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Analytic Geometry Formulas

1. Lines in two dimensions
Line segment

Line forms
Slope - intercept form:

y = mx + b

x = x1 + ( x2 x1 ) t

Two point form:

y y1 =

A line segment P1 P2 can be represented in parametric

form by

y2 y1
( x x1 )
x2 x1

Point slope form:

y y1 = m ( x x1 )

y = y1 + ( y2 y1 ) t
0 t 1
Two line segments PP
1 2 and P3 P4 intersect if any only if
the numbers

Intercept form

x y
+ = 1 ( a, b 0 )
a b

s=

Normal form:

x cos + y sin = p
Parametric form:

x2 x1

y2 y1

x3 x1
x2 x1
x3 x4

y3 y1
y2 y1
y3 y4

and

t=

x3 x1

y3 y1

x3 x4
x2 x1
x3 x4

y3 y4
y2 y1
y3 y4

satisfy 0 s 1 and 0 t 1

x = x1 + t cos
y = y1 + t sin
Point direction form:

x x1 y y1
=
A
B

2. Triangles in two dimensions

Area
The area of the triangle formed by the three lines:

where (A,B) is the direction of the line and P1 ( x1 , y1 ) lies

on the line.
General form:

A x + B y + C = 0 A 0 or B 0

A1 x + B1 y + C1 = 0
A2 x + B2 y + C2 = 0
A3 x + B3 y + C3 = 0
is given by

A1

Distance
The distance from Ax + By + C = 0 to P1 ( x1 , y1 ) is

d=

A x1 + B y1 + C
2

A +B

K=
2

A1
A2

B1

C1

A2 B2 C2
A3 B3 C3
B1 A2 B2 A3

B2 A3 B3 A1

B3
B1

The area of a triangle whose vertices are P1 ( x1 , y1 ) ,

Concurrent lines
Three lines

A1 x + B1 y + C1 = 0
A2 x + B2 y + C2 = 0
A3 x + B3 y + C3 = 0
are concurrent if and only if:

A1
A2

B1
B2

C1
C2 = 0

A3

B3

C3

P2 ( x2 , y2 ) and P3 ( x3 , y3 ) :
x1
1
K = x2
2
x3

K=

y1 1
y2 1
y3 1

1 x2 x1
2 x3 x1

y2 y1
y3 y1

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Centroid

3. Circle

The centroid of a triangle whose vertices are P1 ( x1 , y1 ) ,

P2 ( x2 , y2 ) and P3 ( x3 , y3 ) :

Equation of a circle

x + x + x y + y + y3
( x, y ) = 1 2 3 , 1 2

3
3

In an x-y coordinate system, the circle with centre (a, b)

and radius r is the set of all points (x, y) such that:

( x a )2 + ( y b ) 2 = r 2
Circle is centred at the origin

Incenter

x2 + y 2 = r 2

The incenter of a triangle whose vertices are P1 ( x1 , y1 ) ,

Parametric equations

P2 ( x2 , y2 ) and P3 ( x3 , y3 ) :

x = a + r cos t

ax + bx2 + cx3 ay1 + by2 + cy3

( x, y ) = 1
,
a + b + c
a+b+c

y = b + r sin t
where t is a parametric variable.
In polar coordinates the equation of a circle is:

where a is the length of P2 P3 , b is the length of PP

1 3,
and c is the length of PP
1 2.

r 2 2rro cos ( ) + ro2 = a 2

Area
A = r 2

Circumference

Circumcenter
The

circumcenter

of a triangle whose vertices are

c = d = 2 r

P1 ( x1 , y1 ) , P2 ( x2 , y2 ) and P3 ( x3 , y3 ) :
x12 + y12 y1 1 x1 x12 + y12 1
2

2
2
2
x2 + y2 y2 1 x2 x2 + y2 1
x2+y2 y 1 x x2+y2 1
3
3
3
3
3
3

( x, y ) =
,

x1 y1 1
x1 y1 1

2 x2 y2 1
2 x2 y2 1

x3 y3 1
x3 y3 1

Theoremes:
(Chord theorem)
The chord theorem states that if two chords, CD and EF,
intersect at G, then:

CD DG = EG FG
(Tangent-secant theorem)
If a tangent from an external point D meets the circle at
C and a secant from the external point D meets the circle
at G and E respectively, then
2

DC = DG DE

Orthocenter
The

orthocenter

of a triangle whose vertices are

P1 ( x1 , y1 ) , P2 ( x2 , y2 ) and P3 ( x3 , y3 ) :
y1 x2 x3 + y12 1 x12 + y2 y3

2
2
y2 x3 x1 + y2 1 x2 + y3 y1
y xx +y2 1 x2+y y
3
1 2
3
3
1 2
( x, y ) =
,

x1 y1 1
x1 y1

2 x2 y2
2 x2 y2 1

x3 y3 1
x3 y3

(Secant - secant theorem)

If two secants, DG and DE, also cut the circle at H and F
respectively, then:

DH DG = DF DE
x1 1

x2 1
x3 1

1
1

(Tangent chord property)

The angle between a tangent and chord is equal to the
subtended angle on the opposite side of the chord.

