"Precalculus For Engineers": DR David J.J. Devlin

Determining the equation of a line
Linear equation
Exercises involving straight lines
Circles
PreCalculus for Engineers

Dr David J.J. Devlin
Lecture 3
Linear equation
Circles
Points, distances and midpoints

If we consider two points A and B of coordinates (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ),
there is a unique segment of straight line joining these two points.

y
B=(x2,y2) y2 (y1+y2)/2 y1 A=(x1,y1) (x2x1) M(AB) (y2y1)
x x1 (x1+x2)/2 x2
Figure: Segment of a straight line AB and the midpoint M (AB ).
Linear equation
Circles
Points, distances and midpoints

The length of this segment of straight line (which is the distance between
the two points) is d= p (x2 x1 )2 + (y2 y1 )2 ,
by direct application of Pythagoras theorem.

The midpoint M (AB ) of the segment AB is the centre of the segment. Its
x + x y + y 1 2 1 2 , 2 2 Example: What is the distance d between the points A = (4, 2) and B = (6, 7), and what is the midpoint M (AB )? M (AB ) = d= and p (4 6)2 + (2 7)2 = 4 + 6 2 + 7 , 2 2 4 + 81 = = 85,
coordinates are
M (AB ) =
5 5, 2
Linear equation
Circles
Equation of a line
A curve in the (x , y )plane is specied by some equation obeyed by the
points (x , y ) lying on the curve.
An important specic curve is the straight line. A standard form of the equation of a straight line is
y = mx + b ,
y y=mx+b slope m = (yb)/x distance = yb
(x,y)
y=b distance = x
O
x x
Figure: Illustration of a straight line.
Linear equation
Circles
Equation of a line
Such a line (illustrated in gure 2 passes through the point (0, b ), and any
other point lying on the line satises y b = m, x where m is a constant called the slope or gradient of the line. Note: This also corresponds to the tangent of the angle indicated in gure 2.
Special cases:
A horizontal line y = b has a slope m = 0. A vertical line does not have a slope (it can be seen as being innite). The equation for such lines are x =c where c is a constant. If the slope m > 0, then the value for y increases as we increase x . Conversely, if m < 0, the value for y decreases as we increase x .
Linear equation
Circles
Equation of a line
Illustrations are provided in gure 3.
y (a) y=b x=c x x (b) y
y (c) m>o (d)
m<0
Figure: Illustration of straight lines. (a) horizontal line, (b) vertical line, (c) positive slope line and (d) negative slope line.
Linear equation
Circles

A line can be specied by its slope m and one point (a, b ) it passes
through, see gure 4. The equation of the line is then or, equivalently see gure 4.
y (x,y) slope m = (yb)/(xa) (a,b) xa
y b = m (x a ), y = mx + (b ma),
yb
Figure: Illustration of a straight line with slope m, passing through the point (a, b).
Linear equation
Circles
Example:
Find the equation of the straight line of gradient 3, passing through the point (1, 2). Answer: We have y 2 = 3 (x 1), y = 3x 1. Note: A wise precaution is to check that the point (1,2) lies indeed on the line; here 2-2=3(1-1).
Linear equation
Circles

Another way to specify a line is to give two points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) it
passes through (in Euclidean geometry).

y y2 slope m = (y2y1)/(x2x1) y2y1 y1 (x1,y1) x2x1 (x2,y2)
x1
x2
Figure: Line specied by two points it passes through.
The geometry is illustrated in gure 5.
Linear equation
Circles
The slope m of the line is given by the ratio of the increase in y for a
Then a point (x , y ) along the line satises
given increase in x . So here, knowing that when x goes from x1 to x2 , y goes from y1 to y2 , y2 y1 m= . x2 x1 (y y1 ) = or equivalently (y y2 ) = y2 y1 (x x1 ), x2 x1 y2 y1 (x x2 ), x2 x1
whether you choose the point (x1 , y1 ) or (x2 , y2 ) as reference point the line passes through. Obviously either choice is right, and you will end up with the same equation in the end!
Linear equation
Circles

Proof: The rst equation reads
y= y=
y2 y1 y2 y1 x x2 + y1 , x2 x1 x2 x1
(y2 y1 )x2 + (x2 x1 )y1 y2 y1 x , x2 x1 x2 x1 y2 y1 y2 x2 y1 x2 + x2 y1 x1 y1 y= x . x2 x1 x2 x1 while the second reads y= y= y2 y1 y2 y1 x x1 + y2 , x2 x1 x2 x1
(y2 y1 )x1 + (x2 x1 )y2 y2 y1 x , x2 x1 x2 x1 y2 y1 y2 x1 y1 x1 + x2 y2 x1 y2 y= x . x2 x1 x2 x1 which is the same.
Linear equation
Circles

For example:
Consider the line passing through the two points (1, 3) and (2, 4). The gradient of the line is m= 34 43 1 , equivalently = , 1 2 2 (1) 3 1 1 (x (1)) = (x + 1). 3 3 y=
Now using the fact that the line passes through (1, 3) we have y 3=
10 x + . 3 3 We can check that the line passes through the two points 3= 4= 10 1 + , 3 3 2 10 + . 3 3
Linear equation
Circles
We could have used the fact that the line passes through the point (2, 4)
instead to determine the equation of the line (y 4) = y= 1 (x 2), 3
2 x 10 x +4= + . 3 3 3 3
Linear equation
Circles
Linear equation
A linear equation in x and y is a equation of the form
ax + by + c = 0. Its solution is (graphically) a straight line. If b = 0 but a = 0, the solution is the vertical line c x= . a If b = 0, the solution is the standard straight line c a y = x . b b
Linear equation
Circles
Parallel lines
Parallel lines
Two lines are parallel if they share the same slope.

