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Equation of parabola from its focus and directrix

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We are given focus(x, y) and directrix(ax + by + c) of a parabola and we have to find the equation of the parabola using its focus and directrix.

Examples : 

Input: x1 = 0, y1 = 0, a = 2, b = 1, c = 2 
Output: equation of parabola is 16.0 x^2 + 9.0 y^2 + -12.0 x + 16.0 y + 24.0 xy + -4.0 = 0.

Input: x1 = -1, y1 = -2, a = 1, b = -2, c = 3 
Output: equation of parabola is 4.0 x^2 + 1.0 y^2 + 4.0 x + 32.0 y + 4.0 xy + 16.0 = 0. 

Let P(x, y) be any point on the parabola whose focus S(x1, y1) and the directrix is the straight line ax + by + c =0. 
Draw PM perpendicular from P on the directrix. then by definition pf parabola distance SP = PM 
SP^2 = PM^2 

(x - x1)^2 + (y - y1)^2 = ( ( a*x + b*y + c ) / (sqrt( a*a + b*b )) ) ^ 2

// let ( a*a + b*b ) = t 

x^2 + x1^2 - 2*x1*x + y^2 + y1^2 - 2*y1*y  = ( ( a*x + b*y + c ) ^ 2 )/ t

on cross multiplying above we get 

t*x^2 + t*x1^2 - 2*t*x1*x + t*y^2 + t*y1^2 - 2*t*y1*y  = ( ( a*x + b*y + c ) ^ 2 )  
t*x^2 + t*x1^2 - 2*t*x1*x + t*y^2 + t*y1^2 - 2*t*y1*y  = a^2*x^2 + b^2*y^2 + 2*a*x*b*y + c^2 + 2*c*(a*x + b*y)
t*x^2 + t*x1^2 - 2*t*x1*x + t*y^2 + t*y1^2 - 2*t*y1*y  = a^2*x^2 + b^2*y^2 + 2*a*x*b*y + c^2 + 2*c*a*x + 2*c*b*y
t*x^2 - a^2*x^2 +  t*y^2 - b^2*y^2 - 2*t*x1*x - 2*c*a*x - 2*t*y1*y - 2*c*b*y - 2*a*x*b*y - c^2  + t*x1^2 + t*y1^2 =0.

This can be compared with a general form that is 

a*x^2 + 2*h*x*y + b*y^2 + 2*g*x + 2*f*y + c = 0.

Below is the implementation of the above : 

C++




// C++ program to find equation of a parbola
// using focus and directrix.
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#include <iomanip>
#include <iostream>
#include <math.h>
 
using namespace std;
 
// Function to find equation of parabola.
void equation_parabola(float x1, float y1,
                       float a, float b, float c)
{
    float t = a * a + b * b;
    float a1 = t - (a * a);
    float b1 = t - (b * b);
    float c1 = (-2 * t * x1) - (2 * c * a);
    float d1 = (-2 * t * y1) - (2 * c * b);
    float e1 = -2 * a * b;
    float f1 = (-c * c) + (t * x1 * x1) + (t * y1 * y1);
    std::cout << std::fixed;
    std::cout << std::setprecision(1);
    cout << "equation of parabola is " << a1
         << " x^2 + " << b1 << " y^2 + "
         << c1 << " x + " << d1 << " y + "
         << e1 << " xy + " << f1 << " = 0.";
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    float x1 = 0;
    float y1 = 0;
    float a = 3;
    float b = -4;
    float c = 2;
    equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c);
    return 0;
}
// This code is contributed by Amber_Saxena.


Java




// Java program to find equation of a parbola
// using focus and directrix.
import java.util.*;
 
class solution
{
 
//Function to find equation of parabola.
static void equation_parabola(float x1, float y1,
                    float a, float b, float c)
{
    float t = a * a + b * b;
    float a1 = t - (a * a);
    float b1 = t - (b * b);
    float c1 = (-2 * t * x1) - (2 * c * a);
    float d1 = (-2 * t * y1) - (2 * c * b);
    float e1 = -2 * a * b;
    float f1 = (-c * c) + (t * x1 * x1) + (t * y1 * y1);
    System.out.println( "equation of parabola is "+ a1+
                        " x^2 + " +b1 +" y^2 + "+
                        c1 + " x + " +d1 + " y + "
                        + e1+" xy + " + f1 +" = 0.");
 
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void main(String arr[])
{
    float x1 = 0;
    float y1 = 0;
    float a = 3;
    float b = -4;
    float c = 2;
    equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c);
 
}
 
}


Python3




# Python3 program to find equation of a parbola
# using focus and directrix.
 
# Function to find equation of parabola.
def equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c) :
  
    t = a * a + b * b
    a1 = t - (a * a)
    b1 = t - (b * b);
    c1 = (-2 * t * x1) - (2 * c * a)
    d1 = (-2 * t * y1) - (2 * c * b)
    e1 = -2 * a * b
    f1 = (-c * c) + (t * x1 * x1) + (t * y1 * y1)
    print("equation of parabola is", a1 ,"x^2 +" ,b1,
    "y^2 +",c1,"x +", d1,"y + ",e1 ,"xy +",f1,"= 0.")
 
 
# Driver Code
if __name__ == "__main__" :
 
    x1, y1, a, b, c = 0,0,3,-4,2
    equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c)
 
# This code is contributed by Ryuga


C#




// C# program to find equation of a parbola
// using focus and directrix.
using System;
 
class solution
{
 
//Function to find equation of parabola.
static void equation_parabola(float x1, float y1,
                    float a, float b, float c)
{
    float t = a * a + b * b;
    float a1 = t - (a * a);
    float b1 = t - (b * b);
    float c1 = (-2 * t * x1) - (2 * c * a);
    float d1 = (-2 * t * y1) - (2 * c * b);
    float e1 = -2 * a * b;
    float f1 = (-c * c) + (t * x1 * x1) + (t * y1 * y1);
    Console.WriteLine( "equation of parabola is "+ a1+
                        " x^2 + " +b1 +" y^2 + "+
                        c1 + " x + " +d1 + " y + "
                        + e1+" xy + " + f1 +" = 0.");
 
}
 
// Driver Code
public static void Main()
{
    float x1 = 0;
    float y1 = 0;
    float a = 3;
    float b = -4;
    float c = 2;
    equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c);
 
// This Code is contributed
// by shs
}
 
}


Javascript




<script>
// javascript program to find equation of a parbola
// using focus and directrix.
 
    // Function to find equation of parabola.
    function equation_parabola(x1 , y1 , a , b , c) {
        var t = a * a + b * b;
        var a1 = t - (a * a);
        var b1 = t - (b * b);
        var c1 = (-2 * t * x1) - (2 * c * a);
        var d1 = (-2 * t * y1) - (2 * c * b);
        var e1 = -2 * a * b;
        var f1 = (-c * c) + (t * x1 * x1) + (t * y1 * y1);
        document.write("equation of parabola is " + a1 + " x^2 + " + b1 + " y^2 + " + c1 + " x + " + d1 + " y + "
                + e1 + " xy + " + f1 + " = 0.");
 
    }
 
    // Driver Code
        var x1 = 0;
        var y1 = 0;
        var a = 3;
        var b = -4;
        var c = 2;
        equation_parabola(x1, y1, a, b, c);
 
// This code contributed by gauravrajput1
</script>


Output

equation of parabola is 16.0 x^2 + 9.0 y^2 + -12.0 x + 16.0 y + 24.0 xy + -4.0 = 0.

Time Complexity: O(1)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)



Last Updated : 02 Aug, 2022
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