Bezier curves   ...   what i learned today , math , cabri
wed 2005-jan-19 20:30:37 pst   ...   permalink

Yesterday I learned the math behind Bezier curves. Ever since I first started playing with a vector graphics program (probably MacDraw or SuperPaint, way back in the day), I always wondered what they were, and how those little handles manipulate the shape of the curve. Turns out the math is pretty cool.

Of course there's a whole lot of algrebra surrounding it -- basically, they're piecewise cubic polynomials. But what's most interesting is the meaning of those little handles in the drawing programs. In particular, there turns out to be this really elegant geometric construction.

( the construction )