Example

Example 3.10.1
Sketch the hyperbola with equation

9x 2 + 36x − 16y 2 + 160y = 220.

Find its eccentricity, centre and asymptotes.

Solution: We complete the square:
9x 2 + 36x − 16y 2 + 160y = 220
9(x 2 + 4x) − 16(y 2 − 10y ) = 220
9((x + 2)2 − 4) − 16((y − 5)2 − 25) = 220
9(x + 2)2 − 16(y − 5)2 = 220 + 36 − 400
9(x + 2)2 − 16(y − 5)2 = −144
9(x + 2)2 16(y − 5)2
− + =1
144 144
(x + 2)2 (y − 5)2
− + = 1.
16 9
Example continued

Note that the sign of the first term is negative. So we choose new
coordinates X = y − 5 and Y = x + 2. This gives us the standard form
equation
X2 Y2
− = 1,
32 42
with a = 3 and b = 4.
The eccentricity is
r r r
b2 16 25 5
e= 1+ 2 = 1+ = = .
a 9 9 3

The centre is at (X , Y ) = (0, 0), which corresponds to (x, y ) = (−2, 5).

Example continued

X Y
The asymptotes are a ± b = 0, i.e.

y −5 x +2
+ = 0 and
3 4
y −5 x +2
− =0
3 4
The first one simplifies to 3x + 4y − 14 = 0, while the second simplifies
to 3x − 4y + 26 = 0.
√
We compute the axis intercepts: (0, 5 + 245 ) ≈ (0, 8.35),
√
(0, 5 − 245 ) ≈ (0, 1.65), ( 10 22
3 , 0) ≈ (3.33, 0) and (− 3 , 0) ≈ (−7.33, 0).

The vertices are (±3, 0) in X , Y -coordinates, which correspond to

(−2, 2) and (−2, 8) in x, y -coordinates.
Hence, we obtain a sketch of the hyperbola:
Example continued

√
45
• − 5+ 2
(−2, 8)

• − 5−
√
45
2
(−2, 2)
| |
x
− 22
3
10
3