 Symmetric-coordinate identity for elliptic-curve addition

On $y^2=x^3+ax+b$ in characteristic of a field other than two, take the elementary symmetric polynomials $s_i$ of $x(P),x(Q),x(P+Q)$. If the line through $P,Q$ is $y=\lambda x+\mu$, its third intersection is $-(P+Q)$, so coefficient comparison gives $s_1={\lambda }^2$, $s_2=a-2\lambda \mu$, $s_3={\mu }^2-b$. Hence $(s_2-a{)}^2=4s_1(s_3+b)$. This is an identity of rational functions; tangent cases follow by specialization, and coordinates at infinity are handled through the projective addition map.