Re: How to calculate two curves equidistant from a given curve?

On 5 Sep 2005 23:08:42 -0700, "Tony" <tonkoj@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Contributing to my earlier confusion were wrong
>assumptions/expectations about parametrized form given that implicit
>form of an offset curve is in some cases clearly a finite degree
>polynomial.
>
>Drawing a cubic curve and its offset curve in some special cases made
>me believe that offset one can not be else but another cubic, I guess
>because I incorrectly learned to associate certain visual appearance
>with the degree of a curve.
>
>Most revealing .. and somewhat shocking to me, I have to admit. A
>'mere' parallel curve and we are out of the finite polynomial
>parametrizable realm!
>
>Tony

Worse, the offset curves are often not even smooth. For example, the
inner offset curve to y=x^2 as distance 1 is not smooth (it's
piecewise smooth with 3 pieces).

quasi
.