point, 365 director circle, 47, 424
circumcircle, 376, 380, 416 polygon, 365 directrix, 13
of an ellipse, 19 convex, 352 of a parabola, 319
of a triangle, 416 coordinates pseudo-Euclidean, 471
circumference affine, 194, 195 distance function, 352
of a circle, 77 barycentric, 194, 377 distorsion ratio, 356
of an ellipse, 77 bipolar, 328 distributive, 182
cissoid, 411 Cartesian, 194, 195 double
closest point, 402, 403 homogeneous, 194–196, 377 line, 297
clothoid, 107 inhomogeneous, 194, 229 point
collinear, 179 trilinear, 377 isolated, 335, 406
collineation, 233, 305 Cornu spiral, 107 ordinary, 406
perspective, 233, 250 Cornu, Marie Alfred, 107 with real tangents, 335
projective, 233 Cremona transformation, 329, 389 doubly
collision detection, 402 Cremona, Antonio Luigi Gauden- conjugate lines, 339
zio Giuseppe, 329
common polar triangle, 278 touching conics, 287
cross ratio, 201, 202, 204, 254,
commutative, 182 341, 413 dual
commuting involutions, 215 characteristic, 238 conic, 222, 226, 319
complete quadrangle, 387 curve, 272
cube duplication, 2, 283
complex plane, 347 duality, 307
cubic curve, 410
concentric circles, 304, 321, 328 curvature, 24 Dürer, Albrecht, 9
conchoid of a circle, 407 Dupin
diagram, 105, 106
concurrent, 179 cyclide, 37, 148
function, 105
concyclic points, 209, 241 Gaussian, 122 parabolic, 37
cone indicatrix, 120, 122
Mean, 122
oblique circular, 155 Dupin, Charles, 122
principal, 122
of revolution, 166, 174
vector, 27
quadratic, 153, 448 curve
confocal
conics, 38, 340, 457
of degree two, 20
bicircular, 345
E
eccentricity
hyperbolic plane, 479 cubic, 410 linear, 16
pseudo-Eucl., 475 irreducible, 20 numerical, 78
spherical conics, 455 quartic, 396 elation, 235, 236, 316
conformal, 348 reducible, 20 ellipse, 2, 13, 54, 56, 60, 123, 162,
congruent, 306 cusp, 87 241, 247, 270, 302,
pencils, 225 352–354, 357, 368,
of the first kind, 119, 335, 394, 448
conic, 13, 218, 289 406
compass, 60
compass, 53 of the second kind, 119
ellipsoid, 170
degenerate, 168, 292, 306, cycle, 330
364 of revolution, 170
cylinder of revolution, 163
empty, 289 elliptic
on five points, 241
on six points, 241
D curve, 430
integral, 78
Dandelin, Germinal Pierre, 9, 130
projective, 218 involution, 252, 323
de la Hire, Philippe, 19, 353, 437
regular, 364 motion, 53, 54, 56
Delian problem, 2, 283
singular, 292, 306, 364 paraboloid, 170
deltoid, 392
conjugate pencil of circles, 321, 322
Desargues
diameters, 270, 353, 356, point, 123, 124
359 configuration, 185, 235
polarity, 264, 276, 280
hyperbolas, 124, 361 figure, 185, 186, 235
elliptical orbits, 66
lines, 264 involution, 309, 316, 468,
479 empty
normals, 81, 341 Desargues, Gérard, 309 conic, 276, 289
pair, 266 Desarguesian plane, 185 set, 289
pencils, 325 Descartes, René, 195 envelope, 89, 148
points, 264 diagonal epicycloid, 107, 108
surface tangents, 124 line, 340 equation
contact
of a quadrilateral, 183 of a spherical conic, 446
condition, 241
point, 179, 206, 344, 388 of the dual conic, 272
Index 485
equi-anharmonic, 208 focal hyperbola, 2, 13, 123, 241, 246,

