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Envelope  |  Tangent curve   (English)

Definition (advanced level)

A curve or a surface which touches every member of a family of lines, curves, planes or surfaces.
A family of curves in two dimensions f(x,y,t)=0 (where t is a parameter) has an envelope whose equation can be found by solving simultaneously:
f(x,y,p)
=
0

∂p
f(x,y,p)
=
0

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