Higher order Bézier circles (Q1894421)

The author investigates rational Bézier curves of degrees three, four, and five and compares their ability to represent circles. A proof is provided for the fact that the lowest degree possible to present an entire circle using only positive weights is degree five. Another theorem given in the paper states that a rational cubic Bézier curve can maximally represent a \(240^\circ\) circular arc. Thus, one still needs to piece together multiple components to represent an entire circle.