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4. Conic Sections

Eccentricity:

The Parabola
The set of all points in the plane whose distances from a
fixed point, called the focus, and a fixed line, called the
directrix, are always equal.

a 2 b2
a

Foci:
if a > b => F1 ( a 2 b 2 , 0) F2 ( a 2 b 2 ,0)

The standard formula of a parabola:

y 2 = 2 px

if a < b => F1 (0, b 2 a 2 ) F2 (0, b 2 a 2 )

Parametric equations of the parabola:

x = 2 pt

e=

Area:

K = a b

y = 2 pt
The Hyperbola

Tangent line
2

Tangent line in a point D( x0 , y0 ) of a parabola y = 2 px

y0 y = p ( x + x0 )
Tangent line with a given slope (m)

Tangent lines from a given point

Take a fixed point P ( x0 , y0 ) .The equations of the
tangent lines are

y y0 = m1 ( x x0 ) and
y y0 = m2 ( x x0 ) where
m1 =
m1 =

2 x0

and

y0 y0 2 2 px0
2 x0

The Ellipse
The set of all points in the plane, the sum of whose
distances from two fixed points, called the foci, is a
constant.

The standard formula of a ellipse

x2 y 2
+
=1
a 2 b2
Parametric equations of the ellipse
x = a cos t
y = b sin t
Tangent line in a point D ( x0 , y0 ) of a ellipse:

x0 x y0 y
+ 2 =1
a2
b

The standard formula of a hyperbola:

x2 y 2

=1
a 2 b2

p
y = mx +
2m

y0 + y0 2 2 px0

The set of all points in the plane, the difference of whose

distances from two fixed points, called the foci, remains
constant.

Parametric equations of the Hyperbola

a
sin t
b sin t
y=
cos t

x=

Tangent line in a point D ( x0 , y0 ) of a hyperbola:

x0 x y0 y
2 =1
a2
b

Foci:
if a > b => F1 ( a 2 + b 2 , 0) F2 ( a 2 + b 2 , 0)
if a < b => F1 (0, b 2 + a 2 ) F2 (0, b 2 + a 2 )

Asymptotes:

b
b
x and y = x
a
a
a
a
if a < b => y = x and y = x
b
b
if a > b => y =

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5. Planes in three dimensions
Plane forms

Equation of a plane
The equation of a plane through P1(x1,y1,z1) and parallel
to directions (a1,b1,c1) and (a2,b2,c2) has equation

Point direction form:

x x1 y y1 z z1
=
=
a
b
c
where P1(x1,y1,z1) lies in the plane, and the direction
(a,b,c) is normal to the plane.

General form:

Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
where direction (A,B,C) is normal to the plane.

x x1

y y1

z z1

a1

b1

c1

a2

b2

c2

The equation of a plane through P1(x1,y1,z1) and

P2(x2,y2,z2), and parallel to direction (a,b,c), has equation

x x1

y y1

z z1

x2 x1

y2 y1

z2 z1 = 0

Intercept form:
x y z
+ + =1
a b c

The distance of P1(x1,y1,z1) from the plane Ax + By +

Cz + D = 0 is

d=

Three point form

x x3

y y3

z z3

x1 x3

y1 y3

z1 z3 = 0

x2 x3

y2 y3

z2 z3

Ax1 + By1 + Cz1

A2 + B 2 + C 2

Intersection
The intersection of two planes

A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0,
A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0,

Normal form:

is the line

x cos + y cos + z cos = p

x x1 y y1 z z1
=
=
,
a
b
c

Parametric form:

x = x1 + a1 s + a2 t

where

y = y1 + b1 s + b2 t
z = z1 + c1 s + c2 t
where the directions (a1,b1,c1) and (a2,b2,c2) are
parallel to the plane.

Angle between two planes:

a=

B1
B2

C1
C2

b=

C1
C2

A1
A2

A1

B1

A2

B2

c=

The angle between two planes:

A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0

A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0

x1 =

is

2
1

2
1

A + B +C

A2 + B2 + C2

The planes are parallel if and only if

y1 =

A1 B1 C1
=
=
A2 B2 C2
The planes are perpendicular if and only if

A1 A2 + B1 B2 + C1C2 = 0

C2

D1

B1

D2

B2

D1
D2

A1
A2
2

D1

C1

D2

C2

a +b +c
a

z1 =

D2

C1

a +b +c
c

D1

A1 A2 + B1 B2 + C1C2
2
1

Distance

this plane passes through the points (a,0,0), (0,b,0), and

(0,0,c).

arccos

=0

D1
D2

B1
B2
2

b
2

D1

A1

D2

A2

a +b +c

If a = b = c = 0, then the planes are parallel.