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- Curve obtained when a conical surface is
- intersected by a plane. If the intersecting
- plane cuts both extensions of the cone, it
- yields a hyperbola; if it is parallel to the
- side of the cone, it produces a parabola.
- Other intersecting planes produce circles or
- ellipses. The Greek philosopher Apollonius
- (c. 262-190 BC) wrote eight books with the
- title Conic Sections, which superseded
- previous work on the subject by Aristarchus
- and Euclid.
-