Partial degree formulae for plane offset curves (Q1015161)

The construction of offset curves is a real mathematical challenge since they are usually complicated objects, hard to handle even when the starting curve is very simple. This is the reason of searching for a priori information of the offset from the original generating curve. The computation of the degree of the offset is the topic of this paper, in which the previous results of the same authors [see J. Pure Appl. Algebra 195, No.~3, 301--335 (2005; Zbl 1093.14082)] are extended. The purpose of the main result is of being a general strategy for the degree study in more geometric constructions as well as a tool for intersection problems involving families of algebraic curves. In order to formally state the degree problem the generic offset equation is considered. Its existence and specialization properties are established. In this situation, the problem reduces to the computation of the partial degrees. Four different formulae are deduced for the coordinate partial degrees: two of them for the implicit cases, and two others for the parametric case. The distance formula is started assuming that the input generator curve is given by means of its implicit equation. The technique of the intersection of the offset with a general vertical/horizontal line is used. The partial degree is the number of intersection points. The explicit knowledge on the offset is avoided. The paper closes with a table of offset degrees for fifteen types of curves.