College Algebra: Finding Equations for Hyperbolas

This lesson is part of the series: College Algebra Review, Trigonometry: Conic Sections, Trigonometry: Hyperbolas

A hyperbola is a collection of points for which the difference in distance between two fixed points (both called a focus) is constant. This type of conic section is typically described by a formula that is written as: x^2/a^2 - y^2/b^2 = 1. In this lesson, we walk through how to find the equation for a hyperbola when we know the x-intercept and the foci (both focus points) of the hyperbola. We also work through a problem in which the y-intercept and both foci are provided and you are asked to find the equation for the hyperbola.

Taught by Professor Edward Burger, this lesson was selected from a broader, comprehensive course, College Algebra. This course and others are available from Thinkwell, Inc. The full course can be found at http://www.thinkwell.com/student/product/collegealgebra. The full course covers equations and inequalities, relations and functions, polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, systems of equations, conic sections and a variety of other AP algebra, advanced algebra and Algebra II topics.

Edward Burger, Professor of Mathematics at Williams College, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin, having graduated summa cum laude with distinction in mathematics from Connecticut College.

He has also taught at UT-Austin and the University of Colorado at Boulder, and he served as a fellow at the University of Waterloo in Canada and at Macquarie University in Australia. Prof. Burger has won many awards, including the 2001 Haimo Award for Distinguished Teaching of Mathematics, the 2004 Chauvenet Prize, and the 2006 Lester R. Ford Award, all from the Mathematical Association of America. In 2006, Reader's Digest named him in the "100 Best of America".

Prof. Burger is the author of over 50 articles, videos, and books, including the trade book, Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz: Making Light of Weighty Ideas and of the textbook The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking. He also speaks frequently to professional and public audiences, referees professional journals, and publishes articles in leading math journals, including The Journal of Number Theory and American Mathematical Monthly. His areas of specialty include number theory, Diophantine approximation, p-adic analysis, the geometry of numbers, and the theory of continued fractions.

Prof. Burger's unique sense of humor and his teaching expertise combine to make him the ideal presenter of Thinkwell's entertaining and informative video lectures.

Founded in 1997, Thinkwell has succeeded in creating "next-generation" textbooks that help students learn and teachers teach. Capitalizing on the power of new technology, Thinkwell products prepare students more effectively for their coursework than any printed textbook can. Thinkwell has assembled a group of talented industry professionals who have shaped the company into the leading provider of technology-based textbooks. For more information about Thinkwell, please visit www.thinkwell.com or visit Thinkwell's Video Lesson Store at http://thinkwell.mindbites.com/.

Thinkwell lessons feature a star-studded cast of outstanding university professors: Edward Burger (Pre-Algebra through...

Hyperbola

10/24/2009

~ christoper

Great guy - explains things clearly and has the attitude in getting the point across.

Great!

01/19/2009

~ nachan

Professor burger teaches you how to find the equation for the hyperbola with just a little information. He shows you an easy way to sketch and draw out a graph to solve the problem. He explains how to solve the problem with the giving foci, and by drawing out the graph. He shows specific sample problems with y and x intercepts. Very informative!

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