Example: Find the equation for the line L1 passing through the point
(5, 1), parallel to the line L2 joining the points (1, 1) and (5, 3)? Answer: The slope m of the line L2 is m = (3 1)/(5 1) = 1/2. So the equation of the line L1 is y 1= 1 (x 5), 2 3 x y= . 2 2
Linear equation
Circles
Perpendicular lines
Two lines are perpendicular (or orthogonal) if the product of their slope
equals 1. In other words, consider the lines L1 of slope m1 , and L2 of slope m2 , then the lines are perpendicular if m1 m2 = 1.
Note: Special case. Recall that a horizontal line and a vertical line are
perpendicular. A vertical line has an equation of the form x = c while a horizontal line has an equation of the form y = b , with slope 0. You can see a vertical line as a line with a slope that tends to .
Linear equation
Circles
Perpendicular lines
Illustration
y Dy (yb)=(xa)/m
m=Dy/Dx Dx (x,y) (yb)=m(xa)
Dy = (yb) (a,b) Dx = (xa)
Linear equation
Circles

Example 1
Find where the line passing through the points (1, 1) and (5, 4) intersects the x axis. Answer The gradient of the line is
5 4 1 = . 51 4 So the equation of the line (considering it passes through the point (1, 1)) is m= 5 (y 1) = (x 1), 4 9 5 y = x+ . 4 4 Along the x axis y = 0, so setting y = 0 in the equation of the line above,
9 5 x= , 4 4 9 x= . 5 The point is then (x , y ) = (9/5, 0).
Linear equation
Circles
Example 2:
Find the line passing through (1, 2) and perpendicular to the line passing through (3, 4) and (5, 2). Where do these lines intersect? Answer The gradient of the line passing through (3, 4) and (5, 2) is m1 = So the equation of the line is (y 4) = 3(x 3), y = 3x + 13. The line perpendicular to this line has a slope m2 = 1/3, as m1 m2 = 1. Since it passes through the point (1, 2), its equation is (y 2) = y= or 3y = x + 5. 1 (x 1), 3 4 (2) = 3 35
1 5 x+ , 3 3
Linear equation
Circles
At the intersection, wee need to satisfy both equations,
3x + y = 13 x 3y = 5
(1), (2).
To solve that, we can combine for example 3*(1) + (2) (to eliminate y ) 9x + 3y + x 3y = 39 5, 10x = 34, To nd y , we can use (20) y = 3x + 13 = 3 17/5 + 13 = 14/5 so the intersection is (17/5, 14/5). 5x = 17, x = 17/5
Linear equation
Circles
Circles
Equation
If we consider the circle of radius r centred at the point (a, b ), the condition for the point (x , y ) to lie on the circle is that the distance between (a, b ) and (x , y ) equals r , which is conveniently expressed by (x a )2 + (y b )2 = r 2 .
y
r b
x a
Figure: Illustration of a circle of radius r centred at (a, b).
Linear equation
Circles
Example 1
Find the equation of the circle of radius 2, centred at (1, 2). Answer: (x 1)2 + (y 2)2 = 22 = 4.
Example 2
Find the equation of the circle of radius Answer: (x )2 + (y
3, centred at (, 2)2 = 3.
2)
Linear equation
Circles
Example 3
Find the equation of the circle for which the segment on the straight line joining the points (x1 , y1 ) = (1, 3) and the point (x2 , y2 ) = (5, 1) is a diameter. Answer: The centre (a, b ) of the circle is the midpoint of the diameter, so 1+5 31 (a , b ) = , = (3, 1) 2 2
We know now the centre of the circle. The only other bit of information
we need to nd the full equation of the circle is its radius r . There are 3 dierent, yet equivalent ways, to proceed.
Linear equation
Circles
Recall that (a) the radius is the distance between the centre and a point lying on the circle. (b) a diameter d of the circle is twice a radius r . Using statement (a), and the information given, we may say that the radius
is the distance between points (a, b ) the centre to the point (x1 , y1 ) lying on the circle - option (a.1); or equivalently the distance between points (a, b ) the centre to the point (x2 , y2 ) lying on the circle - option (a.2)
Option (a.1) gives (for the square of the radius)
r 2 = (a x1 )2 + (b y1 )2 = (3 1)2 + (1 3)2 = 22 + 22 = 8. Hence r = 8. Option (a.2) gives r 2 = (a x2 )2 + (b y2 )2 = (3 5)2 + (1 + 1)2 = 22 + 22 = 8.
Linear equation
Circles
The last option is (b), in which we state, that
d = r /2, squaring, d 2 = r 2 /4.
d is the length of the diameter, so d 2 = (x2 x1 )2 + (y2 y 1)2 = (5 1)2 + (3 + 1)2 = 42 + 42 = 32, so r 2 = d 2 /4 = 8. Obviously one need to use only one of the three alternatives above, as they are mathematically equivalent. Finally, we have for the circle (x 3)2 + (y 1)2 = 8.
Linear equation
Circles
Illustration of a circle from example 3.

x
(1,3)
r2= 8 (x,y) (3,1) y O
(5,1)
Figure: Illustration of a circle of radius in example 3.
Linear equation
Circles
Example 4
Find the equation of the circle of centre (2,3), passing through the point (5,4). Answer: The square of radius of the circle is r 2 = (5 2)2 + (4 3)2 = 10. So the equation is (x 2)2 + (y 3)2 = 10

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Determining the equation of a line

Exercises involving straight lines