Recognizing implicitly given rational canal surfaces (Q898267)

A canal surface is the envelope of a one-parameter set of moving spheres in three dimensional space. The study of these surfaces is particularly important in Computer Aided Geometric Design (CAGD). They appear, for instance, as blending surfaces between parts with circular ends, or as as transition surfaces between pipes. The question of whether or not a given polynomial equation defines a canal surfaces is addressed in the present article. The authors provide an algorithm which give such an answer for any given real polynomial in three variables. Remarkably, the presented procedure does not involve the computation of rational curves on the given algebraic surface. Instead, the method is based on the study of square-root parameterizations of plane sections of the given surface. The algorithm is based on the classification of multiple conical surfaces with rational plane sections by \textit{J. Schicho} [Beitr. Algebra Geom. 42, No. 1, 71--87 (2001; Zbl 0987.14005)], and the classification of surfaces with more than one family of circles by \textit{N. Lubbes} [J. Symb. Comput. 65, 29--48 (2014; Zbl 1328.14047)]. The results in the article complement and extend the work by \textit{M. Peternell} and \textit{H. Pottmann} [J. Symb. Comput. 23, 255--266 (1997; Zbl 0877.68116)] , and \textit{B. Bastl} et al. [Math. Comput. Sci. 8, No. 2, 299--319 (2014; Zbl 1302.65047)], on the parameterization of canal surfaces with a rational spine and radius function, and by \textit{M. Dohm} and \textit{S. Zube} [J. Symb. Comput. 44, No. 2, 111--130 (2009; Zbl 1152.14311)], on the reverse implicitization problem.