Equation of Axis of Symmetry of a Parabola

Calculus Level 3

A parabola is given by

2 x 2 + 8 x y + 8 y 2 x + 2 y = 0 \large 2 x^2 + 8 xy + 8 y^2 - x + 2 y = 0

What is the equation of its axis of symmetry?

3 x + 4 y 5 = 0 3 x + 4 y - 5 = 0 x y + 1 = 0 x - y + 1 = 0 x + 2 y + 0.15 = 0 x + 2 y + 0.15 = 0 2 x y + 9 160 = 0 2 x - y + \dfrac{9}{160} = 0

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1 solution

Aryaman Maithani
Jun 8, 2018

The given parabola's equation can be manipulated, my aim here would be to convert it to a form that I can compare with the standard: Y 2 = 4 A X Y^2 = 4AX where Y and X would need to be equations of perpendicular lines. The equation of the axis of symmetry would then be: Y = 0 Y=0

2 x 2 + 8 x y + 8 y 2 x + 2 y = 0 2x^2 + 8xy + 8y^2 - x + 2y = 0

2 ( x + 2 y ) 2 = x 2 y 2(x+2y)^2 = x - 2y

( x + 2 y ) 2 = 1 2 ( x 2 y ) (x+2y)^2 = \frac{1}{2}(x-2y)

Note that x + 2 y x+2y is not perpendicular to x 2 y x-2y , so bear with me as I do the following manipulation:

( x + 2 y + λ ) 2 = 1 2 ( x 2 y ) + 2 λ x + 4 λ y + λ 2 (x+2y+\lambda)^2 = \frac{1}{2}(x-2y) +2\lambda x + 4\lambda y +\lambda^2

( x + 2 y + λ ) 2 = 1 2 ( ( 1 + 4 λ ) x + ( 8 λ 2 ) y + 2 λ 2 ) (x+2y+\lambda)^2 = \frac{1}{2}((1+4\lambda)x+(8\lambda - 2)y + 2\lambda^2)

Now, I want the lines ( x + 2 y + λ ) (x+2y+\lambda) and ( ( 1 + 4 λ ) x + ( 8 λ 2 ) y + 2 λ 2 ) ((1+4\lambda)x+(8\lambda - 2)y + 2\lambda^2) to be perpendicular, so I shall equate the product of their slopes to -1:

( 1 2 ) ( 1 + 4 λ 8 λ 2 ) = 1 \Big(-\frac{1}{2}\Big)\Big(-\frac{1+4\lambda}{8\lambda-2}\Big) = -1

λ = 3 20 \implies \lambda = \frac{3}{20}

After substituting the value λ \lambda and comparing, the equation of the axis of symmetry is:

x + 2 y + 0.15 = 0 \boxed{x+2y+0.15=0}

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