Let H be the hyperboloid 3x2+3y2−z2−1=0. (a) Prove that every point (x,y,z)∈H belong to exactly two lines contained in H. (b) Prove that all lines contained in H form the same angle with the plane z=0, and find that angle.
Solution
The solution is based on the following Theorem. Let P=(x0,y0,0) be a point in the xy-plane and (a,b,1) a vector perpendicular to the vector v=(x0,y0,0), that is, such that ax0+by0=0. Then the set of points obtained by rotating the line P+t⋅v, t∈R, around the z-axis is the hyperboloid x2+y2−(a2+b2)z2=x02+y02. Moreover, each point of the hyperboloid belong to exactly one of the rotated lines. Proof. A generic point in the line ℓ:P+t⋅v is Q=(x0+at,y0+bt,t), t∈R. Since (x0+at)2+(y0+bt)2−(a2+b2)t2=x02+y02+2(ax0+by0)t+a2t2+b2t2−(a2+b2)t2=x02+y02, Q belongs to the aforementioned hyperboloid. Since rotating the line around the z-axis does not change the z-coordinate of Q and the section of the hyperboloid in the plane z=t is a circle, the image of Q obtained by rotating ℓ belongs to the hyperboloid as well. Conversely, if (x1,y1,z1) belongs to the hyperboloid, then it belongs to the plane z=z1, whose section in the hyperboloid has equation x2+y2=(a2+b2)z12+x02+y02=(a2+b2)z12+x02+y02+2ax0z1+2by0z1=(x0+az1)2+(y0+bz1)2. So there exists a rotation σ around the z-axis that maps (x1,y1,z1) to the point Q=(x0+az1,y0+bz1,z1) from ℓ. So (x1,y1,z1) can be obtained by applying the inverse rotation σ−1 to ℓ. Note that σ is unique, so only one of the rotated lines passes through Q. Now we can solve the problem. In this case, since the hyperboloid has equation 3x2+3y2−z2−1=0⟺x2+y2−31z2=31 we can use (x0,y0,0)=(33,0,0) and (a,b,1)=(0,33,1).
a. Since (−a,−b,1)=(0,−33,1), which is not parallel to (a,b,1), is also perpendicular to (x0,y0,0), the hyperboloid can be obtained rotating either the line ℓ1:(33,0,0)+t(0,33,1) or ℓ2:(33,0,0)+t(0,−33,1). So each point from H belongs to at least two lines. We will prove that there are no other lines by showing that H does not contain a line that is neither parallel to (0,33,1) nor (0,−33,1). Suppose it does. Since the sections of H by horizontal planes are circles, this new line is not parallel to the xy-plane. So it contains a point in this plane, which we can suppose, without loss of generality, that is (33,0,0). So suppose the line r:(33,0,0)+t(c,d,1) is contained in H. So, for all t∈R, ⇔⇔3(33+tc)2+3⋅(td)2−t2−1=0(3c2+3d2−1)t2+323tc=0{323c=03c2+3d2−1=0⇔{c=0d=±33 So the support vector of r should be (0,33,1) or (0,−33,1), and we are done.
b. We need to compute the angle that the vectors (0,±33,1) define with the xy-plane: arctan3/31=60∘.
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