Thread: collinear vectors

Describe a how you use vectors to determine if three given points are collinear ?
Test your method using the set of points p(-3,1) q(2,4) r(5,6)

Hello,

Two vectors and are colinear if there exists a real number different from 0 such as

If three points are colinear, then two vectors joining two of them are colinear.. This means that if there are A, B and C three different points, and that you want to show that they are colinear, you just have to prove that and , for example, are colinear.

Originally Posted by fastman390

Describe a how you use vectors to determine if three given points are collinear ?
Test your method using the set of points p(-3,1) q(2,4) r(5,6)

You can see that
Are those vectors multiples of each other (i.e. parallel)?
If yes then you can say that they are collinear in .

Hello Plato,

I just have a question :

Is it or you use in the USA (or anywhere you are )?

Originally Posted by Moo

Is it or you use in the USA?

Both are in use. About 10 years or more ago there was in fact a bitter argument afoot about the use of the so-called ‘blackboard font’. There were some very prominent names in the editorial circles who were against. I have forgotten the details. For me I don’t really care. When I am just quickly typing it is easier to use \Re rather than \mathbb{R}. I tend use the latter if I am also using MathType.

Ok, thanks for the information