involution, 340 270, 302, 352, 353,
equiform 358, 361, 442
geometry, 321, 352 point, 13, 109, 173, 273,
279, 340, 358, 385, equilateral, 232, 298, 302,
motion, 321 410, 440 304, 376
plane, 352 hyperbolic plane, 479 hyperbolic
transformation, 352 of a hyperbola, 275, 361 cylinder, 165
equilateral of a parabola, 275, 398 involution, 324, 328
cone, 459 of an ellipse, 275 motion, 478
hyperbola, 106, 225, 232, pseudo-Euclidean, 471 paraboloid, 170
299, 368, 369, 376, pencil of circles, 321, 323
403 ray, 455
Erlangen program, 352 focus, 13, 173 plane, 478
Euclidean pseudo-Euclidean, 471 point, 123, 124
circle, 254 four-conics-theorem, 294 polarity, 264, 265, 280
geometry, 304 Fresnel integral, 107 hyperboloid, one-sheeted, 170
plane, 12, 321, 352 Fresnel, Augustin-Jean, 107 hypercycloid, 107, 108
rotation, 253, 361 front view, 454 hyperosculating circle, 93
transformation, 321 Fundamental hyperosculation, 81, 171, 235, 244,
298, 307, 308, 332
Euler’s formula, 122 Theorem, 190
hypocycloid, 107, 108, 392
evolute, 103 fundamental
of a conic, 341 form
first, 122
of a hyperbola, 89, 91
of a parabola, 89–91 second, 122 I
triangle, 198 ideal
of an ellipse, 85–87, 89, 114
line, 180, 185, 200, 235, 254,
excentral triangle, 417 265, 266, 352
exceptional G point, 180, 185, 196, 198,
point, 390 gardener’s construction, 7, 440 266, 352
point of a birational map- Gauß, Carl Friedrich, vi, 369 identity mapping, 193, 211
ping, 330 Gaussian curvature, 122 image plane of a projection, 155
set, 330 geometric continuity, 86 incidence, 199
exterior Gergonne point, 224 geometry, 178
contact of circles, 36 Gergonne, Joseph Diaz, 182, 224 incident, 179
of a conic, 42 Ghys’s theorem, 100 incircle, 224, 416
point, 255 of an ellipse, 19
Ghys, Étienne, 99, 100
product, 200 of a triangle, 416
Graves, Charles, 45, 144
F gravitational constant, 62 inhomogeneous
coordinates, 194, 352
Fano plane, 179, 183 great circle, 182, 437, 445
group, 182 inpolar, 419, 420
Fano’s axiom, 206
instantaneous pole, 57
Fano, Gino, 179
Fermat point, 111, 377 H interior
contact circles, 36
Feuerbach point, 377 Hamilton, William Rowan, 62, 68
of a conic, 42, 255
field, 182 harmonic
collineation, 250 point, 251, 255, 266–268,
algebraically closed, 285 318
finite, 372 conjugate, 206, 209, 270 inverse
finite homology, 260, 262 element, 182
field, 372 quadruple, 206, 214, 271 points, 343, 345
projective plane, 255, 372 Hein, Piet, 114 inversion, 212, 267, 343, 345, 347
five-fold intersection, 103 Hessenberg, Gerhard, 187 in a circle, 345
fixed hexagrammum mysticum, 232 in a conic, 343
line, 235 Hilbert, David, 177, 217 in a line, 348
point, 193, 212, 235, 249, Hirst’s inversion, 348, 349 involution, 212, 214, 215, 268, 309,
268, 318, 414 Hirst, Thomas Archer, 349 318, 431
of a collineation, 235 hodograph, 68 elliptic, 212, 252, 323
of a projectivity, 193, Hoeken’s mechanism, 54 hyperbolic, 212, 324, 328
212
homofocal of conjugate lines, 267
of quadratic transforma-
tion, 338 conics, 38 of conjugate points, 267,
268
flatpoint, 124 parabolas, 281 of right angles, 252, 265,
flock of conics, 307, 339 homogeneous 270, 274
of the fifth kind, 307 Cartesian coordinates, 198 involutive, 212, 236, 268, 337, 390
of the first kind, 307, 339 parameters, 199 collineation, 236
of the fourth kind, 307 homology, 235, 236 projectivity, 311, 316, 318
of the second kind, 307 harmonic, 251 isogonal conjugation, 389
of the third kind, 307 involutive, 251 isolated double point, 406
486 Index
isoptic curve, 105 one-sheeted hyperboloid, 169, 170

