Chapter 11

Analytic Geometry

11.1 Notes
You will occasionally come across a problem that is easier to deal with algebraically
than geometrically (it has many right angles, lines, intersections, and ratios). In those
cases, we can use Cartesian coordinates to solve our geometry problems.
Recall the distance formula:
Theorem 11.1.1. Let (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) be two points in the plane. Then their distance
d is p
d = (x1 − x2 )2 + (y1 − y2 )2 .
Proof. Draw a right triangle with legs perpendicular to the x and y axis, and use the
Pythagorean theorem.
rise
Also, recall that the slope is defined as , or change in y per change in x. Keep in
run
mind that an undefined slope usually means a vertical line.
Theorem 11.1.2. Two lines are parallel if they have the same slope (or are both vertical).
Two lines are perpendicular if one is vertical and one is horizontal, or their slopes multiply
to −1.
Proof. If two lines are parallel, then for the same change in y, there should be the same
change in x, if any; this means the slopes are the same. For perpendicularity, assuming
both slopes exist, imagine going k units to the right and 1 unit up for one line; then the
other line must go 1 unit to the left and k units up. Then the slopes are k1 and −k, which
always multiply to −1.

As a side note, the slope of a line is also the tangent of its angle to the x-axis.
For lines that pass through a point (a, 0), let a be the x-intercept of that line. Similarly,
a line that passes through (0, b) has a y-intercept of b.

65
MC35G Chapter 11. Analytic Geometry

Theorem 11.1.3 (Equation of a Line). Given various information about a line, we can
determine its equation as follows:

ˆ (Slope-intercept form) A line with slope m and a y-intercept of b has equation y =

mx + b.

ˆ (Point-slope form) A line with slope m passing through point (a, b) has equation
y − b = m(x − a).
y
ˆ (Intercept form) A line with x-intercept a and y-intercept b has equation x
a + b = 1.
This can also be written as Ax + By = C for constants A, B, and C.

Proof. Slope-intercept form: We know that the point should pass through (0, b). Now,
since the slope is m, a change of k in the x-direction should always give a change of mk in
the y-direction. Plugging in both of these facts, we find that they are true, so this is the
equation of the line.
Point-slope form is quite similar: if we plug in the point (a, b), we get 0 = 0, which is
true. Now, let’s move away from that point. If we’re off by k in the x-direction, we should
be off by mk in the y-direction. But moving off is just (x − a) in the x-direction and (y − b)
in the y-direction, so the slope holds.
Finally, intercept form works because (a, 0) and (0, b) are both on the line; there is only
one line through any two points, so this one must work. (It can be rewritten as y = − ab x+b,
so it is a line.)

What happens if we want to change the position of our points and lines?

Theorem 11.1.4. Let’s say we have a point (p, q) and (sometimes) a line y = mx + b.

ˆ If we reflect over the horizontal x-axis, the point goes to (p, −q) and the line goes to
y = −mx − b.

ˆ If we reflect over the vertical y-axis, the point goes to (−p, q) and the line goes to
y = −mx + b.

ˆ If we reflect over the line y = x, the point goes to (q, p); the line goes to x = my + b.

ˆ If we reflect over the point (r, s), the point goes to (2r − p, 2s − q). Don’t memorize
this last one!

Proof. Reflecting horizontally doesn’t change the left-right arrangement, but it turns a
positive y-coordinate into a negative, and vice versa. Similarly, reflecting vertically doesn’t
change the up-down arrangement but flips the x-coordinate.
Reflecting over y = x turns any x-coordinate into a y-coordinate and vice versa! This
is the same idea as having inverse functions.

66
MC35G Chapter 11. Analytic Geometry

Finally, reflecting over a point means that (r, s) is the midpoint, so the sum of the
x-coordinates from before and after is 2r, and the sum of the y-coordinates should be
2s.

You can use this to consider questions like “What if you reflect over y = 4 or y = x−4?”
It is possible to get formulas for reflecting over other lines, but this is messier.

Theorem 11.1.5. The equation of a circle centered at (a, b) with radius r is (x − a)2 +
(y − b)2 = r2 .

