The Geometric

3.1
Properties of Curves
Historical Perspective
The history of mathematics tells us that the conics were
already studied extensively by the ancient Greeks. It was
Apollonius of Perga(3rd century B.C.) who wrote an extensive
treatise on these curves which he called conic sections. In
fact, he was able to produce eight books and about 400
propositions or theorems on the subject. Apollonius is
credited for having given names ellipse, parabola and
hyperbola.
The Greeks defined the conics in terms of curves of the
intersection of a plane and a right circular cone and studied
them in the context of geometry. A plane is made to cut two
inverted right circular cones connected together at their
vertices. The cones are called nappes. The four basic conics
are formed in such a way that the intersecting plane does not
pass through the vertex of the cones.
If the plane cuts one nappe
perpendicular to the cone axis,
the figure formed is a circle.

If the plane cuts one nappe at an

angle with the cone axis, the
resulting figure is an ellipse.

If the plane cuts one nappe

parallel to the side of a cone, the
figure formed is a parabola.

If the plane intersects both

nappes and is parallel to the
cone axis, the figure is a
hyperbola.
If the cutting plane passes through the vertex perpendicular to the cone
axis, we get a point. This is known as a degenerate ellipse.
If the plane cuts through a side of the cones through the vertex, we
have a single line. This known as a degenerate parabola.
If the cutting plane passes through the cone axis containing the vertex
and two sides of the cone, we obtain two intersecting lines. This is
known as a degenerate hyperbola.
In the coordinate plane, the conics can be described by
quadratic equations of the general form
Ax² + By² + Cxy + Dx +Ey +F = 0
Where A and B are not both zero.

For each type of conics, two forms of equations are

presented:
a. The standard form where geometric properties like
radius, focus, and vertex can be obtained; and
b. the general form.