CONIC SECTIONS（圆锥部分）.pdf

Chapter 11 CONIC SECTIONS 11.1 Overview 11.1.1 Sections of a cone Let l be a fixed vertical line and m be another line intersecting it at a fixed point V and inclined to it at an angle α (Fig. 11.1). Fig. 11.1 Suppose we rotate the line m around the line l in such a way that the angle α remains constant. Then the surface generated is a double-napped right circular hollow cone herein after referred as cone and extending indefinitely in both directions (Fig. 11.2). Fig. 11.2 Fig. 11.3 CONIC SECTIONS 187 The point V is called the vertex; the line l is the axis of the cone. The rotating line m is called a generator of the cone. The vertex separates the cone into two parts called nappes. If we take the intersection of a plane with a cone, the section so obtained is called a conic section. Thus, conic sections are the curves obtained by intersecting a right circular cone by a plane. We obtain different kinds of conic sections depending on the position of the intersecting plane with respect to the cone and the angle made by it with the vertical axis of the cone. Let β be the angle made by the intersecting plane with the vertical axis of the cone (Fig.11.3). The intersection of the plane with the cone can take place either at the vertex of the cone or at any other part of the nappe either below or above the vertex. When the plane cuts the nappe (other than the vertex) of the cone, we have the following situations: (a) When β = 90o , the section is a circle. (b) When α β 90o, the section is an ellipse. (c) When β = α; the section is aparabola . (In each of the above three situations, the plane cuts e