Under suitable conditions, the equations f(x, y, t) = g(x, y, t) and g(x, y, t) = 0 define the curve x = x(t), y = y(t) parametrically. If the algebra permits an explicit solution, the resulting curve can be drawn with Maple's basic parametric plotting functionality. However, when the algebra is recalcitrant, the equations must be solved numerically for a sequence of points, or converted to differential equations that are solved numerically. All three of these alternatives are explored in this month's article.
Maple Tips & Techniques
Dr. Robert Lopez