English

Reciprocal-Polar Linearization and Two Conic Constructions for the Cone Projection

Metric Geometry 2026-07-25 v1

Abstract

Let fR(x)=x1+\normx/R,R>0, f_R(x)=\frac{x}{1+\norm{x}/R},\qquad R>0, be the radial cone projection of the plane onto the open disk \DR={x:\normx<R}\DR=\{x:\norm{x}<R\}. Previous work established the Self-Directrix and Confocal-Codirectrix Theorems, according to which fRf_R maps focal conic arcs to focal conic arcs while preserving the distinguished focus and directrix. This note combines those results with three classical facts recorded by W.~H.~Besant. First, reciprocal polarity with respect to \DR\partial\DR turns the nonlinear conic parameter law into the elementary translation qq+Rq\mapsto q+R of a circle radius. Second, the normals at the intersections of a fixed ray with the self-directrix family envelope an explicit parabola. Third, the tangent at fR(z)f_R(z) is constructed directly from the original point zz and the original line, without differentiating fRf_R or solving for the conic.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.23097,
  title  = {Reciprocal-Polar Linearization and Two Conic Constructions for the Cone Projection},
  author = {George M. Georgiou},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.23097},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

9 pages, 3 figures