curve, 49, 327, 394, 464 diagram, 106 one-thirteenth-conic, 374
of a hyperbola, 399 Mannheim, Amédée, 106 opposite points, 182
of a parabola, 397 Marden’s theorem, 385 optical property, 30
of an ellipse, 394 Marden, Morris, 385 of a spherical conic, 445
of a segment, 327 mean curvature, 122 order of a projective plane, 255
isotomic conjugation, 392, 393 mechanism, 53 ordinary double point, 406
isotropic medial triangle, 387 orientation reversing, 348
cone, 458, 459 Menaichmos, 8 oriented distances, 378
line, 274, 280, 410, 459 Meusnier sphere, 125 origin, 194, 352
Istanbul, 7 Meusnier’s theorem, 125 of a coordinate system, 194
Ivory’s theorem, 39, 454, 475 midpoint of a segment, 207 orthocenter, 299, 300, 319, 387
hyperbolic plane, 479 minimal projective plane, 179 orthocircle, 324
pseudo-Eucl. plane, 475 Minkowski geometry, 224, 304, orthogonal, 265, 356
468
J
conjugate lines, 340
Minkowski, Hermann, 468
net, 38, 324, 455
joint, 55 minor axis, 16, 441
projection, 163, 448
model of a projective plane, 179
K Möbius group, 348
orthogonality, 265, 352
orthonormal
Kepler’s Möbius, August Ferdinand, 194 pseudo-Euclidean, 468
equation, 71, 72 monofocal conics, 134 orthoptic
First Law, 64 motion pseudo-Euclidean, 469 circle, 396
Second Law, 66 multifocal curve, 47, 394
Third Law, 68 curve, 108
orthotomic
Kepler, Johannes, vi, 10, 62 ellipse, 108, 109 circle, 33
N
Kiepert curve, 34
center, 377 osculating
hyperbola, 300, 377 n-body problem, 63
circle, 25, 79, 81, 85, 86, 92,
parabola, 386 n-ellipse, 109 94, 96, 103, 246, 347
Kirkman points, 232 n-gon, 386, 413, 429, 432 of a parabola, 84
Klein, Felix, 10, 352 Napoleon point, 377 paraboloid, 124
Konika, 2 natural parameter, 27 plane, 26
needle cyclide, 37 osculation, 86, 235, 244, 298, 307,
L negative 308, 332
outer point, 251, 255, 266–268,
Laguerre point, 252, 253, 265, 315, pedal curve, 350
323 318
plane, 157
Laguerre, Edmond, 253
Newton’s
Lamé, Gabriel, 113 Law of Gravitation, 62
Lamé curves, 113
latitude, 447
Second Law of Motion, 63 P
Newton, Isaac, vi, 10, 62 pair of
lattice point, 370 nine point conj. diameters, 266, 357
lightlike, 468 center, 386 conj. hyperbolas, 123, 361
line, 178, 179 circle, 377, 386 conj. semidiameters, 361
at infinity, 180, 200, 235, conic, 339, 386, 387 lines, 263, 289, 295
254, 265, 280, 393
Noether, Emmy Amalie, 329 parallel lines, 123
element, 218, 296, 327
normal Pappian projective plane, 186, 187
repeated, 168, 263, 289,
295, 304 acceleration, 25 parabola, 2, 13, 60, 99, 100, 241,
cone, 459 246, 270, 291, 301,
self-conjugate, 260 312, 319, 352, 397,
line-conic-intersection, 224 curvature, 120 411
of a hyperbola, 403 compass, 60
line-saving, 246
of a parabola, 404 parabolic
linear
eccentricity, 16, 441, 448 of an ellipse, 402 cylinder, 125, 165
image, 161 nucleus, 373 Dupin cyclide, 148
perspective, 155 null circle, 323 pencil of circles, 321
Liouville, Joseph, 82 nullpolarity, 264, 373 point, 123, 124
local expansion, 125 numerical eccentricity, 13, 17, 78 projectivity, 212
longitude, 447 paraboloid, 125
O elliptic, 125, 170
M offset, 117 hyperbolic, 125, 170
MacLaurin’s trisectrix, 411 of a parabola, 119 paracycloid, 107, 108
MacLaurin, Colin, 413 of an ellipse, 117 parallel, 352
major axis, 16, 441 one-parameter family of lines, 82 curve, 117
Mannheim one-seventh-conic, 373 lines, 180, 352
Index 487
projection, 354 self-conjugate, 260 projectivity, 188, 189, 212, 248,

