How Many Intersection Points Can Two Circles Have?

Thread starter hkus10
Start date Jan 21, 2011
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Linear Linear equations Matrices

In summary, a linear equation is an algebraic equation in the form of "y = mx + b" that represents a straight line. To solve a linear equation, isolate the variable using inverse operations. Matrices are rectangular arrays used to represent systems of linear equations and perform operations. To add or subtract matrices, they must have the same dimensions. The inverse of a matrix, denoted by "A^-1," is used to solve systems of linear equations by multiplying both sides of the equation by the inverse matrix.

Jan 21, 2011

hkus10

Let C1 and C2 be circles in the plane. Describe the number of possible points of intersection of C1 and C2.

It is 4?

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Jan 21, 2011

CompuChip

Science Advisor

Homework Helper

I don't think I can draw two circles with 4 points of intersection... can you?

Also there are multiple possbilities, there might be 0 for example (just draw one in London and one in Tokyo)

Related to How Many Intersection Points Can Two Circles Have?

1. What is a linear equation?

A linear equation is an algebraic equation that can be expressed in the form of y = mx + b, where x and y are variables, m is the slope, and b is the y-intercept. It represents a straight line on a graph.

2. How do you solve a linear equation?

To solve a linear equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side of the equation. This can be done by using inverse operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, to cancel out any constants or coefficients next to the variable. The final value of the variable is the solution to the equation.

3. What are matrices?

Matrices are rectangular arrays of numbers or variables. They are often used to represent systems of linear equations and perform operations on them. They are written inside brackets or parentheses and have rows and columns.

4. How do you add and subtract matrices?

To add or subtract matrices, they must have the same number of rows and columns. You can then add or subtract the corresponding elements in each matrix to get a new matrix with the same dimensions.

5. What is the inverse of a matrix?

The inverse of a matrix is a matrix that, when multiplied by the original matrix, gives the identity matrix. It is denoted by A^-1 and is used to solve systems of linear equations by multiplying both sides of the equation by the inverse matrix.