Conic Sections

History
Conic Sections
 discovered sometime during the classical Greek period,
w/c lasted from 600 to 300 B.C.
 Apollonius (262 – 190 B.C.) Alexandrian period - produce
an eight-volume work on the subject
 Hypatia (370 – 415) wrote a textbook titled On the Conics
of Apollonius. Her death marked the end of any major
mathematical discoveries for several hundred years.
 The early Greeks were largely concerned with the
geometrical properties of conics.
 It was until the early seventeenth century that the broad
applicability of conics became apparent and played a
prominent role in the early development of calculus.
What is a Conic Section?
 Each conic can be described as the intersection of a
plane and a double-napped cone.
 The three types of conic sections are the hyperbola,
the parabola, and the ellipse. The circle is type of
ellipse, and is sometimes considered to be a fourth
type of conic section.
 Conic sections can be generated by intersecting a
plane with a cone. A cone has two identically shaped
parts called nappes. One nappe is what most people
mean by “cone,” and has the shape of a party hat.
 If the plane is parallel to the axis of revolution (the -
axis), then the conic section is a hyperbola.
 If the plane is parallel to the generating line, the conic
section is a parabola.
 If the plane is perpendicular to the axis of revolution,
the conic section is a circle.
 If the plane intersects one nappe at an angle to the
axis (other than 90° ), then the conic section is an
ellipse.
What are Conic Sections?
 In the formation of the four basic conics, the intersecting
plane does not pass through the vertex of the cone.
 When the plane does pass through the vertex, we call the
resulting figure a degenerate conic.
 Defining a conic in terms of the intersections of planes and

cones.
 Defining a conic algebraically in terms of the general second-
degree equation.
𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙𝒚 + 𝑪𝒚𝟐 + 𝑫𝒙 + 𝑬𝒚 + 𝑭 = 𝟎
 In the formation of the four basic conics, the intersecting
plane does not pass through the vertex of the cone.
 When the plane does pass through the vertex, we call the
resulting figure a degenerate conic.
Key Points
 A conic section can be graphed on a coordinate
plane.
 Every conic section has certain features, including at
least one focus and directrix. Parabolas have one focus
and directrix, while ellipses and hyperbolas have two of
each.
 A conic section is the set of points P whose distance to
the focus is a constant multiple of the distance from P
to the directrix of the conic.
Key Terms
vertex: An extreme point on a conic section.
asymptote: A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily
closely as it goes to infinity.
locus : The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given
equation or condition.
focus : A point used to construct and define a conic section, at
which rays reflected from the curve converge (plural: foci).
nappe : One half of a double cone.
conic section : Any curve formed by the intersection of a plane
with a cone of two nappes.
directrix : A line used to construct and define a conic section; a
parabola has one directrix; ellipses and hyperbolas have two
(plural: directrices).
Key Terms
vertex: An extreme point on a conic section.
asymptote: A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily
closely as it goes to infinity.
locus : The set of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given
equation or condition.
focus : A point used to construct and define a conic section, at
which rays reflected from the curve converge (plural: foci).
nappe : One half of a double cone.
conic section : Any curve formed by the intersection of a plane
with a cone of two nappes.
directrix : A line used to construct and define a conic section; a
parabola has one directrix; ellipses and hyperbolas have two
(plural: directrices).
 While each type of conic section looks very different, they
have some features in common. For example, each type has
at least one focus and directrix.
 A focus is a point about which the conic section is
constructed. In other words, it is a point about which rays
reflected from the curve converge. A parabola has one
focus about which the shape is constructed; an ellipse and
hyperbola have two.
 A directrix is a line used to construct and define a conic
section. The distance of a directrix from a point on the conic
section has a constant ratio to the distance from that point
to the focus. As with the focus, a parabola has one directrix,
while ellipses and hyperbolas have two.

Conic Sections

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History

 Defining a conic in terms of the intersections of planes and

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