parameter, 13, 17 414, 466
polar
elliptic, 213
homogeneous, 229 equation, 23
parametrization hyperbolic, 96, 212
form, 267
of a spherical conic, 449 involutive, 316, 318
line, 260, 271
of a conic, 229 parabolic, 212
w.r.t. a triangle, 210
Pascal line, 232 system, 260, 279 proper point, 352
of a conic, 260 pseudo-Euclidean
Pascal’s limaçon, 406, 409
geometry, 224, 304
Pascal, Etienne, 409 triangle, 266, 276, 294
plane, 468
Pascal, Blaise, 10 polarity, 260, 263
unit circle, 369
pedal degenerate, 262
curve, 34, 349, 406 Pythagoras’s theorem, 352
elliptic, 264, 280
negative, 350 Pythagorean triplet, 369
hyperbolic, 265, 280
of a circle, 406 singular, 262, 267
of a parabola, 409 pole, 260, 270 Q
point, 402 polhode quadrangle, 179, 206
transformation, 349 fixed, 59 complete, 387
Pell equation, 371 moving, 59 quadratic
Pell, John, 371 polygon closed, 413 birat. mapping, 210, 329
pencil of polynomial function, 99 quadratic Bézier curve, 365
circles, 320 Poncelet cone, 153, 448
conjugate, 325 correspondence, 431 cylinder, 448
elliptic, 321, 322 grid, 433 function, 301
hyperbolic, 321, 323 map, 431 transformation, 210, 329
parabolic, 321, 327 porism, 412, 429 quadrilateral, 183
conics, 283, 285, 289, 290, Poncelet, Jean-Victor, 412 quartic
330, 431 porism, 412, 415, 430 curve, 345, 396
of the fifth kind, 298, power, 346
316, 317, 332, 337 ruled surface, 56
w.r.t. a circle, 49
of the first kind, 286,
293, 321, 338
of the fourth kind, 298,
w.r.t. a sphere, 130
principal R
316, 332, 338 radical
axis, 357, 362, 364, 384
of the second kind, 287, axis, 50, 285, 322
296, 321, 327, 338 circle, 19 center, 50
of the third kind, 287, curvature, 122
radius of curvature, 24, 71, 101
297, 321, 328, 337 distance, 155
Ramanujan, Srinivasa Iyengar, 78
doubly touching conics, 297 line, 163
range of points, 178
hyperosc. conics, 298, 332 normal vector, 24
rank of a matrix, 289
lines, 178, 370 plane, 163, 164
rational
osculating conics, 298, 332 point, 155 rational Bézier curve, 367
Perseus, 111 tangent, 122 cubic curve, 410
perspective, 155 vertex, 245 function, 299
affine mapping, 164 view, 452 parametrization, 21, 230,
affinity, 352, 353 principle of duality, 182, 307, 339 231, 369
collineation, 235, 238, 244, Proclus, 19, 437 real
250, 305, 315, 352 product rule, 203 projective plane, 180
perspectivity, 188, 189, 248 projection representative, 265
perspector, 185, 186, 377 reducible
central, 155
perspectrix, 185, 186, 189 algebraic curve, 330
parallel, 161
photographic mapping, 157 curve of degree two, 145,
projective 283, 310
Plücker lines, 232
conic, 218 surface of degree two, 153
plane
coordinate, 203 reduction theorem, 190
affine, 352
coordinate system, 203 reflection, 212, 341
equiform, 352 extension, 194
Euclidean, 12, 352 in a circle, 212, 345
frame, 203 in a point, 212
projective, 178
generation of a conic, 218 pseudo-Euclidean, 470
pseudo-Euclidean, 468
inversion, 343 regular surface point, 120
point, 178
plane, 178 repeated line, 263, 289, 295, 297,
at infinity, 180, 196 304
finite, 255, 372
of inflection, 92 representative, 199
minimal, 183, 372
of intersection, 179 of a line, 196
reflection, 236
of maximal curvature, 80 of a point, 195
scale, 197
of minimal curvature, 80 Reuleaux triangle, 59
488 Index
rhomb, 60 ellipse, 19 of conj. normals, 340

