Chapter 1

Prerequisites for Calculus

Section 1.4
Parametric Equations

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 Quick Review
In Exercises 1- 3, write an equation for the line.
1. the line through the points ( 1, 8 ) and ( 4, 3)
2. the horizontal line through the point ( 3, - 4 )
3. the vertical line through the point ( 2, - 3)

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 Quick Review
In Exercises 4 - 6, find the x- and y-intercepts
of the graph of the relation.
2
x y
4. + =1
9 16
2 2
x y
5. - =1
16 9
2
6. 2y =x +1

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 Quick Review
In Exercises 7 and 8, determine whether the given
points lie on the graph of the relation.
2 2
7. 2x y + y =3
æ1 ö
( a ) ( 1, 1) ( b ) ( - 1, - 1) ( c ) çè , - 2÷
ø
2
8. 9x 2 - 18x + 4 y 2 =27
( a ) ( 1, 3) ( b ) ( 1, - 3) ( c ) ( - 1, 3)

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 Quick Review
9. Solve for t.
( a) 2x + 3t =- 5 ( b) 3y - 2t =- 1
10. For what values of a is each equation true?
2
( a) a =a
2
( b) a =±a
( c) 4a 2 =2 a

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 Quick Review
In Exercises 1- 3, write an equation for the line.
1. the line through the points ( 1, 8 ) and ( 4, 3)
5 29
y =- x +
3 3
2. the horizontal line through the point ( 3, - 4 )
y =- 4
3. the vertical line through the point ( 2, - 3)
x =2
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 Quick Review
In Exercises 4 - 6, find the x- and y-intercepts
of the graph of the relation.
2
x y
4. + =1 x =- 3, 3 y =- 4, 4
9 16
x 2 y2
5. - =1 x =- 4, 4 no y-intercepts
16 9
2 1 1
6. 2y =x +1 x =- 1 y =- ,
2 2
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 Quick Review
In Exercises 7 and 8, determine whether the given
points lie on the graph of the relation.
2 2
7. 2x y + y =3
æ1 ö
( a ) ( 1, 1) ( b ) ( - 1, - 1) ( c ) çè , - 2÷
ø
2
Yes No Yes
2 2
8. 9x - 18x + 4 y =27
( a ) ( 1, 3) ( b ) ( 1, - 3) ( c ) ( - 1, 3)
Yes Yes No
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 Quick Review
9. Solve for t.
- 2x - 5
( a ) 2x + 3t =- 5 t =
3
3y +1
( b ) 3y - 2t =- 1 t =
2
10. For what values of a is each equation true?
( a) a 2 =a a³0
2
( b) a =±a All Reals
2
( c) 4a =2 a All Reals
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 What you’ll learn about
 Parametrically defined curves
 Parametrizations of simple curves (lines and
segments, circles, ellipses)
 The witch of Agnesi

…and why
Parametric equations can be used to obtain graphs
of relations and functions.

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 Relations
 A relation is a set of ordered pairs (x, y) of real
numbers.
 The graph of a relation is the set of points in a
plane that correspond to the ordered pairs of the
relation.
 If x and y are functions of a third variable t,
called a parameter, then we can use the
parametric mode of a grapher to obtain a graph
of the relation.
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 Parametric Curve,
Parametric Equations
If x and y are given as functions
x =f ( t ) , y =g ( t )
over an interval of t-values, then the set of points
( x, y ) =( f ( t ) , g ( t ) ) defined by these equations is a
parametric curve. The equations are
parametric equations of the curve.

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 Parametric Curve,
Parametric Equations
The variable t is a parameter for the curve and its
domain I is the parameter interval. If I is a closed
interval, a £t £b, the point ( f ( a ) , g ( a ) ) is the
initial point of the curve and the point ( f ( b ) , g ( b ) )
is the terminal point of the curve. When we give
parametric equations and a parameter interval for a
curve, we say that we have parametrized
the curve.
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 Parametric Curve,
Parametric Equations
A grapher can draw a parametrized curve
only over a closed interval, so the portion it
draws has endpoints even when the curve
being graphed does not.

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 Example Relations
Describe the graph of the relation determined by
x =t, y =1- t 2 .
2
Set x1 =t, y1 =1- t , and use the parametric mode
of the grapher to draw the graph.

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 Circles
 In applications, t often denotes time, an angle
or the distance a particle has traveled along its
path from a starting point.

 Parametric graphing can be used to simulate

the motion of a particle.

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 Example Circles
Describe the graph of the relation determined by
x =3cost, y =3sin t, 0 £t £2p .
Find the initial points, if any, and indicate the
direction in which the curve is traced.
Find a Cartesian equation for a curve that contains
the parametrized curve.

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 Example Circles - Solution
2 2 2 2
x + y =9 cos t +9sin t =9 cos t + sin t =9 ( 1) =9 ( 2 2
)
2 2
Thus, x + y =9
This represents the equation of a circle with radius 3
and center at the origin.
As t increases from 0 to 2p
the curve is traced in a
counter-clockwise direction
beginning at the point (3,0).
x 2 + y 2 =9
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 Ellipses
Parametrizations of ellipses are similar to
parametrizations of circles.
Recall that the standard form of an ellipse
2 2
x y
centered at (0, 0) is 2 + 2 =1.
a b
For x =a cost and y =asint, we have
cos 2 t + sin 2 t =1 which is the equation
of an ellipse with center at the origin.
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 Lines and Other Curves

 Lines, line segments and many other curves

can be defined parametrically.

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 Example Lines
If the parametrization of a curve is x =t, y =t + 2,
0 £ t £ 2 graph the curve.
Find the initial and terminal points and indicate the
direction in which the curve is traced. Find a
Cartesian equation for a curve that contains the
parametrized curve. What portion of the Cartesian
equation is traced by the parametrized curve?

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 Example Lines - Solution
x =t, y =t +2, 0 £t £ 2

Initial point (0,2) Terminal point (2, 4)

Curve is traced from left to right
If x =t and y =t + 2, then by substitution y =x + 2.
The graph of the Cartesian equation is a line through
( 0,2 ) with m =1. The segment of that line from
( 0,2 ) to ( 2, 4 ) is traced by the parametrized curve.
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