Parametric equations
- Thread starter ijd5000
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this doesn't make much sense the way you've written it.
x = sin (1/2 x) isn't part of a curve, it's a single point.
do you maybe mean x = sin (1/2 t), y = cos(1/2 t) ? or maybe y = cos (1/2 x) ?
yes i did mean x=sin(1/2 t) and y=cos (1/2 t). sorry for the confusion.
those are the parametric equations of the curve.
The parametric equations of a curve are just a set of functions, 1 for each dimension of the space your curve is in.
In 2 dimensions you've got x(t) and y(t), in 3 you have x(t), y(t), z(t), etc.
you've got your x(t) and y(t). I'm not sure what else can be done.
Maybe the problem gives you x=sin(1/2 t) and y=cos(1/2 x) ? In this case there's one more step that can be done.
D
Deleted member 4993
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May be the problem wants you to write it in f(y) = g(x) form?
HallsofIvy
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You mean you want to find the Cartesian equation. These are parametric equations.
You mean x= sin(1/2 t), y= cos(1/2)t
Why not? if x= sin^2(1/2 t) and y= cos(1/2 t) then the fact that sin^2(1/2 t)+ cos^2(1/2 t)= 1
means that x^2+ y^2= 1.
as said above you will arrive at x^2+y^2=1. But theta is between -pi and pi, giving only a portion of the circle. Why not plug in a few values for theta (say, -pi, -pi/2, 0, pi/2, pi in order) and see which one it is?