Proof. x − a is the horizontal distance from (a, b), and y − b is the vertical
p distance from
(a, b), so by the distance formula, the distance from (x, y) to (a, b) is (x − a)2 + (y − b)2 .
We want this distance to be = r, so squaring both sides gives the result.

Now you basically have all the tools needed to draw any diagram.

Example 11.1.6 (2016 AMC 12B # 18). What is the area of the region enclosed by the
graph of the equation x2 + y 2 = |x| + |y|?

Solution. Since all of these only depend on the absolute value of x and y and not the
sign (since absolute values and squares make everything positive), we just look at the first
quadrant and multiply by 4. This is the most important step of the problem!
Now, we can just rewrite this as x2 + y 2 = x + y in the first quadrant.
This can
be
2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2
rewritten as x − x + 4 + y − y + 4 = 2 (completing the square), so x − 2 + y − 2 =
 √ 2 √
2
, which is a circle centered at 21 , 12 with radius 22 . This means that the circle


2
passes through the four vertices (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 1), (1, 0), so we just want the area of the
part of this in the first quadrant!
To find that, draw the diameter (1, 0) to (0, 1) (we know this is a diameter because it
 √ 2
goes through 21 , 21 ). Now, the top half of the circle has area 12 · π 22 = π4 , and the

bottom part is an isosceles right triangle with vertices (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0) with area 21 ·1· = 12 ,
so the total area is π4 + 12 . Multiplying this by 4, our answer is π + 2 .

Example 11.1.7 (2006 AMC 12A # 19). Circles with centers (2, 4) and (14, 9) have radii
4 and 9, respectively. The equation of a common external tangent to the circles can be
written in the form y = mx + b with m > 0. What is b?

Solution. First of all, we’re lucky: both circles have y-coordinate equal to the radii, so they
are both tangent to the x-axis. In other words, y = 0 is a tangent. We just need two pieces
of information about the other line to find its coordinates.
The line connecting the centers of each circle and the tangents are all going to be
concurrent at one point. Since one of our tangents is y = 0, we can find the x-intercept of
the line connecting (2, 4) and (14, 9) in order to find the x-intercept of the external tangent

67
MC35G Chapter 11. Analytic Geometry

9−4 5 5
line as well. This has slope 14−2 = 12 , so by point-slope, the line is y − 4 = 12 (x − 2), and
setting y = 0, we find that x = − 38 38


5 ; in other words, the line passes through − 5 ,0 .
Now, if we could just find the slope of the line, that would be good. Well, slope is the
tangent of the angle! We know that one tangent (y = 0) is at an angle of 0, and then the line
5
connecting the centers with slope 12 is halfway between the two tangents. This means that
5
if tan θ = 12 , we want to find tan(2θ). But this is just the tangent addition formula: the
5
+ 5 120
slope that we want is then 12 5 125 = 119 . Therefore, our line is (again by point-slope)
1 − 12 · 12
912
y = 120 38 120 38


119 x + 5 , and setting x = 0 to find the y-intercept, b = 119 · 5 = 119 .

One of the most powerful tools is a way to find the area of any polygon, given the
vertices’ coordinates.
Theorem 11.1.8 (Shoelace Formula). Let a polygon have vertices (x1 , y1 ), (x2 , y2 ), · · · ,
(xn , yn ). Then the area is
1
|(x1 y2 + x2 y3 + · · · + xn y1 ) − (x2 y1 + x3 y2 + x4 y3 + · · · + x1 yn )|
2
One way to compute this easily: draw the following shoelace.

Now add up all the right-slanting products, add up all the left-slanting products, and
the area is half their difference, or 21 |N1 − N2 |.
The proof is not especially instructive. The basic idea is to do these things: (1) deal
with signed areas, meaning that counterclockwise versus clockwise are positive versus
negative in terms of area, and (2) to add a bunch of triangles together. Basically, if we
can show that the signed area of a polygon with vertices (0, 0), (x1 , y1 ), and (x2 , y2 ) as
x1 y2 − y1 x2
vertices is , we can just add up all the triangles formed by connecting a side
2
of the polygon to the origin.
Example 11.1.9 (2018 AMC 12B # 21). In 4ABC with side lengths AB = 13, AC = 12,
and BC = 5, let O and I denote the circumcenter and incenter, respectively. A circle with
center M is tangent to the legs AC and BC and to the circumcircle of 4ABC. What is
the area of 4M OI?

