Projective Geometry – Six Conics Through Three Points and Tangent to a Line

conic sectionsprojective-geometry

I played in GeoGebra and discovered an interesting fact:

Let $L$ be a line.
Let $A_1,A_2,A_3$ be points that are not collinear and not on $L$.
Let $C_1,\dots,C_6$ be 6 conics that pass through points $A_1, A_2, A_3$ and are tangent to $L$.
Let $C_1,C_2$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_1$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $C_2,C_3$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_2$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $C_3,C_4$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_3$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $C_4,C_5$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_4$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $C_5,C_6$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_5$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $C_6,C_1$ intersect at a fourth point $Q_6$ other than $A_1,A_2,A_3$.
Let $D_1$ be the conic through 5 points $Q_1, Q_4, A_1, A_2, A_3$.
Let $D_2$ be the conic through 5 points $Q_2, Q_5, A_1, A_2, A_3$.
Let $D_3$ be the conic through 5 points $Q_3, Q_6, A_1, A_2, A_3$.
Then $D_1, D_2, D_3$ pass through a fourth point $E$ other than $A_1, A_2, A_3$.

(The black conics are $C_1,\dots,C_6$. The red conics are $D_1,D_2,D_3$.)

This result, about 6 conics, is an analog of Pascal's theorem about 6 points.

I'd like to see a solution in any form. Thanks!


I was thinking that the conics through 3 points, form a projective plane $P$, so a conic is a point in $P$, and those conics additionally tangent to line $L$ is points on a conic in $P$, so this theorem is Pascal's theorem about 6 points on a conic in $P$.

I can give a proof of this but not sure if it is correct: A conic in $P$ is of the form$$B(r,s)=x_1C_1(r,s)+x_2C_2(r,s)+x_3C_3(r,s)$$ and $$\alpha u+\beta v$$ is a point on the line through $u,v$.

If the conic $B(r,s)=0$ is tangent to the line through $u,v$ then equation$$B(\alpha u+\beta v,\alpha u+\beta v)=0$$in $[\alpha:\beta]$ has a multiple root, then the determinant$$B(u,v)^2-B(u,u)B(v,v)=0$$Rewrite by the definition of $B(r,s)$: $$\small(x_1C_1(u,v)+x_2C_2(u,v)+x_3C_3(u,v))^2-(x_1C_1(u,u)+x_2C_2(u,u)+x_3C_3(u,u))(x_1C_1(v,v)+x_2C_2(v,v)+x_3C_3(v,v))$$This is a conic in $x_1,x_2,x_3$.

Best Answer

OP has observed that the set of conics passing through three points form a projective plane $P$, and has observed that a certain configuration of conics in $P$ give a result analogous to Pascal's theorem. OP also claims (1) that the family of conics passing through the points $A_1,A_2,A_3$ and tangent to a line L constitute a conic in $P$.

The purpose of this answer is to spell out how Pascal's theorem yields the result in question, assuming that claim (1) is true.

enter image description here

The figure above shows the projective plane $P$. A point of $P$ represents a conic passing through the points $A_1,A_2,A_3$. A line of $P$ represents a pencil $x$ of conics passing through base points $A_1,A_2,A_3,X$. Note that the name of the pencil and the fourth base point are the same, except for case.

The diagram follows the construction given in the OP, starting with 6 conics $C_i$ sitting on a conic in $P$, and ending with the (red) Pascal line $e$. For example, $q_1$ is the pencil of conics with base points $A_1,A_2,A_3,Q_1$, and $q_4$ is the pencil of conics with base points $A_1,A_2,A_3,Q_4$, and $D_1=q_1\cap q_4$ is the conic through the five points $Q_1, Q_4, A_1, A_2, A_3.$ Because $e$ represents a pencil of conics with base points $A_1,A_2,A_3,E$, we can conclude that $D_1, D_2, D_3$ pass through a fourth point $E$ other than $A_1, A_2, A_3,$ which was the result to be shown.

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