MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO CONIC SECTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Conic sections have been studied since the time of the ancient Greeks, and were
considered to be an important mathematical concept. As early as 320 BCE, such Greek
mathematicians as Menaechmus, Appollonius, and Archimedes were fascinated by these curves.
Appollonius wrote an entire eight-volume treatise on conic sections in which he was, for
example, able to derive a specific method for identifying a conic section through the use of
geometry.
Since then, important applications of conic sections have arisen (for example, in
astronomy, and the properties of conic sections are used in radio telescopes, satellite dish
receivers, and even architecture. In this module, we discuss the three basic conic sections, some
of their properties, and their equations.

EXPLORATION

Definition: A conic section (or simply conic) is a curve formed by the intersection of a plane
and a double right circular cone.

Four Types of Conics:

1. If the cutting plane is parallel to one and only one generator, the curve is a parabola.
2. If the cutting plane is not parallel to any generator, the curve is an ellipse.
3. If the cutting plane is not parallel to any generator but is perpendicular to the axis, the
ellipse becomes a circle.
4. If the cutting plane is parallel to two generators, the curve is a hyperbola.

Degenerate Conic Sections

Definition: A degenerate conic section (or simply degenerate conic) is generated when a plane
intersects the vertex of the cone.

Four Types of Degenerate Conics:

1. Point
2. Line
3. Two Intersecting Lines
In dealing with conic sections, it is important to take note of the following important elements:
1. The focus is the fixed point of the conic
2. The directrix is the fixed line corresponding to the focus
3. The principal axis is the line that passes through the focus and perpendicular to the
directrix. Every conic is symmetric with respect to its principal axis.
4. The vertex is the point of intersection of the conic and the principal axis.
5. The eccentricity, e of a conic section tells us how close it is to being in the shape of a
circle. The farther away the eccentricity of a conic section is from 0, the less the shape
looks like a circle. Every conic is distinguished from the other by the value of its
eccentricity:

a. The conic is a circle if the eccentricity, e=0

b. The conic is a parabola if the eccentricity, e=1
c. The conic is an ellipse if the eccentricity, e <1.
d. The conic is a hyperbola if the eccentricity, e >1.