An Application of Quadratic Forms to Conic

Sections and Quadric Surfaces

Katie Glackin
Butler University
Senior Seminar

April 30, 2015

Abstract
We explore the connection between graphs of conic sections and quadratic
forms associated with 2 2 real symmetric matrices and the connection
between graphs of quadric surfaces and quadratic forms associated with
3 3 real symmetric matrices.
In particular, we show an application of linear algebra to the rotation
of coordinate axes of conics and quadric surfaces used to determine the
nature of their graphs.

Conic Sections

A conic section is the set of points in the plane satisfying

ax2 + by 2 + 2gx + 2f y + 2hxy + c = 0
where at least one of a, b and h is nonzero.
Recall that the graph of a conic section is a circle, ellipse, parabola or
hyperbola but in the form above its hard to distinguish them. Typically,
a translation and rotation of the coordinate system is used to visualize
their graphs.

1.1

Translation

Upon the change variables, X = x p and Y = y q the conic

ax2 + by 2 + 2gx + 2f y + 2hxy + c = 0
is
aX 2 + bY 2 + 2hXY = K
for some number K 6= 0 and dividing by K gives
aX 2 + bY 2 + 2hXY = 1
by renaming a, b and h.
Hence, without loss of generality, we will assume that our conic has
been translated to the origin and is of the form
ax2 + by 2 + 2hxy = 1

1.2

Rotation

In order to correctly identify the conic, we need only to do a rotation of

coordinate axes to eliminate the xyterm. We will use matrix techniques
to do this.

1.2.1

The Associated Quadratic Form

A quadratic form in two variables x, y, has the form





 a h
x
ax2 + by 2 + 2hxy = x y
h b
y
It is of the form vT A
v where

v =

x
y

and A is an 2x2 real, symmetric matrix.

1.2.2

Real, Symmetric Matrices

If A is a real, symmetric matrix, then A has real eigenvalues and orthogonal eigenvectors, so by the Spectral Theorem there is an orthogonal
similarity P (with columns the eigenvectors) and P T AP = D Diagonal
matrix (where diagonal elements are the eigenvalues of A).
This similarity rotates the coordinate system to eliminate the xy term
giving
aX 2 + bY 2 = 1

1.3

Example 1

I will show 6x2 +3y 2 +4xy = 1 becomes 2X 2 +7Y 2 = 1 via this similarity.


6 2
A=
2 3
Recall eigenvalue and eigenvector equations.
A
x =
x


6
2

2
3



1
2


=2

1
2

6
2

and

2
3



2
1


=7

2
1

Normalize eigenvectors.

P =

1
5
2
5

so
P T AP =


2
0

0
7



2
5
1
5

2
0

X
Y

0
7


= 2X 2 + 7Y 2 = 1

Quadratic Surfaces

Quadratic surfaces are the 3-dimensional analogues of conics. They

have an equation of the form vT B
v where

x
v = y
z
and B is a real, symmetric 3 3 matrix.
It is possible to analyze quadratic surfaces in the same way as conics. Most quadratic surfaces can be translated so the x,y, and z terms
disappear (except paraboloids).
The resulting equation will have the form ax2 + by 2 + cz 2 + 2gxy +
2hxz + 2kyz = 0 or 1. This can be written as

x

 a g h
x y z g b k y = 0 or 1
h k c
z
Since B is real, symmetric, B has orthogonal eigenvectors, and its
eigenvalues are real.

2.1

Example 2

I will use the same process to rotate a quadratic surface.

Consider the equation 3x2 +2y 2 +z 2 +4xy+4yz = 0 and corresponding
symmetric matrix

3 2 0
B = 2 2 2
0 2 1
Its not hard to calculate the eigenvectors and eigenvalues:

2/3
2/3
B 2/3 = 5 2/3
1/3
1/3

2/3
2/3
B 1/3 = 2 1/3
2/3
2/3

1/3
1/3
B 2/3 = 1 2/3
2/3
2/3

The eigenvectors are already normalized.

2/3 2/3
1/3
1/3
2/3
P = 2/3
1/3
2/3
2/3

5 0
0
0
P T BP = 0 2
0 0 1

0
x

 5 0
x y z 0 2
0 y = 5x2 + 2y 2 z 2
0 0 1
z
5x2 + 2y 2 = z 2
which is the equation of an elliptic cone.

Sources

Conic Sections Picture: http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/advanced-algebra/

s11-conic-sections.html
Quadratic Surfaces Picture: http://www.math.ucla.edu/~shlyakht/
32a.2.02s/quadratic_surfaces.jpg
Lay, David C. Linear Algebra and Its Applications. 4th ed. Boston:
Addison Wesley, 2012. Print.