Properties related to Pascal's theorem

A parabola can be considered as the affine part of a non-degenerated projective conic with a point
on the line of infinity , which is the tangent at . The 5-, 4- and 3- point degenerations
of Pascal's theorem are properties of a conic dealing with at least one tangent. If one considers this
tangent as the line at infinity and its point of contact as the point at infinity of the y axis, one
obtains three statements for a parabola.

The following properties of a parabola deal only with terms connect, intersect, parallel, which are
invariants of similarities. So, it is sufficient to prove any property for the unit parabola with
equation .

4-points property

Any parabola can be described in a suitable coordinate system

by an equation .

Let

4-points property of a parabola

be four points of the parabola

, and the intersection of the secant line with the line and let be
the intersection of the secant line with the line (see picture). Then the secant line
is parallel to line .

(The lines and are parallel to the axis of the parabola.)

Proof: straightforward calculation for the unit parabola .

Application: The 4-points property of a parabola can be used for the construction of point ,
while and are given.

Remark: the 4-points property of a parabola is an affine version of the 5-point degeneration of
Pascal's theorem.

3-points–1-tangent property

Let be three points of the parabola with equation

and the intersection of the secant line with the line and the
intersection of the secant line with the line (see picture). Then the tangent at point
is parallel to the line . (The lines and are parallel to the axis of the parabola.)

Proof: can be performed for the unit parabola . A short calculation shows: line has
slope which is the slope of the tangent at point .
Application: The 3-points-1-tangent-property of a parabola can
be used for the construction of the tangent at point , while
are given.

Remark: The 3-points-1-tangent-property of a parabola is an

affine version of the 4-point-degeneration of Pascal's theorem.

2-points–2-tangents property

Let be two points of the

parabola with equation , and the intersection of the
tangent at point with the line , and the
3-points–1-tangent property
intersection of the tangent at point with the line
(see picture). Then the secant is parallel to the line
. (The lines and are parallel to the axis of
the parabola.)

Proof: straight forward calculation for the unit parabola

.

Application: The 2-points–2-tangents property can be used for

the construction of the tangent of a parabola at point , if
and the tangent at are given.

Remark 1: The 2-points–2-tangents property of a parabola is

an affine version of the 3-point degeneration of Pascal's
theorem.

Remark 2: The 2-points–2-tangents property should not be

confused with the following property of a parabola, which also 2-points–2-tangents property
deals with 2 points and 2 tangents, but is not related to Pascal's
theorem.

Axis direction

The statements above presume the knowledge of the axis

direction of the parabola, in order to construct the points
. The following property determines the points
by two given points and their tangents only, and the result is
that the line is parallel to the axis of the parabola.

Let

1. be two points of the

parabola , and be their tangents;
2. be the intersection of the tangents ,
3. be the intersection of the parallel line to through Construction of the axis direction
with the parallel line to through (see picture).

Then the line is parallel to the axis of the parabola and has the equation

Proof: can be done (like the properties above) for the unit parabola .
Application: This property can be used to determine the direction of the axis of a parabola, if two
points and their tangents are given. An alternative way is to determine the midpoints of two
parallel chords, see section on parallel chords.

Remark: This property is an affine version of the theorem of two perspective triangles of a non-
degenerate conic.[10]