right hyperbola, 19 of doubly conj. points, 336
cissoid, 411 parabola, 18 translation, 185, 212, 305, 306,
Steiner 352
side view, 454
circle, 250, 252 triangle, 224, 358, 416, 439
ring cyclide, 37
center, 379
rotation circumellipse, 97, 383, 384
geometry, 376
Euclidean, 21, 253, 361 conic, 250, 252, 314, 318
inequality, 438
pseudo-Euclidean, 470 cycloid, 381
polarity, 209
Rytz von Brugg, David, 357 ellipse, 393
trilinear
Rytz’s construction, 357 inellipse, 385
coordinates, 377
points, 232
S Steiner’s
distances, 377
two-body problem, 63
scalar product, 200 generation, 188, 276
pseudo-Euclidean, 468 two-parameter family
hypocycloid, 392
segment, 437 of circles, 326
Steiner, Jakob, 218
self-adjoint mapping, 263
U
stereographic projection, 231, 369
self-conjugate, 260 straight line, 3
line, 264 umbilical point, 124
straightedge and compass, 414
point, 264, 276 uniform scaling, 321
strophoid, 44
self-dual, 185 unit
subnormal, 84
circle, 231, 265
self-orthogonal line, 252 superellipse, 114
Euclidean, 369
self-similar, 327 support function, 82
length, 194
semicubical parabola, 90 surface of degree two, 153
point, 194, 198, 352, 377
semimajor axis, 17, 441 synthetic geometry, 178
points, 194
semiminor axis, 17, 441
shearing, 185, 186, 384 T sphere, 438
tangent vector, 24
Siebeck, Jörg, 385 tangent
line, 24, 28
similar, 186
similarity, 186 of a conic, 218, 222, 241,
260
V
vanishing
Simson line, 380 triangle, 417
line, 235, 246, 315
Simson, Robert, 380 tangential acceleration, 25
plane, 155
singular Taylor approximation, 99, 100
Vecten point, 377
conics, 285, 288 Thales circle, 324 vector space, 182
pencil, 306 Thales of Miletus, 231 model, 178, 182
polarity, 267 theorem of velocity, 24
six-fold intersection, 103 Graves, 45, 144
diagram, 68
spacelike, 468 Brianchon, 186, 222, 437
vector, 24
spatial interpretation, 162, 315, Cayley, 431
318 vertex, 14, 92, 441
Desargues, 184, 309
sphere, 182, 437 auxiliary, 79, 80
Frégier, 56, 256
model of a proj. plane, 182 equation, 18
Ghys, 100
spherical of a curve, 347
Ivory, 39, 454, 456
bisector, 439 of a hyperbola, 84, 270
Pappus, 184, 186, 222
conics, 436 of a parabola, 84, 270
Pascal, 437
confocal, 455 of a pencil of lines, 178
Poncelet, 429
degree, 461 of a planar curve, 79
Pythagoras, 352
distance, 438 of an ellipse, 79, 270
Thales, 56, 231, 252, 256,
ellipse, 437, 441, 455 473 principal, 79, 80, 245
focus, 441 third-order contact, 94
hyperbola, 455 three-conics-theorem, 294 W
law of cosines, 439 timelike, 468 Wallace, William, 380
law of sines, 439 top view, 454 Wankel engine, 462
Pythagoras theorem, 439 Topkapı, 7 Wantzel, Pierre Laurent, 284
tangent, 445 Torricelli point, 111 Weingarten map, 122
trigonometry, 439 torus, 117 Weingarten, Julius, 122
spindle cyclide, 37 trace, 215
spiric curve, 111, 401 trammel construction, 54, 354 Z
standard equation transformation zero element, 182

