INFOGR 2020 - Midterm Solutions

Duration: 120 minutes + 10 minutes submission period

Total points: 61

Question 1. [1 point each = 9 points] Answer the following understanding questions with a precise
and concise explanation. You can use annotated sketches if necessary.

(a) Explain in your own words the difference between a scalar, a point and a vector, using an example
in daily life.
(b) Describe the term unit vector.
(c) Write down and explain with an annotated sketch the Pythagoras’ theorem.
(d) What is a ’orthogonal basis’ for a coordinate system?
(e) For what angle between two vectors is the dot product of those vectors at its largest?
(f) What is the relation between the magnitude of a vector and the dot product of the vector with
itself?
(g) Write down a general line in the slope-intercept form. What is the meaning of every term?
(h) Explain in your own words the geometric interpretation of a cross product of two vectors (in 3D).
(i) Is the dot product a vector or a scalar? And what about the cross product?

Solutions:

(a) A scalar is just a number, e.g. ’3’. A point is a set of numbers, defined on a coordinate system,
e.g., 1m away from both the bottom and the left edges of the table. A vector is an entity that
specifies a direction and magnitude, e.g. wind velocity (speed + direction) in De uithof.
(b) A vector with length 1.
(c) Draw a triangle. Call the hypotenuse c, the base a and height b. Then a2 + b2 = c2 . In the context
of vectors, the length of the vector ~c can be calculated using this theorem.
(d) A basis where all basis vectors are perpendicular to each other.
(e) 0◦
√
(f) ||~v || = ~v · ~v
(g) y = mx + q. q is the intercept, the y-coordinate of the point where the line crosses the y-axis; m
is the tangent of the angle between the line and the x-axis.
(h) the cross product w
~ of two vectors ~u and ~v is a vector that is perpendicular to both ~u and ~v and
has magnitude ||w||
~ = ||~u|| ||~v || sin θ
(i) The dot product is indeed a scalar, while cross product is a vector

Question 2. [2+5=7 points] Consider two points P = (3, 2) and Q = (1, 4) in R2 . Please answer
(and outline the intermediate steps) for the questions below.

(a) Write down the equation of the line passing through them in implicit form.

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 (b) The line segment P Q is one arm of a full square P QRS; the vertices are labelled in the clockwise
direction. Find the coordinates of R and S.

Solutions

(a) y = −x + 5 ⇒ −x − y + 5 = 0 or y + x − 5 = 0
Qy − Py 4−2
Explanation: The slope of the line is = = −1. Equation of the straight line
Qx − Px 1−3
passing through them is therefore y = −1x + c. Fix c = 5 by the condition that the line passes
through P or Q.
(b) S = (5, 4) and R = (3, 6). p √ √
Explanation: The length of the line segment PQ is (−2)2 + 2√ 2 = 8 = 2 2 . The line segments
PS and QR are perpendicular to PQ, and their lengths √ are also 8. We’ll find the coordinates of R
and S using from these, by shooting rays of lengths 8 from P and Q in a direction perpendicular
to PQ. Given that the slope of the line segment PQ is −1, the parametric form equation of a ray
shot
 from (x0 , y0 ) in a direction perpendicular
  to PQ is  
x x0 1 vy x0 1 2
= +l× q = +l× √ . To find the location of
y y0 2
vy + (−vx ) 2 −v x y0 8 2
√
S, we use (x0 , y0 ) = (3, 2) and l = 8, leading √ to (3 + 2 = 5, 2 + 2 = 4). Similarly, to find the
location of R, we use (x0 , y0 ) = (1, 4) and l = 8, leading to (3, 6). The exercise states that PQRS
are labelled in the clockwise direction, so R and S should not be swapped.

Question 3. [4+2+3=9 points] Given are the points in 3D: A = (2, −1, −2), B = (3, 1, −1) and
C = (1, −1, −1). Please answer (and outline the intermediate steps) for the questions below.

(a) Write down the general form of the implicit equation of the plane P through A, B and C.
(b) Determine the unit vectors perpendicular to P .
(c) What is the minimal distance of point M = (5, 5, 5) to the plane P ?

