Interpolation of circular arcs by parametric polynomials of maximal geometric smoothness.

The aim of this paper is a construction of parametric polynomial interpolants of a circular arc possessing maximal geometric smoothness. Two boundary points of a circular arc are interpolated together with higher order geometric data. Construction of interpolants is done via a complex factorization of the implicit unit circle equation. The problem is reduced to solving only one nonlinear equation determined by a monotone function and the existence of the solution is proven for any degree of the interpolating polynomial. Precise starting points for the Newton–Raphson type iteration methods are provided and the best solutions are then given in a closed form. Interpolation by parametric polynomials of degree up to six is discussed in detail and numerical examples confirming theoretical results are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]