A Physical Perspective on Control Points and Polar Forms: B\'ezier Curves, Angular Momentum and Harmonic Oscillators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel theoretical framework linking Bézier curves and control points to concepts in physics such as angular momentum, harmonic oscillators, and quantum mechanics, offering new insights into geometric design.

Contribution

It establishes an interdisciplinary connection between geometric design and theoretical physics, using Hamiltonian mechanics and geometric quantization to analyze Bézier curves.

Findings

Bézier curves relate to angular momentum in classical and quantum mechanics.

Physical analogues of Bézier properties are described via quantum spin systems.

Harmonic oscillators serve as analogues for Pólya's urn models and Poisson curves.

Abstract

Bernstein polynomials and B\'ezier curves play an important role in computer-aided geometric design and numerical analysis, and their study relates to mathematical fields such as abstract algebra, algebraic geometry and probability theory. We describe a theoretical framework that incorporates the different aspects of the Bernstein-B\'ezier theory, based on concepts from theoretical physics. We relate B\'ezier curves to the theory of angular momentum in both classical and quantum mechanics, and describe physical analogues of various properties of B\'ezier curves -- such as their connection with polar forms -- in the context of quantum spin systems. This previously unexplored relationship between geometric design and theoretical physics is established using the mathematical theory of Hamiltonian mechanics and geometric quantization. An alternative description of spin systems in terms of harmonic oscillators serves as a physical analogue of P\'olya's urn models for B\'ezier curves. We relate harmonic oscillators to Poisson curves and the analytical blossom as well. We present an overview of the relevant mathematical and physical concepts, and discuss opportunities for further research.