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From: stephen@datacube.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Question came up at a party
Message-ID: <8900002@datacube.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Jan-86 10:51:00 EST
Article-I.D.: datacube.8900002
Posted: Mon Jan 27 10:51:00 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Jan-86 06:11:54 EST
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Nf-ID: #R:well:-53200:datacube:8900002:000:379
Nf-From: datacube!stephen    Jan 27 10:51:00 1986


> 	Is there a formula which describes *all* conic sections, which
> will generate a particular class of same (e.g., circles, hyperbolas)
> when certain coefficients are plugged into it?

Yes. The equation is: A*x**2 + C*y**2 + 2*D*x + 2*E*y + F = 0. This is
borrowed from the VNR Concise Encyclopedia of Math (Van Nostrand Reinhold,
1975). Vary A,C,D,E, and F to get any conic.