Mathematics I (Code: BS1101)

Sections: J and N Topic: Curvature and radius of curvature Teacher: Snehasis Kundu

Table 1: Formulae for radius of curvature (denoted as 𝜌)

Sl.
Form of the Equation Formula
No.

(1 + 𝑦 ′2 )3/2
𝜌=
|𝑦 ′′ |
Explicit equation where
1
𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑑𝑦 𝑑2𝑦
𝑦′ = , 𝑦 ′′ =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2
and 𝑦 ′′ ≠ 0

(1 + 𝑥 ′2 )3/2
𝜌=
|𝑥 ′′ |
Explicit equation
where
2
𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑦) 𝑑𝑥 𝑑2𝑥
𝑥′ = , 𝑥 ′′ =
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 2
and 𝑥 ′′ ≠ 0

3/2
(𝑓𝑥2 + 𝑓𝑦2 )
𝜌=
|𝑓𝑥𝑥 𝑓𝑦 − 2𝑓𝑥𝑦 𝑓𝑥 𝑓𝑦 + 𝑓𝑦𝑦 𝑓𝑥2 |
2
Implicit equation
Where
3
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 0 𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑓𝑥 𝜕𝑓𝑦 𝜕𝑓𝑦 𝜕𝑓𝑥
𝑓𝑥 = 𝑓𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥𝑥 = 𝑓𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥𝑦 = =
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

Note: The sign should be put + or – according to the

denominator is positive or negative.

(𝑥 ′2 + 𝑦 ′2 )3/2
𝜌=
|𝑥 ′ 𝑦 ′′ − 𝑦 ′ 𝑥 ′′ |

Parametric equation Where

4 𝑑𝑥 ′′ 𝑑 2 𝑥 ′ 𝑑𝑦 ′′ 𝑑 2 𝑦
𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑡) , 𝑦 = 𝜙(𝑡) 𝑥′ = ,𝑥 = 2 ,𝑦 = ,𝑦 = 2
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
and 𝑥 ′ 𝑦 ′′ − 𝑦 ′ 𝑥 ′′ ≠ 0
Note: The sign should be put + or – according to the
denominator is positive or negative.
(𝑟 2 + 𝑟12 )3/2
𝜌= 2
𝑟 + 2𝑟12 − 𝑟𝑟2
Polar equation
5 Where
𝑟 = 𝑓(𝜃) 𝑑𝑟 𝑑2𝑟
𝑟1 = , 𝑟2 =
𝑑𝜃 𝑑𝜃 2

1
 Mathematics I (Code: BS1101)
Sections: J and N Topic: Curvature and radius of curvature Teacher: Snehasis Kundu

Pedal equation
𝑑𝑟
6 𝜌=𝑟
𝑝 = 𝑓(𝑟) 𝑑𝑝

(a) If the curve passes through the origin and X-axis is the
tangent at the origin, then radius of curvature at (0,0) is
given by
𝑥2
𝜌 = lim
𝑥→0 2𝑦
𝑦→0

(b) If the curve passes through the origin and Y-axis is the
tangent at the origin, then radius of curvature at (0,0) is
given by
𝑦2
𝜌 = lim
𝑥→0 2𝑥
𝑦→0

(c) If the curve passes through the origin and 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 = 0 is

7 Newton’s method
the tangent at the origin, then radius of curvature at (0,0)
is given by
1 𝑥2 + 𝑦2
𝜌 = √𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 lim
2 𝑥→0 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦
𝑦→0

Note: You can find the equation of tangent at origin by

equating the lowest degree term in the equation to zero.
For example, if the equation of curve is
𝒙𝟑 + 𝒙𝒚𝟐 − 𝒂(𝒚 + 𝒙)(𝒚 − 𝒙) = 𝟎,
Then tangent lines at origin are

𝒚 + 𝒙 = 𝟎 and 𝒚 − 𝒙 = 𝟎.

2
 Mathematics I (Code: BS1101)
Sections: J and N Topic: Curvature and radius of curvature Teacher: Snehasis Kundu

❖ Some problems on curvature:

1. Find the curvature of the following curves at point (𝑥, 𝑦)

(a) 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 𝑎2 [Ans: 1/a]
2
(b) 𝑦 = 4𝑎𝑥 [Ans: (√𝑎/2)(𝑎 + 𝑥)3/2]
𝑥2 𝑦2
(c) 2
+ =1 [Ans: (𝑎𝑏)/(𝑎2 − 𝑒 2 𝑥 2 )3/2]
𝑎 𝑏2
𝑥2 𝑦2
(d) − =1 [Ans: (𝑎𝑏)/(𝑒 2 𝑥 2 − 𝑎2 )3/2 ]
𝑎2 𝑏2
(e) 𝑥𝑦 = 𝑐 2 [Ans: (2𝑐 2 )(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )3/2]
(f) 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑐 [Ans: 0]

2. Find the radius of curvature of the curves

(a) 𝑦 = a cosh(𝑥/𝑎) [Ans: 𝑦 2 /𝑎]
(b) 𝑥 = 𝑎(𝜃 + sin 𝜃) , 𝑦 = 𝑎(1 − cos 𝜃) [Ans: 4𝑎 cos(𝜃/2)]
(c) √𝑥 + √𝑦 = 1 at the point (1/4, 1/4) [Ans: 1/√2]
(d) 𝑥 2/3 + 𝑦 2/3 = 𝑎2/3 [Ans: ]
(e) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 [Ans: (1 + 𝑒 2𝑥 )3/2 /𝑒 𝑥 ]
(f) 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑡, 𝑦 = 𝑘 log sec 𝑡, where t is the parameter and k is a constant [Ans: 𝑘 sec 𝑡]
(g) 𝑥 = 𝑎 cos 𝑡, 𝑦 = 𝑏 sin 𝑡 [Ans: (𝑎2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑡 + 𝑏 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑡)3/2 /(𝑎𝑏)]
(h) 𝑥 = 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑠 3 𝜃 , 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑛3 𝜃 [Ans: 3𝑎 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜃]
(i) 𝑟 = 𝑎(1 − cos 𝜃) [Ans: (2/3)√2𝑎𝑟]
(j) 𝑟 = 𝑎(𝜃 + sin 𝜃) at the point 𝜃 = 0 [Ans: a]

3 3
3. Show that the radius of curvature at the point (2 𝑎 , 2 𝑎) of the curve 𝑥 3 + 𝑦 3 = 3𝑎𝑥𝑦 is
3𝑎
numerically equal to .
8√2
4. In the curve 𝑟 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛 cos 𝑛𝜃 show that
𝑎𝑛
𝜌=
(𝑛 + 1)𝑟 𝑛−1

5. Find the points on the parabola y = x2 where the radius of curvature is 4.

6.