68
MC35G Chapter 11. Analytic Geometry

Solution. We have a right angle, and we have nice formulas for incenter and circumcenter
in this case. Let’s let C = (0, 0), B = (5, 0), and A = (0, 12). Now, we know that the
circumcenter is on the midpoint of diameter AB (inscribed arc theorem), so O = (2.5, 6).
Also, in a right triangle with right angle at C, the intouch points to AC and BC, along
with C and I, form a square (by equal tangents and right angles). Therefore, we just need
to find the distance from C to the intouch points, which is s − c (recall this from earlier
chapters) or 13+12+5
2 − 13 = 2. The inradius is 2, and we have a square, so I = (2, 2).
How do we find M ? We know that M is equidistant from AC and BC, and that
distance is the radius. Let M = (r, r). Then because the circle with center M is also
tangent to the circumcircle, we know that the distance from M to the circumcircle is r.
But to simplify calculations, the tangency point is collinear with the centers of the two
circles! Therefore, since the circumradius is 13
2 , we know that the distance from M to O
mus be 132 − r.
Thus, by the distance formula,
13 p
−r = (2.5 − r)2 + (6 − r)2
2
 2
13
−r = (2.5 − r)2 + (6 − r)2
2
169 169
r2 − 13r + = 2r2 − 17r +
4 4
4r = r2

2 2
4 4
so M = (4, 4), and to finish, by shoelace formula, we can write this as . The
2.5 6
2 2
right-slanting products add to 2 · 4 + 4 · 6 + 2.5 · 2 = 37, and the left-slanting products add
7
to 2 · 4 + 4 · 2.5 + 6 · 2 = 30, so the answer is 37−30
2 = .
2

11.2 Examples
1. (Lehigh MC-2006-16) A square has its base on the x-axis, and one vertex on each
branch of the curve y = 1/x2 . What is its area?

2. (AIME-2000-I-2) Let u and v be integers satisfying 0 < v < u. Let A = (u, v), let B
be the reflection of A across the line y = x, let C be the reflection of B across the
y-axis, let D be the reflection of C across the x-axis, and let E be the reflection of
D across the y-axis. The area of pentagon ABCDE is 451. Find u + v.

69
MC35G Chapter 11. Analytic Geometry

3. (AMC10-2018-A21) Which of the following describes the set of values of a for which
the curves x2 + y 2 = a2 and y = x2 − a in the real xy-plane intersect at exactly 3
points?

1 1 1 1 1 1
(A) a = 4 (B) 4 <a< 2 (C) a > 4 (D) a = 2 (E) a > 2

4. (AMC12-2008-B17) Let A, B, and C be three distinct points on the graph y = x2

such that the line AB is parallel to the x-axis and 4ABC is a right triangle with
area 2008. What is the sum of the digits of the y-coordinate of C?

(A) 16 (B) 17 (C) 18 (D) 19 (E) 20

11.3 Exercises
1. (AMC10-2006-B20) In rectangle ABCD, we have A = (6, −22), B = (2006, 178), D =
(8, y), for some integer y. What is the area of rectangle ABCD?

(A) 4000 (B) 4040 (C) 4400 (D) 40,000 (E) 40,400

2. (AMC10-2014-A18) A square in the coordinate plane has vertices whose y-coordinates

are 0, 1, 4, and 5. What is the area of the square?

(A) 16 (B) 17 (C) 25 (D) 26 (E) 27

3. (AMC10-2014-A21) Positive integers a and b are such that the graphs of y = ax + 5

and y = 3x + b intersect the x-axis at the same point. What is the sum of all possible
x-coordinates of these points of intersection?

(A) -20 (B) -18 (C) -15 (D) -12 (E) -8

4. (AMC12-2012-B17) Square P QRS lies in the first quadrant. Points (3, 0), (5, 0), (7, 0),
and (13, 0) lie on lines SP, RQ, P Q, and SR, respectively. What is the sum of the
coordinates of the center of the squares P QRS?

(A) 6 (B) 6.2 (C) 6.4 (D) 6.6 (E) 6.8

70