Equation of an ellipse Consider an ellipse to be the set of points in a plane whose distances from two fixed points have a constant sum 2a. Derive the equation of an ellipse. Assume the two fixed points are on the x-axis equidistant from the origin.

College Algebra (MindTap Course List)
12th Edition
ISBN:9781305652231
Author:R. David Gustafson, Jeff Hughes
Publisher:R. David Gustafson, Jeff Hughes
Chapter7: Conic Sections And Quadratic Systems
Section7.2: The Ellipse
Problem 1E
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Equation of an ellipse Consider an ellipse to be the set of points in a plane whose distances from two fixed points have a constant sum 2a. Derive the equation of an ellipse. Assume the two fixed points are on the x-axis equidistant from the origin.

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