Rotation of Axes

ROTATION OF AXES

Rotation of Axes
v For a discussion of conic sections, see Calculus, Fourth Edition, Section 11.6 Calculus, Early Transcendentals, Fourth Edition, Section 10.6

In precalculus or calculus you may have studied conic sections with equations of the form Ax 2 Cy 2 Dx Ey F 0

Here we show that the general second-degree equation

1

Ax 2

Bxy

Cy 2

Dx

Ey

can be analyzed by rotating the axes so as to eliminate the term Bxy. In Figure 1 the x and y axes have been rotated about the origin through an acute angle to produce the X and Y axes. Thus, a given point P has coordinates x, y in the rst coordinate system and X, Y in the new coordinate system. To see how X and Y are related to x and y we observe from Figure 2 that X x
y

r cos r cos
y

Y y

r sin r sin

P(x,y) P(X,Y)
X

P Y r y x
X

0 x 0

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

The addition formula for the cosine function then gives x r cos r cos cos r cos r sin cos sin sin sin cos Y sin

A similar computation gives y in terms of X and Y and so we have the following formulas:
2

X cos

Y sin

X sin

Y cos

By solving Equations 2 for X and Y we obtain

3

x cos

y sin

x sin

y cos

ROTATION OF AXES

EXAMPLE 1 If the axes are rotated through 60 , nd the XY -coordinates of the point

whose xy-coordinates are 2, 6 .

SOLUTION Using Equations 3 with x

2, y

6, and 1

60 , we have 3s3 s3 3

X Y

2 cos 60 2 sin 60 3s3, 3

6 sin 60 6 cos 60 s3 ).

The XY -coordinates are (1

Now lets try to determine an angle such that the term Bxy in Equation 1 disappears when the axes are rotated through the angle . If we substitute from Equations 2 in Equation 1, we get A X cos Y sin C X sin E X sin
2

B X cos Y cos Y cos

2

Y sin D X cos F 0

sin Y sin

Y cos

Expanding and collecting terms, we obtain an equation of the form

4

A X2

B XY

C Y2

DX

EY

where the coefcient B of XY is B 2C C A sin A sin 2 cos B cos2 sin2

B cos 2 so that B 0, that is, cos 2

To eliminate the XY term we choose A or

C sin 2

cot 2

A B

EXAMPLE 2 Show that the graph of the equation xy

SOLUTION Notice that the equation xy

1 is a hyperbola.

1 is in the form of Equation 1 where A 0, B 1, and C 0. According to Equation 5, the xy term will be eliminated if we choose so that cot 2 A B C 0

ROTATION OF AXES

xy=1 or
y

X@ Y @ - =1 2 2
X

This will be true if 2 Equations 2 become x

2, that is, X s2 Y s2

4. Then cos X s2 Y s2

sin

1 s2 and

Substituting these expressions into the original equation gives X s2 Y s2 X s2 Y s2 1 or X2 2 Y2 2 1

FIGURE 3

We recognize this as a hyperbola with vertices ( s2, 0) in the XY -coordinate system. The asymptotes are Y X in the XY -system, which correspond to the coordinate axes in the xy-system (see Figure 3).
EXAMPLE 3 Identify and sketch the curve

73x 2 C
25

72xy

52y 2

30x

40y

75

0 73, B 72, and

SOLUTION This equation is in the form of Equation 1 with A

52. Thus cot 2 A B C 73 72 52 7 24

24

From the triangle in Figure 4 we see that

2 7 FIGURE 4

cos 2 The values of cos and sin cos

7 25

can then be computed from the half-angle formulas: 1 cos 2 2 cos 2 2 1 2 1 2

7 25 7 25

4 5 3 5

sin

The rotation equations (2) become x

4 5

3 5

3 5

4 5

Substituting into the given equation, we have 73( 4 X 5

3 5

Y)

72( 4 X 5
4 3 5

3 5

Y)( 3 X 5
3

4 5 4 5

Y)

52( 3 X 5 75 0

4 5

Y)

30( 5 X which simplies to Completing the square gives 4X 2 Y 1

2

Y)

40( 5 X Y2 2Y

Y) 3

4X 2

or

X2

Y 4

and we recognize this as being an ellipse whose center is 0, 1 in XY -coordinates.

ROTATION OF AXES

Since

cos

1 4 5

()
Y

37 , we can sketch the graph in Figure 5.

y
X

(0,1) 0

37
x

FIGURE 5

73+72xy+52+30x-40y-75=0 or 4X @+(Y -1)@=4

Exercises

A Click here for answers. 14 s Find the XY -coordinates of the given point if the axes are rotated through the specied angle. 1. 1, 4 , 30 3.
s s

(c) Find an equation of the directrix in the xy-coordinate system.

14. (a) Use rotation of axes to show that the equation

2. 4, 3 , 45 4. 1, 1 , 15
s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

2x 2

72xy

23y 2

80x

60y

125

2, 4 , 60
s s s

512 5. x 6. x 7. x

s
2 2 2

Use rotation of axes to identify and sketch the curve. 2xy xy xy y

2

y2 y y
2 2

x 1 1

represents a hyperbola. (b) Find the XY -coordinates of the foci. Then nd the xy-coordinates of the foci. (c) Find the xy-coordinates of the vertices. (d) Find the equations of the asymptotes in the xy-coordinate system. (e) Find the eccentricity of the hyperbola.
15. Suppose that a rotation changes Equation 1 into Equation 4.

8. s3 xy 9. 97x 10. 3x 2
2

1 153y 6y 2 s3 x 2y
s s

Show that
2

192xy 12s5 xy 2y
2

225 9 y 0 0 3) x
s s s

16. Suppose that a rotation changes Equation 1 into Equation 4.

11. 2s3 xy 12. 16x

s s s

Show that

8s2 xy
s s s

(8s2
s s s

(6s2
s s s

4) y
s s

7
s

4A C

B2

4AC

17. Use Exercise 16 to show that Equation 1 represents (a) a

13. (a) Use rotation of axes to show that the equation

36x 2

96xy

64y 2

20x

15y

25

represents a parabola. (b) Find the XY -coordinates of the focus. Then nd the xy-coordinates of the focus.

parabola if B 2 4AC 0, (b) an ellipse if B 2 4AC 0, and (c) a hyperbola if B 2 4AC 0, except in degenerate cases when it reduces to a point, a line, a pair of lines, or no graph at all.
18. Use Exercise 17 to determine the type of curve in

Exercises 912.

ANSWERS

Answers
1.

((s3

4) 2, (4s3 1, s3 2)

1) 2)

9. X 2

Y2 9
y

1, ellipse
X

3. (2s3 5. X

s2 Y 2, parabola
y

sin! 5
0 x

1 0

1 x

11. X
Y

3Y 2
y

1, hyperbola

7. 3X

2, ellipse

y
Y X

13. (a) Y

(c) 64x

1 48y

4X 2 75

17 (b) (0, 16 ), ( 0

17 20

, 51 ) 80