Solutions
(a) x − y + z − 1 = 0    
3−2 1
The vector spanning from A to B is u =  1 − −1  =  2 , and the vector spanning from A
−1 − −2 1
     
1−2 −1 2
to C is v =  −1 − −1  =  0 . The cross product of these two vectors is u × v =  −2 .
−1 − −2 1 2
So the equation of the plane must be of the form x − y + z + D = 0. The fact that all three points
lies on this plane (any one will do) then leads to D = −1.
 
1
(b) ± √ 2 1 2 2  −1 
1 +(−1) +1
1
|AMx +BMy +Cmz +D|
(c) Given Ax + By + Cz + D = 0 the distance to the point M is d = √
A2 +B 2 +C 2
. This gives
|1∗5+−1∗5+1∗5−1|
√ = √4 .
1+1+1 3

Question 4. [2+7=9 points] Given a sphere in R3 with centre C = (3, 3, 3) and a point on the surface
of the sphere P = (2, 5, 1). Please answer (and outline the intermediate steps) for the questions below.

(a) Determine the equation for the sphere in implicit and parametric form.

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 (b) Determine the location of the point on the surface of the sphere closest to Q = (6, 9, 1).

Solutions
(a) The implicit form equation for the sphere is given by

Your answer: (x − 3)2 + (y − 3)2 + (z − 3)2 = 9.

p
Solution: The radius of the sphere is (3 − 2)2 + (3 − 5)2 + (3 − 1)2 = 3, so the implicit form
equation for the sphere is: (x − 3)2 + (y − 3)2 + (z − 3)2 = 9.
     
x 3 sin θ cos φ
parametric form y  = 3 + 3  sin θ sin φ 
z 3 cos θ

(b) The location of the point on the surface of the sphere closest to Q = (6, 9, 1) is given by:

Your answer: (30/7, 39/7, 15/7).

Solution: First note that point Q lies outside the sphere.

In order to find the answer we shoot a ray from Q towards the centre of the sphere, and let it
intersect the sphere’s surface. The parametric
  equation
  forthisray, with
 theunit vector from Q
−3 x 6 −3
1 t
to the centre of the sphere being  −6 , is  y  =  9  +  −6 . Substituting this
7 7
2 z 1 2
equation in the implicit form equation for the sphere yields the following quadratic equation for
t: t2 − 14t + 40 = 0, leading to the solutions t = 4 and t = 10, so the point we’re looking for
corresponds to t = 4. Use that to obtain the location of the point on the surface of the sphere
closest to Q as (30/7, 39/7, 15/7).

Question 5. [2+2+2=6 points] Given a point P = (3, 4) and a circle centered around P with radius
2. Also consider two points A = (−2, 1) and B = (5, 6). Please answer (and outline the intermediate
steps) for the questions below.

(a) Give the equation of the circle in implicit and parametric form.
(b) Determine the equation for line l through A and B in slope-intersect form.
(c) Write down the coordinates of one point of the intersection of l with the circle in question (a).

Solutions
     
2 2 x 3 cos θ
(a) (x − 3) + (y − 4) = 4 and = +2 .
y 4 sin θ
y2 −y1
(b) y = 75 x + 17
7 ; Slope = x2 −x1 for b use point x = −2, y = 1 and solve 1 = 5
7 (−2) + b for b = 17
7
√ √ √ √
70 70 70 70
(c) P 1 = (−2+[ 25
37 −
25
37 ]·7, 1+[ 37 − 37 ]·5)
≈(1, 147,

25 25
  3, 248), P 2 = (−2+[ 37 + 37 ]·7, 1+[ 37 + 37 ]·5) ≈
−2 7
(4.313, 5.509); (1) express line as l = +l and (2) substitute x and y into the circle equation
1 5
(x − 3)2 + (y − 4)
√
2
= 4; (3) resolve equation to 74l2 − 100l + 30 = 0 and (4) solve quadratic equation
25 70
to l1,2 = 37 ± 37 , (5) insert l1,2 into expression from (1) to get P1 and P2.

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Question 6. [2+1+4+3=10 points] Given a set of points A, B, C, D, Q and P as shown in the
figure below (at P = (4, 5) there is a light source, and the shadows of A and B on the x-axis are C and
D respectively). A line k passes through A, Q and B. Please answer (and outline the intermediate steps)
for the questions below.

(a) Given that A = (3, 2) and B = (5, 3), give the equation for line k through A and B in the implicit
and parametric form.
(b) If Q has x-coordinate 4. Determine its y-coordinate.
(c) Determine the coordinates of C and D.
(d) Determine t as a function of l (Note that Q is not fixed anymore, as in question [b]).

