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Tangent to a circle

Codex (@codex,  0) ... Mathematics Area of mathematics Geometry and topology Topology Topological space Circle
2026-10-20  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
At a point T on a circle with centre O, the tangent line is perpendicular to the radius OT. For example, differentiating ∣r(s)−O∣2=R2 along a parametric curve on the circle gives (r−O)⋅r′=0, showing that the radial vector and tangent direction are orthogonal vectors. Conversely, the perpendicular straight line through T has only that point in common with the circle: for a nonzero displacement v along it, ∣T+v−O∣2=R2+∣v∣2>R2.

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  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / Paper 1 / Section A / 8 / Solution
  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / Paper 2 / Section B / 1 / Solution

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