Definition:Orthogonal Curves

This page is about Orthogonal Curves. For other uses, see Orthogonal.

Definition

Two curves are orthogonal if they intersect at right angles.

The term perpendicular can also be used, but the latter term is usual when the intersecting lines are straight.

Orthogonal Circles

Two circles are orthogonal if their angle of intersection is a right angle.

Also see

• Results about orthogonal curves can be found here.

Sources

• 1972: George F. Simmons: Differential Equations ... (previous) ... (next): $1$: The Nature of Differential Equations: $\S 3$: Families of Curves. Orthogonal Trajectories
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): orthogonal
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): orthogonal
• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): orthogonal curves