Solutions
     
x 3 2
√l
(a) k : = + for varying l. implicit form: y = 0.5x + 0.5 → x − 2y + 1 = 0
y 2 5 1

√
(b) Determine l for this location of Qx : 4 = 3+ √2l5 leading to l = 5/2 and insert for Qy = 2+l∗ √15 ∗1 =
√
5 √1
2+ 2 ∗ 5
∗ 1 = 2 + 1/2 = 2.5
     
xC x x − xP
(c) Shoot a ray from P to A. In parametric form, we can write: = P +α A , to solve
0 yP yA − yP
  in 0= 5 − 3α, so
for α and then xC . This results  that α = 5/3, resulting in C = (7/3, 0). Doing
xD 4 5−4
the same for D results in = +α ; α = 25 . This results in D = (6.5, 0).
0 5 3−5
√ √
(d) First, all coordinates of Q in terms of l are given from k: Q = (3 + 2l/ 5, 2 + l/ 5). Then, obtain
the shadow
   of Q on  the x-axis√ (call this point E). Following the procedure from question (c) gives
xE 4 −1 + 2l/√ 5 5√
= +m , resolve for m = 3−l/ . Subtracting the x-coordinate of C then
0 5 −3 + l/ 5 5
5√
gives t = m − 5/3 = 3−l/ 5
− 7/3.

Question 7. [6+5=11 points] Given two points P = (2, 3, 4) and R = (5, 6, 4), and camera at point
E = (3, 2, −6). The xy-plane is the screen. Please answer (and outline the intermediate steps) for the
questions below.

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 (a) Project P R to P1 R1 on the screen as seen by the camera (see figure). Obtain the coordinates of
P1 and R1 .
(b) Given P1 Q1 = t, calculate the coordinates of point Q.

Solutions
    
1 xP xp1
(a) Unit vector from P to E is dˆp = (E − P )/|E − P | = √102
1 
−1 . Now solve  yP  + k dˆp =  yp1 .
−10 zP 0
This gives:
√1

2 + k 102
 = xp1
−1
3 + k √102 = yp1 (1)
 −10
4 + k · √102 = 0


√ √
2 102
From the third equation, we get k = 5 . The first equation gives xp1 = 2 + 2 102 √ 1
5 · 102 = 12/5,
√
2 102 −1
and the second equation with the k value from above gives yp1 = 3 + 5 · √
102
= 13/5. So
P1 = ( 12 13
5 , 5 , 0).
 
−2
We do the exact same thing for R and R1 , which results in a unit vector of dˆr = − 2√130  −4 .
−10
Doing the same as above, we get:
−2

5 − k · 2 30 = xr1
 √
−4
6 − k · 2√ 30
= yr1 (2)
 −10
4 − k · 2√30 = 0


√
4 30
which results in k = 5 and R1 = ( 21 22
5 , 5 , 0).
5 5
(b) Q = (2 + 3√ 2
t, 3 + 3√ 2
t, 4).
There are multiple ways of calculating this. This solution will calculate Q in terms of l and Q1 in
terms of t, then determine the ratio between t and l, to get Q in terms of t.
Start with Q in terms of l. This requires a line from P to R:
     
x 2 1
l
y  = 3 + √ 1 (3)
z 4 2 0
√ √
This gives Q = (2 + l/ 2, 3 + l/ 2, 4). Now calculate Q1 in terms of t, using a line from P1 to R1 :
     
x 12/5 1
t
y  = 13/5 + √ 1 (4)
z 0 2 0

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This gives Q1 = ( 12
5 +
√t , 13
2 5
+ √t , 0).
2
Drawing a line from E to Q gives (normalisation not
needed):
     √ 
x 3 −1 + l/√ 2
y  =  2  + m  1 + l/ 2  (5)
z −6 10

Filling in Q1 , because this is on that line:

 12 √ 
+ √t
   
5 2 3 −1 + l/√ 2
 13 + √t  =  2  + m  1 + l/ 2  (6)
5 2
0 −6 10

Using the third equation (of the z-coordinate) gives m = 3/5, which results in l = 35 t. That can
5 5
be used to rewrite Q, to be Q = (2 + 3√ 2
t, 3 + 3√ 2
t, 4).