[Math] Distance between line and a point

vectors

Consider the points (1,2,-1) and (2,0,3).

(a) Find a vector equation of the line through these points in parametric form.

(b) Find the distance between this line and the point (1,0,1). (Hint: Use the parametric form of the equation and the dot product)

I have solved (a), Forming:

Vector equation: (1,2,-1)+t(1,-2,4)

x=1+t

y=2-2t

z=-1+4t

However, I'm a little stumped on how to solve (b).

Best Answer

You can use a formula, although I think it's not too difficult to just go through the steps. I would draw a picture first:

enter image description here

You are given that $\vec{p} = (1,0,1)$ and you already found $\vec{m} = (1, -2, 4)$ and $\vec{l}_0 = (1,2,-1)$. Now it's a matter of writing an expression for $\vec{l}(t) - \vec{p}_0$:

\begin{align} \vec{l}(t) - \vec{p}_0 =&\ (\ (t + 1) - 1\ ,\ (-2t + 2) - 0\ ,\ (4t - 1) - 1\ )\\ =&\ (\ t\ ,\ -2t + 2\ ,\ 4t - 2\ ) \end{align}

Now you dot this with the original slope of the line (recall that $\vec{l}(t) - \vec{p}_0$ is the slope of the line segment connecting the point and the line). When this dot product equals zero, you have found $t_0$ and thus $\vec{x}_0$:

\begin{align} \vec{m} \circ (\vec{l}(t) - \vec{p}_0) =&\ (1,-2,4)\circ(\ t\ ,\ -2t + 2\ ,\ 4t - 2\ ) \\ =&\ t + 4t - 4 + 16t - 8 \\ =&\ 21t - 12 \end{align}

Setting this to $0$ gives that $21t_0 - 12 = 0 \rightarrow t_0 = \frac{4}{7}$. This gives the point $\vec{x}_0$ as:

\begin{align} \vec{x}_0 =&\ \vec{l}(t_0) = (\ \frac{4}{7} + 1\ ,\ -\frac{8}{7} + 2\ ,\ \frac{16}{7} - 1\ ) \\ =&\ \frac{1}{7}(11, 6, 9) \end{align}

So finally the distance would be the distance from $\vec{p}_0$ to $\vec{x}_0$:

\begin{align} d =&\ \sqrt{\left(\frac{11}{7} - 1\right)^2 + \left(\frac{6}{7} - 0\right)^2 + \left(\frac{9}{7} - 1\right)^2}\\ =&\ \sqrt{\left(\frac{4}{7}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{6}{7}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{2}{7}\right)^2} \\ =&\ \frac{1}{7}\sqrt{4^2 + 6^2 + 2^2}\\ =&\ \frac{1}{7}\sqrt{56} \\ =&\ \frac{2}{7}\sqrt{14} \end{align}

...or perhaps $\sqrt{\frac{8}{7}}$ is more appealing.

Extra Info

There's no need to worry about whether or not my 2D picture is really representative--it is. No matter how high the dimensions of the problem, the problem itself can always be mapped to exactly 2 dimensions unless the point is on the line--then it's a 1 dimensional problem--which of course we can represent in 2 dimensions just as we can represent this 2 dimensional problem in much higher ones.