NVAMediumJEE 2025Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola)

JEE Mathematics 2025 Question with Solution

Let the product of the focal distances of the point P(4,23)P(4, 2\sqrt{3}) on the hyperbola H:x2a2y2b2=1H: \frac{x^2}{a^2} - \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1 be 3232. Let the length of the conjugate axis of HH be pp and the length of its latus rectum be qq. Then p2+q2p^2 + q^2 is equal to .....

Answer

Correct answer:120

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: Hyperbola H:x2a2y2b2=1H: \frac{x^2}{a^2} - \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1, point P(4,23)P(4, 2\sqrt{3}) lies on it, and PS1PS2=32PS_1 \cdot PS_2 = 32.

Find: p2+q2p^2 + q^2, where pp is the length of the conjugate axis and qq is the length of the latus rectum.

Since P(4,23)P(4, 2\sqrt{3}) lies on the hyperbola,

16a212b2=1\frac{16}{a^2} - \frac{12}{b^2} = 1

So,

16b212a2=a2b2(2)16b^2 - 12a^2 = a^2 b^2 \tag{2}

Also, for a point on the hyperbola, the absolute difference of focal distances is 2a2a:

PS1PS2=2a|PS_1 - PS_2| = 2a

Hence,

PS1PS22=4a2|PS_1 - PS_2|^2 = 4a^2

Using

PS12+PS222PS1PS2=4a2PS_1^2 + PS_2^2 - 2 \cdot PS_1 \cdot PS_2 = 4a^2

and the coordinates of PP,

(ae4)2+12+(ae+4)2+122(32)=4a2(ae - 4)^2 + 12 + (ae + 4)^2 + 12 - 2(32) = 4a^2 2a2e28=4a22a^2 e^2 - 8 = 4a^2 a2e24=2a2a^2 e^2 - 4 = 2a^2

Since

b2=a2(e21)b^2 = a^2(e^2 - 1)

we get

b2=2a2+4a2=a2+4b^2 = 2a^2 + 4 - a^2 = a^2 + 4

Therefore,

b2a2=4(3)b^2 - a^2 = 4 \tag{3}

Now use equations (2)(2) and (3)(3). From b2=a2+4b^2 = a^2 + 4,

16(a2+4)12a2=a2(a2+4)16(a^2 + 4) - 12a^2 = a^2(a^2 + 4) 16a2+6412a2=a4+4a216a^2 + 64 - 12a^2 = a^4 + 4a^2 a4=64a^4 = 64 a2=8a^2 = 8

Thus,

b2=12b^2 = 12

The length of the conjugate axis is

p=2bp = 2b

and the length of the latus rectum is

q=2b2aq = \frac{2b^2}{a}

So,

p2+q2=4b2+4b4a2p^2 + q^2 = 4b^2 + \frac{4b^4}{a^2}

Substituting a2=8a^2 = 8 and b2=12b^2 = 12,

p2+q2=4(12)+4(122)8p^2 + q^2 = 4(12) + \frac{4(12^2)}{8} p2+q2=48+72=120p^2 + q^2 = 48 + 72 = 120

Therefore, p2+q2=120p^2 + q^2 = 120.

Using focal distance product explicitly

Given: P(4,23)P(4, 2\sqrt{3}) lies on x2a2y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2} - \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1 and the product of its focal distances is 3232.

Find: p2+q2p^2 + q^2.

Let the foci be S1(c,0)S_1(-c,0) and S2(c,0)S_2(c,0), where

c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2

The focal distances are

PS1=(4+c)2+12,PS2=(4c)2+12PS_1 = \sqrt{(4+c)^2 + 12}, \qquad PS_2 = \sqrt{(4-c)^2 + 12}

Their product is given as 3232, so

(4+c)2+12(4c)2+12=32\sqrt{(4+c)^2 + 12} \cdot \sqrt{(4-c)^2 + 12} = 32

Squaring both sides,

((4+c)2+12)((4c)2+12)=1024\left((4+c)^2 + 12\right)\left((4-c)^2 + 12\right) = 1024 (c2+28+8c)(c2+288c)=1024(c^2 + 28 + 8c)(c^2 + 28 - 8c) = 1024 (c2+28)264c2=1024(c^2 + 28)^2 - 64c^2 = 1024 c48c2+784=1024c^4 - 8c^2 + 784 = 1024 c48c2240=0c^4 - 8c^2 - 240 = 0

Put u=c2u = c^2. Then

u28u240=0u^2 - 8u - 240 = 0 u=8±64+9602=8±322u = \frac{8 \pm \sqrt{64 + 960}}{2} = \frac{8 \pm 32}{2}

So the positive value is

c2=20c^2 = 20

Hence,

a2+b2=20a^2 + b^2 = 20

Since P(4,23)P(4, 2\sqrt{3}) lies on the hyperbola,

16a212b2=1\frac{16}{a^2} - \frac{12}{b^2} = 1

Using this with a2+b2=20a^2 + b^2 = 20 gives

a2=8,b2=12a^2 = 8, \qquad b^2 = 12

Now,

p=2b,q=2b2ap = 2b, \qquad q = \frac{2b^2}{a}

Therefore,

p2+q2=4b2+4b4a2p^2 + q^2 = 4b^2 + \frac{4b^4}{a^2} =4(12)+4(144)8= 4(12) + \frac{4(144)}{8} =48+72=120= 48 + 72 = 120

Therefore, the required value is 120120.

Common mistakes

  • Using the length of the conjugate axis as bb instead of 2b2b is incorrect because the full conjugate axis of the hyperbola is twice the semi-conjugate axis. Use p=2bp = 2b, not p=bp = b.

  • Using the latus rectum length formula incorrectly is a common error. For the hyperbola x2a2y2b2=1\frac{x^2}{a^2} - \frac{y^2}{b^2} = 1, the latus rectum length is q=2b2aq = \frac{2b^2}{a}, not 2a2b\frac{2a^2}{b}.

  • Confusing the relation c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2 for hyperbola with the ellipse relation c2=a2b2c^2 = a^2 - b^2 leads to wrong parameter values. For this hyperbola, always use c2=a2+b2c^2 = a^2 + b^2.

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