7.

1 PARAMETRIC CURVES, MAT 2280

Our traditional function 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥 ) when we write 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) we mean y

is a function of x (y depends on x). The graph of this function is the
collection of all ordered pairs of the form (𝑥, 𝑓(𝑥 )) where x is the
domain of 𝑓(𝑥). The variable 𝑦 is the dependent variable and the 𝑥 is the
independent variable.

Example 1. of a traditional function 𝑦 = 𝑓 (𝑥 ) = 𝑥 2

This function takes in a real number and spits out a real number.

𝑓: ℝ → ℝ
This represents one dimensional space to one dimensional space. The x-
coordinate is the input and that it passes the vertical line test. This means
that for each input there must be exactly one output. There is a problem
with our traditional function.
Can you graph a circle using a single function?

Instead of having 𝑓: ℝ → ℝ
We use this idea 𝐹: ℝ → ℝ2
This means you’re going from one dimensional space to two
dimensional space. This is we take a real number input and send it to an
ordered pair. The input is not necessarily the x-coordinate. We call the
input 𝑡 (this is the parameter) and the output is the ordered pair
(𝑓(𝑡), 𝑔(𝑡)). This menas both the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate are
function of t. These coordinate depend of what we plug in. When you
plug in a single number t and it spits out an x and a y.
Example 2. Parametric equations of the unit circle.
𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑡) = cos 𝑡 a nd 𝑔(𝑡) = sin 𝑡 and 𝑡 ∈ [0, 2𝜋]
Summary: With parametric equation I can draw things that used to be
problematic for us, things that would fail the vertical line test and not we
don’t have vertical line test. There is no vertical or horizontal line test.
Now if someone asks you if a circle is a function, you should say it
depends.

Now let’s look back at 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 𝑥 2 again and look at it as a

parametric equation.
Example 3. Sketch the curve by using the parametric equations to plot
points. Indicate with an arrow the direction in which the curve is traced
as 𝑡 increases.
𝑥 = 𝑡 + sin 𝑡 , 𝑦 = cos 𝑡 , − 𝜋 ≤ 𝑡 ≤ 𝜋
Example 4.
(𝑎) Sketch the curve by using the parametric equations to plot points.
Indicate with an arrow the directions in which the curve is traced as 𝑡
increases.
(b) Eliminate the parameter to find a Cartesian equation of the curve.

𝑥 = 𝑡 2 − 3, 𝑦 = 𝑡 + 2, −3≤𝑡 ≤3