Porisma

Worked solution

Find the locus of a tangent-segment midpoint

Curve CC has x=3t2x=3t^2, y=6ty=6t. The tangent at P=(3p2,6p)P=(3p^2,6p) meets the y-axis at DD. Find the Cartesian equation of the locus of the midpoint of PDPD as pp varies.

[2014/II/1(ii)]

CJC · Discussion · Question 6

Answer

x=2y2/27x=2y^2/27, excluding (0,0)(0,0) for a uniquely defined intersection D; the full printed parabola is its closure.

Find D for a well-defined tangent intersection

dx/dt=6tdx/dt=6t and dy/dt=6dy/dt=6, so dy/dx=1/tdy/dx=1/t for t≠0t\ne0. For p≠0p\ne0, the tangent is y−6p=(x−3p2)/py-6p=(x-3p^2)/p. At x=0x=0, y=3py=3p, so D=(0,3p)D=(0,3p).

How did this part go?

Eliminate the midpoint parameter

The midpoint is M=(3p2/2,9p/2)M=(3p^2/2,9p/2). Since p=2y/9p=2y/9, x=32(2y/9)2=2y2/27x=\tfrac32(2y/9)^2=2y^2/27. This is the Cartesian equation printed in the solution.

How did this part go?

Check the vertex construction

At p=0p=0, the tangent is x=0x=0, which coincides with the y-axis: there is no unique point DD determined by an intersection. Thus the locus of uniquely defined midpoints is x=2y2/27x=2y^2/27 with (0,0)(0,0) excluded. The printed full parabola includes the origin as a limiting point; it requires an extra convention such as defining D=(0,0)D=(0,0) at p=0p=0.

How did this part go?

Common mistakes

At a vertical tangent, check whether intersection with the chosen axis is a unique point.

Read the hint