Homogenous Equation Homework Statement - a & h

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alijan kk
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Homework Statement


Let f(x,y)=0 ---------> 1
be any equation in the variables x and y. Equation (1) is called a homogeneous equation of degree n (a positive integer) if :
f(kx,ky)=knf(x,y)
for some real number k.
for example in equation (5) below , if we replace x and y by kx and ky respectively, we have

k2(y2-(m1m2)xy+m1m2x2)=0
k2f(x,y)=0
Thus (5) is a homogeneous equation of degree 2.
A general second degree homogeneous equation can be written as:
ax2+2hxy+by2=0

Homework Equations


(y-m1x)(y-m2x)=0
y2-(m1+m2)xy+m1m2x2=0

The Attempt at a Solution


but what are "a" and "h" are equal to ? my book doesnot tell any thing about it ,, or are they obvious from the equations.
 
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alijan kk said:

Homework Statement


Let f(x,y)=0 ---------> 1
be any equation in the variables x and y. Equation (1) is called a homogeneous equation of degree n (a positive integer) if :
f(kx,ky)=knf(x,y)
for some real number k.
for example in equation (5) below , if we replace x and y by kx and ky respectively, we have

k2(y2-(m1m2)xy+m1m2x2)=0
k2f(x,y)=0
Thus (5) is a homogeneous equation of degree 2.
A general second degree homogeneous equation can be written as:
ax2+2hxy+by2
This is not an equation -- there is no = symbol.
alijan kk said:

Homework Equations


(y-m1x)(y-m2x)=0
y2-(m1+m2)xy+m1m2x2=0

The Attempt at a Solution


but what are "a" and "h" are equal to ? my book doesnot tell any thing about it ,, or are they obvious from the equations.
They are just unspecified constants.
It's similar to the idea that a quadratic equation in one variable can be written as ##ax^2 + bx + c = 0##. Here, a, b, and c are real constants. What makes it a quadratic equation isn't the constants -- it's the fact it's a polynomial with the highest power of the variable being 2
 
Mark44 said:
This is not an equation -- there is no = symbol.

They are just unspecified constants.
It's similar to the idea that a quadratic equation in one variable can be written as ##ax^2 + bx + c = 0##. Here, a, b, and c are real constants. What makes it a quadratic equation isn't the constants -- it's the fact it's a polynomial with the highest power of the variable being 2
that was my typing mistake,, there is "=0"