Message-ID: <32FAA0CF.655F@rangenet.com>
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 21:26:11 -0600
From: Dan Hedlund <markiv AT rangenet DOT com>
Reply-To: markiv AT rangenet DOT com
Organization: Range Net
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Benjamin D Chambers <chambersb AT juno DOT com>
CC: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: ellipses at an angle
References: <32FA01D0 DOT 50EA AT dtechs DOT com> <19970206 DOT 174121 DOT 7695 DOT 1 DOT chambersb AT juno DOT com>
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Benjamin D Chambers wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 06 Feb 1997 10:07:45 -0600 Mark Teel <mteel AT dtechs DOT com> writes:
> 
> >Our friend Mr. Chambers stated (and I paraphrase):
> >"an ellipse can be defined as the sum of the distances from any point
> >on
> >the ellipse to the two foci is equal to 1".  Is this correct?
> No, this is not correct - and I don't _think_ it's what I stated (maybe I
> did, if so it was an error):
> An ellipse can be defined as the sum of the distances from any point on
> the ellipse to the two foci is equal to a constant.
> 
> This constant is, of course, different on different ellipses - but my old
> math teacher somehow worked the equations out to always equal 1 (I think
> she used scalars or something, but there's no real point).
> 
> If I have confused anyone, I apologize.
> 
> Now, can we please let this drop?  I've got enough mail already (junk
> mail on e-mail? Unfortunately, yes... :(
> 
> ...Chambers

I think you might be refering to the equation:

x^2   y^2
--- + --- = 1
A^2   B^2

A is the x-radius, and B is the y-radius.

-- 

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