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ERIC Number: EJ720059
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0819-4564
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Bezier Curves: A Classroom Investigation
Staples, Ed
Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, v19 n2 p59-64 2005
Pierre Bezier was born on September 1 in Paris, 1910. Choosing the career path of his father, he gained electrical and mechanical engineering degrees by the time he was 21 years old. He began working for the car company Renault and stayed there for the next 42 years. In 1977 he received a doctorate in mathematics. Bezier, at the age of 50 began developing an interest in drawing machines--interactive free form curve and surface design. Today, his system forms the basis of much of the computer-aided design packages available in the market place. Like a lot of great ideas, the basis of much of Bezier's early work (Devroye, 2005) is not difficult to understand. A brief investigation leads quickly down the path of binomial expansions, parametric equations, the concept of nesting, and spinners/scroll bars in an Excel spreadsheet. The ideas presented in this article could easily be incorporated into the classroom as a creative activity for upper secondary students.
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). GPO Box 1729, Adelaide 5001, South Australia. Tel: +61-8-8363-0288; Fax: +61-8-8362-9288; e-mail: office@aamt.edu.au; Web site: http://www.aamt.edu.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A