Some Curves with Geometry Expressions

SOME CURVES WITH GEOMETRY EXPRESSIONS........................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Example 1: A Circle inside a Circle ............................................................................................................................... 3
Example 2: Another Circle in a Circle ........................................................................................................................... 4
Example 3: Rosace a Quatre Branches........................................................................................................................... 6
Example 4: Lemniscate................................................................................................................................................... 7
Example 5: Pascal’s Limaçon......................................................................................................................................... 8
Example 6: Kulp Quartic ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Example 7: The Witch of Agnesi ................................................................................................................................. 10
Example 8: Newton’s Strophoid................................................................................................................................... 11
Example 9: MacLaurin’s Trisectrix and other Such Like ............................................................................................ 12
Example 10: Trisectrice de Delange............................................................................................................................. 14
Example 11: “Foglie del Suardi”.................................................................................................................................. 15
Example 12: A Construction of Diocletian .................................................................................................................. 16
Example 13: Kappa Curve............................................................................................................................................ 17
Example 14: Kepler’s Egg............................................................................................................................................ 18
Example 15: Cruciform Curve...................................................................................................................................... 19

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Introduction
Geometry Expressions automatically generates algebraic expressions from geometric
figures.

It also lets you define loci of points and envelopes of lines and circles. Once you have
created such a curve, Geometry Expressions can compute a parametric equation for it.
In some cases, it can also give an implicit equation.

In this article, we’ll look at some examples

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Example 1: A Circle inside a Circle
Points D and E are proportion t along the radii AD and AC of the circle centered at the
origin and radius r. The intersection of CD and DE traces a circle.

C
4

3
E
t
2
F

t
θ
A D B
(0,0) (r,0)
-7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

-1

-2
2 2
⇒ -2·X·r·t+X ·(1+t)+Y ·(1+t)=0

-3

-4

-5

-6

Show that it goes through the origin. What is the center of the circle? What is its radius?

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Example 2: Another Circle in a Circle

More generally if D is proportion s along AC, we have the following circle:

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
⇒ -r ·s +2·r ·s ·t+r ·t -2·r ·s·t +X · 1-2·s·t+s ·t +Y · 1-2·s·t+s ·t +X· -2·r·t+2·r·s·t+2·r·s·t -2·r·s ·t =0

E
s

t
θ
A D B
(0,0) (r,0)

What is the center of this circle?

Can we find the radius of this – perhaps by copying the expression into an algebra system
and working on it there?

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Here is one approach, in Maple. First we substitute Y=0., then solve for X to determine
the x intercepts of the circle. The radius can be found by subtracting these and dividing
by 2.

> subs(Y=0,-s^2*r^2+2*t*s^2*r^2+t^2*r^2-2*t^2*s*r^2+(-
2*t*s+1+t^2*s^2)*X^2+(-2*t*s+1+t^2*s^2)*Y^2+(-
2*t*r+2*t*s*r+2*t^2*s*r-2*t^2*s^2*r)*X = 0);
-s 2 r 2 + 2 t s 2 r 2 + t 2 r 2 - 2 t 2 s r 2 + (-2 t s + 1 + t 2 s 2) X 2 + (-2 t r + 2 t s r + 2 t 2 s r - 2 t 2 s 2 r ) X = 0

> solve(%,X);
r (-t + s) r (-t - s + 2 t s)
,
ts-1 ts-1

> (r*(-t+s)/(t*s-1)- r*(-t-s+2*t*s)/(t*s-1))/2;

r (-t + s) r (-t - s + 2 t s)
-
2 (t s - 1) 2 (t s - 1)

> simplify(%);
r s (-1 + t)
-
ts-1

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Example 3: Rosace a Quatre Branches

This example comes from the September 2003 edition of the Casio France newsletter.

A line segment of length a has its ends on the x and y axes. We create the locus of the
orthogonal projection of the origin onto this segment. Apparently this curve was studied
in 1723-1728 by Guido Grandi.

C
(0,t)

a
6 4 2 6 2 2 2 2
-x -3·x ·y -y +x ·y · a -3·y =0
E

A D B
(0,0) (4,0)

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Example 4: Lemniscate
Given foci at (-a,0) and (a,0), the lemniscate is the locus of points the product of whose
distance from the foci is a^2:

4 2 2 4 2 2 2
-x -2·x ·y -y +a · 2·x -2·y =0

2
a
C t

A B
(a,0)
(-a,0)

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Example 5: Pascal’s Limaçon

Named after Etienne Pascal (1588-1651), father of Blaise.

2 2 3 4 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2
-a ·b -2·b·x +x -a ·y +y +2·b·x· a -y +x · -a +b +2·y =0

(0,0)
A F E
(3,0)
b

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Example 6: Kulp Quartic
Studied by, you guessed it – Kulp, in 1868:

C E D
4 2 2 2 2
-r +r ·y +x ·y =0

B F
G
(0,1)

r
t

A
(0,0)

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Example 7: The Witch of Agnesi

Named after Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1748)

C G F

E
B H
(0,1) 3 2 2
4·r -4·r ·y+x ·(-r-y)=0
r

A (0,0)

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Example 8: Newton’s Strophoid

2 3 2
E -y -y +x ·(1-y)=0

t
A
D B
(2,0)
(0,0)
F

(0,-1) C

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Example 9: MacLaurin’s Trisectrix and other Such Like

A cubic derived from the intersection of two lines rotating at different speeds

2 3 2 2
B 3·a·x -x -a·y -x·y =0

3·t
t
A C
(0,0) (2·a,0)

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A similar construction can give a range of other curves. For example, a hyperbola:

2·t
t
A C
(0,0) (a,0)

2 2
2·a·x-3·x +y =0

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Example 10: Trisectrice de Delange

4 2 2 4 2 2 2
4·a -4·a ·y +y +x · -4·a +y =0

B D

t
2·t
A C E
(2,0)
a
(0,0)

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Example 11: “Foglie del Suardi”
Here is a cubic which can be drawn by a mechanism consisting of intersecting a particular
radius with a particular chord of a circle.

C
a

a
A t
B
(-a,0) (0,0)

2 2 3 2 2
-a ·x-2·a·x -x -2·a·y -x·y =0

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Example 12: A Construction of Diocletian

2
2·t
⇒ x= 2
4+t
3
t
⇒ y= 2 E
4+t

3 2 2
⇒ -X +2·Y -X·Y =0
G

0 1
C 0 D
0 0 A

Segment CF is defined to be congruent to GE. Diocletian used this construction to

define a cubic curve.

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Example 13: Kappa Curve
Studied by Gutschoven in 1662, the locus of the intersection between a circle and its
tangent through the origin as the circle slides up the y-axis:

C
r E

4 2 2 2 2
x -r ·y +x ·y =0

D
A (2,0)
(0,0)

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Example 14: Kepler’s Egg

An egg shape defined by projecting B onto AC, then back onto AB then back onto AC:

C
3 4 2 2 4
a·x -x -2·x ·y -y =0 E

t
D
A (0,0) (a,0) B

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Example 15: Cruciform Curve

2 2 2
-y +x · -1+y =0

D F

(0,t)
B

(0,0) (b,0) C
A E

1 1
this curve can be rewritten in the form: 2
+ 2 =1
x y

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