Analyzing the Setup
The given equation is x2−4xy−5y2=0. This is a homogeneous equation of the second degree, which represents a pair of straight lines passing through the origin.
Think of these lines as a pair of scissors pivoted at the origin. Our objective is to determine the equation of the pair of lines that bisect the angles between them.
The Magic of the General Formula
While one could factorize the equation to find individual lines, we prefer the elegant approach. For any pair of lines given by the general equation ax2+2hxy+by2=0, the combined equation of the angle bisectors is given by:
This formula is a powerful tool in your JEE arsenal. It allows you to bypass the calculation of individual lines and proceed directly to the result.
Step-by-Step Execution
First, we extract the coefficients by comparing x2−4xy−5y2=0 with the general form ax2+2hxy+by2=0. We identify the parameters as follows:
a=1
2h=−4⇒h=−2
b=−5
Substituting these values into our bisector formula, we obtain:
The Final Simplification
Now, we simplify the algebraic expression. The denominator on the left side becomes 1+5=6.
Multiplying both sides by 6, we get:
Rearranging all terms to one side, we arrive at the final equation:
x2+3xy−y2=0
The Geometric Soul
Observe the final equation x2+3xy−y2=0. Note that the sum of the coefficients of x2 and y2 is 1+(−1)=0.
In coordinate geometry, if the sum of the coefficients of x2 and y2 is zero, the lines represented by the equation are perpendicular. This confirms the geometric truth that the angle bisectors of any two intersecting lines must always be perpendicular to each other.