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Find condition on constants such that two parabolas are tangent

  1. Let a \neq 0, and consider the two parabolas

        \[ y^2 = 4p(x-a), \qquad \text{and} \qquad x^2 = 4qy. \]

    If these two parabolas are tangent to each other, show that the x-coordinate of the contact point depends only on a.

  2. Find conditions for the constants a,p,q such that the two parabolas are tangent to each other.

Incomplete.

One comment

  1. S says:

    a) Parabolas being tangent to each other means that they have a common tangent line, so I would take first the derivative of the parabolas, to find the slope of any of their tangent lines. The slope of tangent lines to $P1$ is $y’ = \sqrt{\frac{p}{x-a}}$ and the tangent line slope of $P2$ is $y’ = \frac{x}{2q}$.

    In order for them to have a common tangent line, their slopes must be equal so we can equate the last two equations to get: $y’ =\frac{x}{2q} = \sqrt{\frac{p}{x-a}} \implies \frac{p}{x-a} = \frac{x^2}{4q^2} \implies x^2(x-a) = 4pq^2$.

    Actual tangent line is $y=y’x + m$, so at the point of contact $(x_0, y_0)$, we have $y_0 = \frac{x_0^2}{2q} + m = \sqrt{\frac{p}{x_0-a}} + m$ and $y_0^2=4p(x_0-a) \land 4y_0q=x_0^2$.

    From this we get $m = -y_0$, and we can solve the equations to get $x_0 = \frac{4}{3}a$.

    b) Plugging in the value of $x_0$ into the two tangent slopes, we get the condition $4a^3=27pq^2$

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