Chap. I. CONIC SECTIONS.

309
of the
p
jint K on the plane whereon the figure is to be drawn may be marked
;
the points
thus found will be in the curve. Instead of a rod. a slip of paper may be used, and in some
cases a rod with adjustlble points to slide in a cross groove, and a sliding head for a pencil
is convenient ; and such an instrument is called a trammel.
When the diameters KH and EA (j7c;. 425.) are at right angles to each other, the
straight line Kf/ coincides with the diameter KH, and consequently
jj
the line MN, on which the point
q
of the inflexible line K7 moves,
will also fall upon the diameter KH. Therefore in this case no-
thing more is required to find the limits of the other diameter,
than to take the half diameters IK, KH of the given diameters,
and from the extremity L with that distance describe an arc
cutting the unlimited diameter in the point F; then drawing
Fig. 425.
LF, and producing it to
q,
and making IE and lA each equal to gL, EA will be the
other diameter ; and since the two diameters are at right angles to each other, they are
the two axes given in position and magnitude, and thus the curve may be described as
before.
A method of describing the curve from any two conjugate diameters is occasionally of
considerable use, and particularly so in perspective. For, in every representation of a
circle in perspective, a diameter and a double ordinate may be determined by making one
of the diameters of the original circle perpendicular to the plane of the picture and the
other parallel to it ; and then the representation of the diameter of the original circle,
which is perpendicular to the intersecting line, will be a diameter of the ellipsis, which is
the representation of that circle ; and the representation of the diameter of the circle
which is parallel to the intersecting line will become a double ordinate to the diameter of
the ellipsis which is the perspective representation of the circle.
1 07 9. Prob. V. Through two given points A and B to describe an ellipsis, the centre C
being given in position and the greater axis being given in magnitude, only.
About the centre C
{fig.
426.) with a radius equal to half tlie
greater axis describe a circle HEDG; join AC and BC ;
draw
AD perpendicular to AC, and BE perpendicular to BC,
i-utting the circumference in the points D and E ;
draw also
BF parallel to AC, and find BF, which is a fourth projjor-
tional to AD, AC, and BE ;
through the point F and the centre
C draw FG to cut the circle in H and G, and GH is the major
axis of the ellipsis. By drawing an ordinate Bg, the curve may
be described by the preceding problem, having the axis GH and
the ordinate Bg.
1080. Prob. VI. Through a given point in the major wis
of
a given ellipsis to describe
mother similar ellipsis wLich shall have the same centre and its major aiis on the same straight
line as that
of
the gizsn ellipsis.
Let ACBD
{Jig.
427.) be the given ellipsis, having AB for its major axis and CD for
Its minor axis, which are both given in position and magnitude.
c k
It is required to draw a similar ellipsis through the point G in the
major axis AG. Draw BK perpendicular and CK parallel to
AB, and join KE. Again, draw GL perpendicular to AB cut-
ting EK at L, and draw LH parallel to AB cutting CD in H.
On the axis CD make EI equal to EH, and on the axis AB
make EF equal to EG. Then, having the major axis AB, and
the minor axis FG, the ellipsis FIGH may be described, and when drawn, it will l)e
similar to the given ellipsis ADBC.
1081. Prob. VII. Through any given piint
p,
within the curve
of
a given ellipsis to
ilescribe another eUi])sis which shall be similar and concentric to the given one.
Let C (Jig.42H.) be its centre. Draw the straight line CpP, cutting the curve of the
given ellipsis in P. In such curve take any other number of
n
points Q, II, S, &c., and join QC, RC, SC, kc.
;
join PQ and
draw
pq
parallel thereto cutting </C at
7
: join PR and draw pr
parallel to PR, cutting RC at r; join PS and draw ps parallel to
PS cutting SC in s. The whole being conq^leted, and the curve
p,
s, t, u drawn through the points
p, q,
r, s, &c., the figure will
be similar and concentric to the given ellipse P, S, T, U ;
or when
the points at the extremities for one half of tlie curve have been
drawn, the other half may be found by producing the diameter to the o])posite side, and
making the part ])roduced equal to the other jiart.
1082. Prob. VIII. About a given rectangle ABCD^o describe an ellipsis which shall
have its major and minor axes respectively parallel to the sides
of
the rectangle and its centie in
the points
of
iidersection
of
the tiro diagonals.
Bisect the sides AD and .\ B (j?(/. 429.) of the rectangle respectively at L and O
Fig. 426.
FiK. IM