Relation among C-curve characterization diagrams (Q2460968)

Given a planar cubic C-curve defined by four control points, three points may be fixed and the C-curve will vary as the fourth point moves. Depending on the position of the moving point, the C-curve may be smooth, have a loop, a cusp, one or two inflection points, the locus where these curves arrive provide a decomposition of the plane, called characterization diagram by the authors. Depending on the points fixed, different characterization diagrams are obtained in the plane. The authors prove that all this characterization diagrams are related. From the coordinates of the four points we may derive three parameters \(a,b,c\). In this three dimensional parameter space, conditions for the existence of a loop, a cusp and inflection points can be derived, obtaining a decomposition of the space as a three dimensional characterization space. The main result is that any two dimensional characterization obtained by moving a point is obtained precisely by intersection the three dimensional characterization space in the parameters \(a,b,c\) by an appropriate plane.