# Hyperbola A hyperbola is a [[Conic Section]] produced when intersecting a doubled cone with a plane that is parallel to the cone's center line. A hyperbola can be defined using two points called the foci or focus points. A hyperbola is then a collection of points for which the absolute value of the difference of distances from the two foci is constant. Algebraically, a hyperbola is a collection of points for which the following equation is satisfied: $ \frac {x^2} {a^2} - \frac {y^2}{b^2} = 1 $ Where $a$ defines the distance from the hyperbola’s vertex from its midpoint, and $b$ Is a factor that determines how ‘flat’ the hyperbola is.