Conjugate diameters

Conjugate diameters are specific to the geometry of planar conic sections - ie ellipses, parabolas and hyperbolas. There are always two conjugate diameters "associated" with each other (Latin coniugare: join, unite ). Halving all tendons of the conic section that are parallel to the diameter of each other.

From this property can be derived that the two main axes of an ellipse appear as conjugate diameters, when viewed from " oblique angle " or shortened the coordinates in one direction. Semi-major axis and semi-minor axis represent a special case of ( infinitely many ) conjugate diameter, because they are exactly normal to each other ( vertically).

• Plane Geometry