Lecture 3

1.13 Solution of vector equations

Example
Obtain the vector v which satisfies the
conditions a x v + b = 0 ; c . v = s
where
s is a scalar and a . c  0.

a v +b = 0 ---------(1)

c  (1)  c  (a  v )+ c  b = 0
(c . v)a - (c . a)v + c  b = 0
sa  c  b
v = c. a

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 1

Exercise
1. Solve for v , when va + sv = b
where

a and b and the scalar s are non

zero.

v  a + sv = b ……………..(1)

a  (1)  a  (v  a)  sa  v  a  b
( a . a)v  (a .v ) a  sa  v  a  b
a .(1)  a . ( v  a ) + s(a .v ) = a .b
s(a .v ) = a .b

  a
a v  (a .b )  s ( sv -
2
s
b)  a  b
a
a  s )  a  b  (a .b )  sb
2 2
v( s
HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 2
1.14 Straight lines in 3D

Parametric Equations of a straight line

Suppose the straight line passes through
P  ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) and Q  ( x2 , y 2 , z 2 ) .

Let R  ( x, y, z ) be any point on PQ.

Since PR is along PQ , PR = t PQ
where t is a parameter.

x  x1 , y  y1 , z  z1 =

t x2  x1 , y2  y1 , z2  z1
Parametric equations of PQ are given by
x  x1  t ( x2  x1 )
HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 3
 y  y1  t ( y 2  y1 )

z  z1  t ( z 2  z1 )

Example
Find the parametric equations of the
straight line which passes through
P  (3,1,2) and Q  (2,7,4) . At what
point does the line intersect XY plane?
•
Q <-2, 7, -4>
•
R < x, y,z >
• P <3, 1,-2>
PR = t PQ where t is a parameter.
 x  3, y  1, z  2   t  5, 6,2 
Then x  5t  3
y  6t  1
z  2t  2
PQ line intersects XY plane when Z=0
HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 4
i.e.  2t  2  0  t  1
The point of intersection is (8, -5, 0)

Symmetric form of a straight line

According to parametric equations given

by
x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
  t
x 2  x1 y 2  y1 z 2  z1
………..(1)

If  ,  ,  are direction angles of PQ then,

PQ. i x2  x1
cos   where ( PQ )  d
PQ i d

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 5

Similarly
y 2  y1
cos   ,
d
z 2  z1
cos 
d Equation (1) can be
written by
x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
 
Cos Cos Cos
Direction cosines are usually denoted by

l , m , n. and l 2
 m 2
 n 2
1

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 6

Therefore equation of the straight line can
be written as
x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
 
l m n
This is called the symmetric form of the
equation.
Note

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 7

 x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
 
x2  x1 y2  y1 z2  z1
is known as the Cartesian equation of the
line.

Example

Two straight lines have equations as

follows:

x4 y 3 z 7 x 1 y z 1
  and  
3 2 6
2 1 2

Show that these two straight lines intersect

and find the angle between them.

Let
x 4 y 3 z 7
  s
2 1 2

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 8

Where s is a parameter. Parametric
equations of the line are
x  4  2s
y 3  s
z  7  2s

Similarly let

x 1 y z 1
  t
3 2 6

Where t is a parameter. Parametric

equations of this line are
x  1  3t
y  0  2t
z  1  6t
If the two lines intersect

4  2s  1  3t --------- (1)
3  s  2t ----------------- (2)
7  2s  1  6t -------- (3)

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 9

From (1) and (2)
t = 1 and s= -1
These values satisfy equation (3).
Therefore the lines intersect at a point.
The point of intersection is ( 2,2,5)

x 4 y 3 z 7
The unit vector along  
2 1 2
1
is , nˆ1  3  2,1,2 
x 1 y z 1
The unit vector along  
3 2 6
1
is, n2  7  3,2,6 
ˆ

1 20
nˆ1 . nˆ 2   2,1,2  .  3,2,6  
21 21
Cos  0.952    17.8 0

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 10

Vector Equation of a straight line

Let P  ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) and Q  ( x2 , y2 , z 2 ). Let

R  ( x , y , z ) be any point on PQ. The

position vectors of P,Q,R are r1 , r2 , r

respectively. The equation of PQ in terms of
r1 , r2 , r is obtained as follows:
R Q
P r r2
r1 O

PR =  PQ

r  r1   ( r2  r1 ) where
 is a parameter.

r =
r 1   (r2 - r 1 )
This is a vector equation of the straight line.

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 11

Note

 (r2 - r 1 ) can be interpreted as a vector

parallel to the line PQ.

(r2 - r 1 ) is a vector along PQ.

Example
Find the vector equation of the line through
the points (0, 1, -2) and (3, 4, 3). Hence
obtain the symmetric form of the equation.

● < 3, 4, 3 >

● < 0, 1, -2 >

A vector along the straight line is < 3, 3, 5 >

Vector equation of the line is

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 12

 r =  0,1,2    3,3,5 

Let r =  x, y , z 
 x, y, z  =  0,1,2    3,3,5 
x  0 y 1 z  2
 
3 3 5
Symmetric form is

x0 y 1 z2
 
3 3 5
43 43 43

1.15 The angle between two straight lines

Suppose PQ, RS are two straight lines with

direction cosines

( l1 , m1 , n1 ) and ( l 2 , m2 , n2 )

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 13

Let the angle between the two given straight
lines be 

Cos   l1 ,m1 , n1 . l 2 , m2 , n2

= l1l 2  m1m2  n1n2

Deductions
The two straight lines are
(i) perpendicular if
l1l 2  m1 m2  n1 n2 = 0
(ii) parallel if

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 14

  l1 , m1 , n1  =   l 2 , m2 , n2 

l1 m1 n1
 
l 2 m2 n 2

1.16 Shortest distance between two skew

lines

Two non parallel lines in space that do not

intersect are called skew lines.
The distance between two skew lines is the
shortest distance between the lines. i.e. the
length of the perpendicular to both lines.

Example
The vector equations of two skew straight
lines are as follows:

r = ( (i + j )+  (2i - j + k )

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 15

 r = ( (2 i + j - k )+  (3i - 5 j +2 k )

Where  and  are parameters.

Find the shortest distance between the two
straight lines.

Shortest distance = PQ
= CA

= AB Cos

= AB . n̂
HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 16
< 2,-1,1> is a vector along PB
< 3,-5,2> is a vector along PC

vector normal to the plane containing PB

and PC is

i j k
3  5 2   3,1,7 
2 1 1
< -3,1,7> is a vector normal to the plane
containing PB and PC.
1
 3,1,7 
Unit normal vector n̂ = 59
1
Shortest distance = <-1,0,1>. 59  3,1,7 

10
= 59

1.17 Equation of a plane

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 17
Equation of a plane through P1 ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) and
perpendicular to the vector a =  a1 , a 2 , a3 

Let P( x, y, z ) be any point on the plane, then

a. PP1 =0
 a1 , a 2 , a3  . x  x1 , y  y1 , z  z1  =0 a

aP1(x1,y1,z1)
P(x,y,z)

Hence the equation of the plane through P with

a as normal is
( x  x1 )a1  ( y  y1 )a 2  ( z  z1 )a3  0

Note
(i) A first degree equation of the form
ax  by  cz  d where a, b, c, d are
constants represents a plane with the
vector  a, b, c as normal to the plane.

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 18

HVS de Silva Dept. of Mathematics Page 19