Using the TI-Nspire CAS to Explore Areas of Ellipses

Properties of ellipses are useful in many fields, including but not limited to physics, astronomy, architecture, and medicine. Technology provides an opportunity for exploration involving deep connections between symbolic and graphical representations of ellipses. Using graphic calculator TI-Nspire CAS can be very helpful in solving ellipse equations for y, graphing ellipses as two functions meeting at two common points, determining information about ellipses through algebraic procedures on their equations and through graphical constructions, and simplifying algebraic computations. Herman explores areas of ellipses using the TI-Nspire CAS.