The expression under investigation can be written as
K=(y1+y4)−(y2+y3)=(y4−y3)−(y2−y1)=c(x42−x32)−−c(x22−x12)=c(x4−x3)(x4+x3)−c(x2−x1)(x2+x1)==ch(2b+2d+h)−ch(2b−2d−h)=ch(4d+2h)=2ch(2d+h)
The final form indeed does not contain b, indicating independence from b.
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It is visible that the points A1,A4 and A2,A3 on the X-axis with abscissae x1 and x4, and x2 and x3, respectively, are symmetric pairs with respect to the abscissa b. Accordingly, the midpoints of the chords F14 and F23 connecting the corresponding points P1 and P4, and P2 and P3 on the graph of the function y=cx2, are also on the abscissa b, one above the other. The
2K=2y1+y4−2y2+y3=ch(2d+h)
value precisely gives the height difference, and thus the distance, between the two midpoints. The two chords are parallel because
x4−x1y4−y1=c(x4+x1)=2bc=x3−x2y3−y2
Accordingly, translating the point system A1,A2,A3,A4 as a rigid body along the X-axis changes the slopes of the chords P1P4 and P2P3, but the distance between their midpoints remains constant.
Another transformation yields
hK=hy4−y3−hy2−y1=x4−x3y4−y3−x2−x1y2−y1=2c(2d+h)==2c(x3−x1)=2c(x4−x2)
From this, we can read that the change in the slope of the chord P1P2 when the rigid point pair A1,A2 is translated to A3,A4 is proportional to the translation x3−x1. Naturally, the same is given by
2d+hK=x4−x2y4−y2−x3−x1y3−y1=2ch=2c(x2−x1)
for the translation of the point pair A1,A3 to A2,A4.
For d=0, we have x2=x3=b=(x1+x4)/2,y2=y3, and
2K=2y1+y4−y2=ch2
Accordingly, if the midpoint of the segment A1A4 is A2, then the distance from the midpoint of the chord P1P4 to P2 does not change with the translation of the rigid point system A1,A2,A4. The distance is proportional to the square of the segment A1A2.
Alternatively, expressing each y ordinate in terms of the corresponding abscissa and dividing by c,
(2cK=)2x12+x42−x22=h2,2x12+x42=(2x1+x4)2+(2x4+x1)2
the arithmetic mean of the squares of two numbers is greater than the square of their mean by the square of half their difference.