- #1
LinearAlgebra
- 22
- 0
Hi,
Can someone explain to me what a parametric equation is exactly? Why it is used (instead of a normal function)? In other words, what is the significance of it?
Second, to be more specific, in my book, there is an example where
r(t) 2 costi + 2sintj + tk t>0.
Then what they say is that the "parametric equations of the curve are x=2cost, y=2sint and z=t". How did they get this? How did they know to extract a parametric equation from this?
Then from that (and this is where i got really lost) they said that
x^2 + y^2 = (2cost)^2 + (2sint)^2 = 2^2
? Can someone please explain this train of thought? I'm pretty sure this is a basic concept but i just don't understand the fundamental idea behind it. Thanks so much.
Can someone explain to me what a parametric equation is exactly? Why it is used (instead of a normal function)? In other words, what is the significance of it?
Second, to be more specific, in my book, there is an example where
r(t) 2 costi + 2sintj + tk t>0.
Then what they say is that the "parametric equations of the curve are x=2cost, y=2sint and z=t". How did they get this? How did they know to extract a parametric equation from this?
Then from that (and this is where i got really lost) they said that
x^2 + y^2 = (2cost)^2 + (2sint)^2 = 2^2
? Can someone please explain this train of thought? I'm pretty sure this is a basic concept but i just don't understand the fundamental idea behind it. Thanks so much.