mscroggs.co.uk
mscroggs.co.uk

subscribe

Puzzles

Bézier curve

A Bézier curve is created as follows:
1) A set of points \(P_0\), ..., \(P_n\) are chosen (in the example \(n=4\)).
2) A set of points \(Q_0\), ..., \(Q_{n-1}\) are defined by \(Q_i=t P_{i+1}+(1-t) P_i\) (shown in green).
3) A set of points \(R_0\), ..., \(R_{n-2}\) are defined by \(R_i=t Q_{i+1}+(1-t) Q_i\) (shown in blue).
.
.
.
\(n\)) After repeating the process \(n\) times, there will be one point. The Bézier curve is the path traced by this point at \(t\) varies between 0 and 1.

What is the Cartesian equation of the curve formed when:
$$P_0=\left(0,1\right)$$ $$P_1=\left(0,0\right)$$ $$P_2=\left(1,0\right)$$

Show answer & extension

If you enjoyed this puzzle, check out Sunday Afternoon Maths XX,
puzzles about coordinates, or a random puzzle.

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
 Most recent collections 

Advent calendar 2024

Advent calendar 2023

Advent calendar 2022

Advent calendar 2021


List of all puzzles

Tags

colouring money axes factorials geometric means odd numbers consecutive integers gerrymandering shape games grids integers square roots cards floors graphs squares advent books even numbers coins angles factors complex numbers crosswords lines numbers folding tube maps dominos chalkdust crossnumber taxicab geometry functions sets shapes doubling means digital products star numbers products circles range quadrilaterals sums rectangles remainders percentages partitions matrices dice sport unit fractions polygons powers planes sum to infinity trigonometry people maths square numbers geometry perfect numbers 2d shapes integration cubics mean parabolas balancing cryptic clues division dodecagons area scales triangles rugby digits prime numbers binary probabilty routes number differentiation polynomials sequences proportion multiplication fractions determinants ave combinatorics medians wordplay calculus speed probability elections chocolate quadratics regular shapes spheres decahedra digital clocks crossnumbers volume expansions multiples hexagons tangents ellipses pentagons averages symmetry triangle numbers perimeter menace surds square grids arrows chess tiling geometric mean cryptic crossnumbers pascal's triangle time algebra neighbours irreducible numbers christmas logic palindromes dates coordinates consecutive numbers indices the only crossnumber albgebra addition cube numbers tournaments clocks bases median numbers grids 3d shapes

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
▼ show ▼
© Matthew Scroggs 2012–2025