Conics (1 Viewer)

gurmies

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The locus is an ellipse. The sum of the distances from a variable point to the foci produces a constant (one definition of an ellipse)

PS + PS' = 2a, where a = 5 in this case.

ae = 3

e = 3/5

b^2 = a^2(1-e^2),

b^2 = 16

x^2/25 + y^2/16 = 1 is the cartesian equation of the ellipse

Alternatively if you didn't know what the locus was by inspection, let z = x + iy and see what you come up with.
 

GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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^^ advisable to memorise this one as letting z = x + iy leads to much unwanted algebraic manipulation =[[[ LOL
 

gurmies

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Yah, I shat brix when I tried to let z = x + iy the very first time I saw this question xD
 

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