Eccentricity (mathematics)

In mathematics, the eccentricity of a conic section is a non-negative real number that uniquely characterizes its shape. One can think of the eccentricity as a measure of how much a conic section deviates from being circular. In particular:

  • The eccentricity of a circle is 0.
  • The eccentricity of a non-circular ellipse is between 0 and 1.
  • The eccentricity of a parabola is 1.
  • The eccentricity of a hyperbola is greater than 1.
  • The eccentricity of a pair of lines is

Two conic sections with the same eccentricity are similar.

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