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Proof of Intersection of A Line and A Circle: Coincident

This document provides a proof for finding the intersection points of a line and a circle by solving their equations parametrically and implicitly. It shows: 1) Expressing the circle equation in implicit form and line in parametric form. 2) Substituting the line parameters into the circle equation yields a quadratic in the line parameter. 3) Solving the quadratic using the quadratic formula gives the intersection points, if real roots exist. Otherwise there is no intersection.

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joe simes
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95 views4 pages

Proof of Intersection of A Line and A Circle: Coincident

This document provides a proof for finding the intersection points of a line and a circle by solving their equations parametrically and implicitly. It shows: 1) Expressing the circle equation in implicit form and line in parametric form. 2) Substituting the line parameters into the circle equation yields a quadratic in the line parameter. 3) Solving the quadratic using the quadratic formula gives the intersection points, if real roots exist. Otherwise there is no intersection.

Uploaded by

joe simes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Proof of Intersection of a Line and a Circle

P2 (x2 , y2 )

P1 (x1 , y1 ) r
C(xc , yc )

This problem is most easily solved if the circle is in implicit form:

(x − xc )2 + (y − yc )2 − r2 = 0

and the line is parametric:

x = x0 + f t
y = y0 + gt

Substituting for (parametric line) x and y into the circle equation gives a quadratic equation in t:

• Two roots of which give points on the line where cuts the circle.

f (xc − x0 ) + g(yc − y0 ) ± r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (f (yc − y0 ) − g(xc − x0 ))2


p
t=
(f 2 + g 2 )

• The roots maybe coincident if the line is tangential to the circle.


P1 (x1 , y1 )

1 r
C(xc , yc )

• If roots are imaginary then there is no intersection.

1
Proof:

The circle is in implicit form:

(x − xc )2 + (y − yc )2 − r2 = 0 (1)

and the line is parametric:

x = x0 + f t
y = y0 + gt (2)

Substituting for (parametric line) x and y from Eqn. 2 into the circle equation, Eqn. 1, gives a
quadratic equation in t gives:

(x0 + f t − xc )2 + (y0 + gt − yc )2 − r2 = 0 (3)

Let

xd = x0 − xc
yd = y0 − yc (4)

Then we may write Eqn. 3

(xd + f t)2 + (yd + gt)2 − r2 = 0 (5)

Expanding the quadratic parts in Eqn. 5 gives:

x2d + 2f xd t + f 2 t2 + yd2 + 2gyd t + g 2 t2 − r2 = 0


(6)

Express Eqn. 6 as a quadratic in t, so gather terms in t in Eqn. 6:

(f 2 + g 2 )t2 + (2f xd + 2gyd )t + x2d + yd2 − r2 = 0


(f 2 + g 2 )t2 + 2(f xd + gyd )t + x2d + yd2 − r2 = 0 (7)

2
Now the general solution of a quadratic of the form ax2 + bx + c = 0, gives the roots, xi , i = 1, 2 as:

√
−b ± b2 − 4ac
xi = (8)
2a

So in our problem (a quadratic in t) from Eqn. 7 we can see that for Eqn. 8:

a = (f 2 + g 2 )
b = 2(f xd + gyd )
c = x2d + yd2 − r2

Substituting for a, b and c in Eqn. 8 we get roots of t, ti :

q
−2(f xd + gyd ) ± (2(f xd + gyd ))2 − 4(x2d + yd2 − r2 )(f 2 + g 2 )
ti =
2(f 2 + g 2 )
q
−2(xd + gyd ) ± 4(f xd + gyd )2 − 4(x2d + yd2 − r2 )(f 2 + g 2 )
ti =
2(f 2 + g 2 )
(9)

The expression of the right hand side of Eqn. 9 can be simplified in a few ways.

√
Firstly we can factor 4 from the term and the division by 2 then simplifies the equation to:

q
−2(xd + gyd ) ± 2 (f xd + gyd )2 − (x2d + yd2 − r2 )(f 2 + g 2 )
ti =
2(f 2 + g 2 )
q
−(f xd + gyd ) ± (f xd + gyd )2 − (x2d + yd2 − r2 )(f 2 + g 2 )
ti =
(f 2 + g 2 )
(10)

3
√
Let us now consider the term and simplify this, let:

S = (f xd + gyd )2 − (x2d + yd2 − r2 )(f 2 + g 2 ))


S = f 2 x2d + 2f gxd yd + g 2 yd2 − f 2 x2d − f 2 yd2 + f 2 r2 − g 2 x2d − g 2 yd2 + g 2 r2 (11)

Eqn 11 can be simplified as follows, some terms cancel out f 2 x2d , g 2 yd2 and others can be gathered
together r2 , f, and g terms:

S = r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (f 2 yd2 − 2f gxd yd + g 2 x2d


S = r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (f yd − gxd )2
S = r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (−gxd + f yd )2
(12)

Substituting for xd and yd from Eqn. 4 in Eqn 12 we get:

S = r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (−g(x0 − xc ) + f (y0 − yc ))2


S = r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (g(xc − x0 ) − f (yc − y0 ))2

√
Substituting for S from Eqn. 13 and xd and yd from Eqn. 4 in the term in Eqn. 10 gives us the
solution:

f (xc − x0 ) + g(yc − y0 ) ± r2 (f 2 + g 2 ) − (f (yc − y0 ) − g(xc − x0 ))2


p
t=
(f 2 + g 2 )

Q.E.D

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