Elastic splines I: existence (Q485336)

Curves in two dimensions are studied in this article which are to be used as interpolants to given \(m\) points and that are of minimal bending energy. These curves are selected from a specific set of admissible interpolation curves, where an interpolating curve is called admissible if each of its pieces connecting two points to be interpolated is a so-called \(s\)-curve. Such an \(s\)-curve in turn is defined by the condition that it turns (either counter-clockwise or clockwise) at most angle \(\pi\) monotonically in one direction, and then at most angle \(\pi\) monotonically in the other direction.