''n''-ellipse

Examples of n-ellipses with 3 given foci. The progression of the distances is not linear.

In geometry, the n-ellipse is a generalization of the ellipse allowing more than two foci.[1] n-ellipses go by numerous other names, including multifocal ellipse,[2] polyellipse,[3] egglipse,[4] k-ellipse,[5] and Tschirnhaus'sche Eikurve (after Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus). They were first investigated by James Clerk Maxwell in 1846.[6]

Given n points (ui, vi) (called foci) in a plane, an n-ellipse is the locus of all points of the plane whose sum of distances to the n foci is a constant d. In formulas, this is the set

The 1-ellipse is the circle. The 2-ellipse is the classic ellipse. Both are algebraic curves of degree 2.

For any number n of foci, the n-ellipse is a closed, convex curve.[2]:(p. 90) The curve is smooth unless it goes through a focus.[5]:p.7

The n-ellipse is in general a subset of the points satisfying a particular algebraic equation.[5]:Figs. 2 and 4; p. 7 If n is odd, the algebraic degree of the curve is , while if n is even the degree is .[5]:(Thm. 1.1)

See also

References

  1. ↑ J. Sekino (1999): "n-Ellipses and the Minimum Distance Sum Problem", American Mathematical Monthly 106 #3 (March 1999), 193–202. MR 1682340; Zbl 986.51040.
  2. 1 2 Erdős, Paul; Vincze, István (1982). "On the Approximation of Convex, Closed Plane Curves by Multifocal Ellipses" (PDF). Journal of Applied Probability. 19: 89–96. JSTOR 3213552. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Z.A. Melzak and J.S. Forsyth (1977): "Polyconics 1. polyellipses and optimization", Q. of Appl. Math., pages 239–255, 1977.
  4. ↑ P.V. Sahadevan (1987): "The theory of egglipse—a new curve with three focal points", International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 18 (1987), 29–39. MR 872599; Zbl 613.51030.
  5. 1 2 3 4 J. Nie, P.A. Parrilo, B. Sturmfels: "J. Nie, P. Parrilo, B.St.: "Semidefinite representation of the k-ellipse", in Algorithms in Algebraic Geometry, I.M.A. Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications, 146, Springer, New York, 2008, pp. 117-132
  6. ↑ James Clerk Maxwell (1846): "Paper on the Description of Oval Curves, Feb 1846, from The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell: 1846-1862

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.