Can you find the point of intersection?

Calculus Level 1

Find the angle (in degrees) of intersection of the curves

{ x 3 3 x y 2 = a 3 y x 2 y 3 = b . \begin{cases} \begin{aligned} x^{3}-3xy^{2}&=a \\ 3yx^{2}-y^{3}&=b. \end{aligned} \end{cases}

Details and Assumptions:

  • a a and b b are real numbers.
  • The angle of intersection of curves is the angle between the tangents to the curves at the point of intersection.
22.5 45 90 The curves do not intersect

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2 solutions

Sandeep Bhardwaj
Sep 29, 2014

Differentiating x 3 3 x y 2 = a x^{3}-3xy^{2}=a w.r.t. x x , we obtain :

3 x 2 3 ( x . 2 y . d y d x + 1. y 2 ) = 0 3x^{2}-3\left( x.2y.\dfrac{dy}{dx}+1.y^{2}\right)=0

x 2 y 2 2. x . y . d y d x = 0 \implies x^{2}-y^{2}-2.x.y.\dfrac{dy}{dx}=0

therefore, d y d x = x 2 y 2 2. x . y \dfrac{dy}{dx}=\dfrac{x^{2}-y^{2}}{2.x.y} _ _ ( 1 ) (1)

Now, differentiating 3 y x 2 y 3 = b 3yx^{2}-y^{3}=b w.r.t. x x , we get :

3 ( 2 x y + x 2 . d y d x ) 3 y 2 . d y d x = 0 3 \left( 2xy+x^{2}.\dfrac{dy}{dx} \right) -3y^{2}.\dfrac{dy}{dx}=0

( x 2 y 2 ) . d y d x + 2. x . y = 0 \implies (x^{2}-y^{2}).\dfrac{dy}{dx}+2.x.y=0

therefore, d y d x = 2. x . y x 2 y 2 \dfrac{dy}{dx}=-\dfrac{2.x.y}{x^{2}-y^{2}} _ _ ( 2 ) (2)

Let the two curves intersect at point P(r,s) ,

From ( 1 ) (1) at P :

( d y d x ) 1 = r 2 s 2 2. r . s \left( \dfrac{dy}{dx} \right)_{1}=\dfrac{r^{2}-s^{2}}{2.r.s} for curve ( 1 ) (1)

From ( 2 ) (2) at P:

( d y d x ) 2 = 2. r . s r 2 s 2 \left( \dfrac{dy}{dx} \right)_{2}=-\dfrac{2.r.s}{r^{2}-s^{2}} for curve ( 2 ) (2)

Since ( d y d x ) 1 \left( \dfrac{dy}{dx} \right)_{1} . ( d y d x ) 2 = 1 \left( \dfrac{dy}{dx} \right)_{2}=-1

Therefore the curves x 3 3 x y 2 = a x^{3}-3xy^{2}=a and 3 y x 2 y 3 = b 3yx^{2}-y^{3}=b cut each other at right angle.

We can say both the curves are orthogonal .

And how can you deduce that they cut each other at right angle just because it multiplies to -1?

Konstantin Zeis - 4 years, 4 months ago

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That's a property of slopes. And derivatives are nothing but slopes.

Ashutosh Kapre - 4 years ago

Let the point of intersection of given curves be (h, k)

m 1 = h 2 k 2 2 h k m_{1}= \frac{h^{2}-k^{2}}{2hk}

m 2 = 2 h k k 2 h 2 m_{2}= \frac{2hk}{k^{2}-h^{2}}

m 1 × m 2 = 1 \boxed{m_{1} \times{m_{2}} =-1}

How do we prove that the curves intersect?

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 5 months ago

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