In mathematics, a conic section (or just conic) is a curve that can be formed by intersecting a cone (more precisely, a right circular conical surface) with a plane. The conic sections were named and studied as long ago as 200 BC, when Apollonius of Perga undertook a systematic study of their properties. Types of conics The five types of conics are the circle, hyperbola, ellipse, parabola, and rectangular hyperbola. The circle and the ellipse arise when the intersection of cone and plane is a c… (More on Directrix)