Canonical form of conic section

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I have $x^2+2xy-2y^2+x-4y=0$ and I have to find its canonical form, but I'm a little confused.. I'd like to understand very well what I have to do.. Can you help me, please? Thanks!

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You want to eliminate the term involving $xy$. The simplest way for this example is to notice that $x^2+2xy=(x+y)^2-y^2$. So we use new variables $X=x+y, Y=y$ or $x=X-Y, y=Y$. Making this substitution gives $X^2-3Y^2+X-5Y=0$, and so it is a hyperbola.