Is This Just Another Boring Parabola Problem?

Geometry Level 2

A parabola whose vertex is the point V = ( 2 , 3 ) V=(2,3) and whose focus is ( 5 , 6 ) (5,6) has equation a x 2 + b x y + c y 2 + d x + e y + f = 0 ax^2+bxy+cy^2+dx+ey+f=0 , where gcd ( a , b , c , d , e , f ) = 1 \gcd(a,b,c,d,e,f)=1 .

Find a + b + c + d + e + f . \big|a+b+c+d+e+f\big|.


The answer is 73.

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2 solutions

First we find the slope of the equation that passes through V V and F F , which is called the focal axis:

m = 6 3 5 2 = 1 m=\dfrac{6-3}{5-2}=1

Now, we will find the directrix, but to do that we need to find a new point Q Q , such that V V is the midpoint of F Q \overline{FQ} , so we will apply the formula of a midpoint with Q = ( a , b ) Q=(a,b) :

2 = 5 + a 2 a = 1 2=\dfrac{5+a}{2} \Longrightarrow a=-1

3 = 6 + b 2 b = 0 3=\dfrac{6+b}{2} \Longrightarrow b=0

Hence, Q = ( 1 , 0 ) Q=(-1,0) . Now, we also need to find the slope of the perpendicular line to the focal axis, that is: m = 1 m = 1 1 = 1 m'=-\dfrac{1}{m}=-\dfrac{1}{1}=-1 .

With that, now we can find the directrix, knowing its slope ( m m' ) and a point ( Q Q ):

y 0 = 1 ( x + 1 ) x + y + 1 = 0 y-0=-1(x+1) \Longrightarrow x+y+1=0

Finally, we find our parabola (points P = ( x , y ) P=(x,y) ) applying its definition:

F P = \overline{FP}= distance from x + y + 1 = 0 x+y+1=0 to P P

( x 5 ) 2 + ( y 6 ) 2 = x + y + 1 2 \sqrt{(x-5)^2+(y-6)^2}=\dfrac{|x+y+1|}{\sqrt{2}}

Square both sides, expand and simplify:

( x 5 ) 2 + ( y 6 ) 2 = ( x + y + 1 ) 2 2 (x-5)^2+(y-6)^2=\dfrac{(x+y+1)^2}{2}

2 ( x 2 10 x + 25 + y 2 12 y + 36 ) = x 2 + y 2 + 1 + 2 x y + 2 x + 2 y 2(x^2-10x+25+y^2-12y+36)=x^2+y^2+1+2xy+2x+2y

x 2 2 x y + y 2 22 x 26 y + 121 = 0 x^2-2xy+y^2-22x-26y+121=0

Hence, a = 1 a=1 , b = 2 b=-2 , c = 1 c=1 , d = 22 d=-22 , e = 26 e=-26 , f = 121 f=121 and a + b + c + d + e + f = 73 |a+b+c+d+e+f|=73 .

Same as I have done it. But this is really a boring parabola problem.

Ronak Agarwal - 6 years, 9 months ago

Same way. Yesterday I posted a similar problem here

Soumo Mukherjee - 6 years, 5 months ago

When you put point Q in point-slope form, shouldn't have been y + 0 = -1(x + 1) due to it being y - y^1 = m(x - x^1)? If I'm wrong please inform me why so I can have a better understanding.

Matthew Plumtree - 3 years, 8 months ago

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Yes, you are right, thanks. Hopefully the final equation of that line is the same.

Alan Enrique Ontiveros Salazar - 3 years, 8 months ago
Ròtêm Assouline
Mar 12, 2018

Distance between focus and vertex is 3 2 3\sqrt{2} , so if the parabola were canonical its equation would have been y 2 = 12 2 x y^2=12\sqrt{2} x . The slope of the line between the vertex and the focus is 1, so in order to obtain this parabola from the canonical one we need to rotate by 45 degrees, then translate. Let [ u v ] = [ 2 3 ] + [ 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 ] [ x y ] \begin{bmatrix} u \\ v \\ \end{bmatrix}= \begin{bmatrix} 2 \\ 3 \\ \end{bmatrix} + \begin{bmatrix} \frac{\sqrt2}{2} & -\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\\ \frac{\sqrt2}{2} & \frac{\sqrt2}{2} \\ \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \\ \end{bmatrix} . A simple calculation shows: u + v = 5 + 2 x u+v=5+\sqrt2 x , u v = 1 2 y u-v=-1-\sqrt2 y , So that y 2 = ( v u 1 ) 2 2 y^2=\frac{(v-u-1)^2}{2} and x = u + v 5 2 x=\frac{u+v-5}{\sqrt2} . Substitute in the original equation to get v 2 2 u v + u 2 26 v 22 u + 121 = 0 v^2-2uv+u^2-26v-22u+121=0 .

from where u write matrix equation?

Vyom Nabh - 1 year, 11 months ago

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