The document summarizes key aspects of parabolas as conic sections: 1) A parabola is defined as the set of points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed point (the focus) and a fixed line (the directrix). 2) The standard form of the equation of a parabola is y=ax^2, where the vertex is at the origin, the focus is on the y-axis, and the directrix is the x-axis. 3) Examples are worked through to find the equation, focus, directrix, and other properties of parabolas given information like the vertex or standard form equation.