[Math] Finding vector and parametric equations provided only one point.

parametricplane-curvesvector-spaces

Normally to answer these questions I have a point and one or two vectors. However, for this one I only have a point. How can I concoct these equations provided there is limited information?

Find vector and parametric equations of the plane in $R^3$ that passes
through the origin and is orthogonal to $v$.

$$v = (3, 1, -6)$$

Best Answer

In $\Re^3$, a plane can be characterized completely by a vector normal to the plane, and a point it goes through:

Imagine any plane. Note that every vector normal to it's surface is necessarily parallel to each other (even if you consider the normal pointing in the other direction, the lines all these normals live in are parallel). So, once you have a line you have your plane except for a translation in the direction of that normal, so you need to specify a point in the space that belongs to the plane to fully define it.

Now, in equations, a vector connecting to points in the plane must be perpendicular to $\vec{v}=(3,1,-6)$. Let's call this generic point in the plane $\vec{u}=(u_x,u_y,u_z)$ and for a second let $\vec{u}_0$ be the point in the plane that they are giving us (origin in this case), then $$0=\vec{v}\cdot(\vec{u}-\vec{u}_0)=3u_x+u_y-6u_z$$

Please, note that what needs to be perpendicular to $\vec{v}$ is not a point in the plane $\vec{u}$ but a vector contained (or parallel) to the plane itself and therefore we need to use $(\vec{u}-\vec{u}_0)$ in the dot product above. Since the origin is contained in the plane in your case, then the distinction is hard to grasp but it is very important to understand.