Find the given locus

Geometry Level 4

Locus of mid-point of chords \text{mid-point of chords} of the parabola y 2 = 4 a x \large{y^2=4ax} that pass through the point ( 3 a , a ) (3a,a) is

p y 2 + q a x + r a y + s a 2 = 0 \large{py^2+qax+ray+sa^{2}=0}

Find the minimum value of p + q + r + s p+q+r+s


The answer is 4.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Tanishq Varshney
Jul 10, 2015

Let the points be ( a t 1 2 , 2 a t 1 ) (at_{1}^{2},2at_{1}) and ( a t 2 2 , 2 a t 2 ) (at_{2}^{2},2at_{2})

Equation of chord joining these points is

y 2 a t 1 = 2 t 1 + t 2 ( x a t 1 2 ) \large{y-2at_{1}=\frac{2}{t_{1}+t_{2}}(x-at_{1}^{2})}

it passes through ( 3 a , a ) (3a,a)

a 2 a t 1 = 2 t 1 + t 2 ( 3 a a t 1 2 ) \large{a-2at_{1}=\frac{2}{t_{1}+t_{2}}(3a-at_{1}^{2})}

t 1 + t 2 2 t 1 t 2 = 6 ( 1 ) t_{1}+t_{2}-2t_{1}t_{2}=6\quad \quad \quad (1)

Let ( h , k ) (h,k) be the mid-point

a t 1 2 + a t 2 2 2 = h \large{\frac{at_{1}^{2}+at_{2}^{2}}{2}=h}

2 a t 1 + 2 a t 2 2 = k \large{\frac{2at_{1}+2at_{2}}{2}=k}

t 1 2 + t 2 2 = 2 h a ( 2 ) \large{t_{1}^{2}+t_{2}^{2}=2\frac{h}{a}\quad \quad \quad (2)}

t 1 + t 2 = k a ( 3 ) \large{t_{1}+t_{2}=\frac{k}{a}\quad \quad \quad (3)}

Also ( t 1 + t 2 ) 2 2 t 1 t 2 = 2 h a (t_{1}+t_{2})^{2}-2t_{1}t_{2}=2\frac{h}{a}

From ( 1 ) , ( 2 ) , ( 3 ) (1),(2),(3)

k 2 a 2 ( k a 6 ) = 2 h a \large{\frac{k^{2}}{a^{2}}-(\frac{k}{a}-6)=2\frac{h}{a}}

k 2 2 a h a k + 6 a 2 = 0 k^{2}-2ah-ak+6a^{2}=0

the minimum of p+q+r+s can be -infinity as it can attain any value if you multiply equation by some constant.

aryan goyat - 5 years, 3 months ago
Prakhar Bindal
Feb 22, 2016

Use the fact that equation of chord whose midpoint is say (x,y) is given by the equation

T = S1 .

Now pass this from (a,3a) to get required locus . As simple as that :)

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...