Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A rose is a type of polar graph that appears as a petal-like pattern. It is represented by the equation $r = a \cos(k\theta)$ or $r = a \sin(k\theta)$, where $a$ and $k$ are constants.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The number of petals in a rose graph depends on the value of $k$. If $k$ is even, the graph will have $2k$ petals; if odd, it will have $k$ petals.
The amplitude 'a' determines the length of each petal in the rose graph.
Roses are symmetric about the pole (origin) and can be symmetric with respect to both the x-axis and y-axis depending on whether cosine or sine functions are used.
For the equation $r = a \cos(k\theta)$, if $k$ is an integer, there will be rotational symmetry every $\pi/k$ radians.
The petals of a rose curve intersect at the origin when using polar coordinates.