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zzinfinity
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How to "Offset" a polynomial
Suppose I have a function for a curve, for example y=x2. I want to find a function to "offsets" it by 2 units. That is, I want a larger parabola that is exactly 2 units away from my original parabola. What I have in mind is the offset command in AutoCAD. Is there a simple transformation that can be done to my function to do this? And if its not possible, is it possible to do with functions other than polynomials? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I feel like its not possible, but I was wondering if anyone had ever encountered an algebraic way to do this.
Suppose I have a function for a curve, for example y=x2. I want to find a function to "offsets" it by 2 units. That is, I want a larger parabola that is exactly 2 units away from my original parabola. What I have in mind is the offset command in AutoCAD. Is there a simple transformation that can be done to my function to do this? And if its not possible, is it possible to do with functions other than polynomials? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I feel like its not possible, but I was wondering if anyone had ever encountered an algebraic way to do this.