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The Universe of Conics

Georg Glaeser • Hellmuth Stachel

The Universe of Conics

ISBN 978-3-662-45449-7 ISBN 978-3-662-45450-3 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932392

Printed on acid-free paper

This Springer Spektrum imprint is published by Springer Nature

After a short historical summary (1), we explain the classical deﬁnitions

When Isaac Newton proved Johannes Kepler’s conjecture that the

A geometrical homage to a famous problem:

We wish all readers a pleasant journey into the universe of conics!

4 Euclidean 3-space 127

5 Projective Geometry 177

6 Projective conics 217

7 Polarities and pencils 259

8 Aﬃne Geometry 351

9 Special problems 375

10 Other geometries 435

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Conics play a substantial role in the whole universe. On a large scale,

Curved, but still entirely in a plane

and zero curvature. A conic is an algebraic curve of degree two, described

One possible classiﬁcation of three types

Duality – points become straight lines and vice versa

FIGURE 1.5. Dual curves of concis: the set of tangents.

Ellipses and hyperbolas in nature

winter half-year summer half-year

FIGURE 1.8. The “gardener’s construction” of an ellipse.

FIGURE 1.10. Dürer’s constructions of conic sections.

It was the Belgian mathematician Germinal Pierre Dandelin 1794–

FIGURE 1.11. Dandelin spheres and focal points of conic sections.

Many elementary properties of conics have been discovered in the mean-

is a generalization of Pappus’s theorem and relates conics and Projective

A pencil of planes meets a cone of revolution in a family of conics which maps

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

2.1 Classical deﬁnitions

There are various deﬁnitions of conics. Depending on whether the under-

FIGURE 2.1. The standard deﬁnitions of ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas.

We start with conics in the Euclidean plane E2 , the plane of intuitive

from their focal points F1 and F2 . Points Q of a hyperbola with focal

∣QF1 − QF2 ∣ = 2a > 0.

The points R of a parabola are characterized by equal distances to its

Apollonian deﬁnition of conics

Deﬁnition 2.1.1 In the Euclidean plane E2 , let F be a ﬁxed point and

The normal line s drawn from F to l is an axis of symmetry of the conic

can be obtained. The point A divides the segment F L on s between F

Lemma 2.1.1 Ellipses and hyperbolas have a second axis of symmetry

The midpoints of all pairs (P, P2 ) have the same x-coordinate

The distance e = M F = M F2 is a new type of eccentricity, called linear

Theorem 2.1.1 The Apollonian deﬁnition of conics is equivalent to the

We call this the center equation of the conic.

Now we apply formulas from (2.4) or (2.5), respectively, in order to express

FIGURE 2.6. The construction of points P of an ellipse, named after Proclus

a11 x2 + 2a12 xy + a22 y 2 + 2a1 x + 2a2 y + a = 0. (2.11)

The degree is invariant under changes (x, y) ↦ (x′ , y ′ ) of the Cartesian

Theorem 2.1.2 Each non-empty curve of degree two which is irreducible

We continue our discussion on equations of conics by providing some

of ca by its polar angle τ onto a parameter representation of the ellipse

ce = {(a cos τ, b sin τ ) ∣ 0 ≤ τ < 2π}. (2.12)