Prove That Three Points Define a Unique Parabola – Linear Algebra

linear algebra

How do we prove that there is always a unique parabola (with equation $y=ax^2+bx+c$) that passes through 3 distinct points $P_1 (p_1,q_1), P_2 (p_2,q_2), P_3(p_3,q_3)$ ?

If I choose to use matrices and row reduction, how do I deal with the fact that the coordinates might be zero?

Best Answer

Proving that there is a parabola should be no hassle. To show uniqueness, suppose $y = a_1x^2 + b_1x + c_1$ and $y = a_2x^2 + b_2x + c_2$ fit the points. Then the parabola $y = (a_2 - a_1)x^2 + (b_2 - b_1)x + (c_2 - c_1)$ goes through the points $(p_1,0),(p_2,0),(p_3,0)$. This implies the quadratic has three roots, which is only possible if $a_1 = a_2$, $b_1 = b_2$, and $c_1 = c_2$.

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