http://blog.drscottfranklin.net/2005/09/29/what-does-it-do/ Ramblings of a Christian Mathematician and Bioinformaticist Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:52:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://blog.drscottfranklin.net/2005/09/29/what-does-it-do/comment-page-1/#comment-13 SplineGuy Fri, 30 Sep 2005 14:07:36 +0000 http://blog.drscottfranklin.net/2005/09/29/what-does-it-do/#comment-13 Put simply, a spline, as I refer to it, is a set of special mathematic functions which are basically made up of polynomials "spliced together," but done so in a particularly smooth way. One of the simplest polynomials is a linear one, i.e., graphs as a line. So the easiest spline to understand is the broken line spline. If you take a series of points and connect them with straight lines (yeah, connect the dots, la la la la, for you Pee Wee Herman fans) you have formed a linear spline. Move up a degree and you can also connect them smoothly with parabolas, then cubic curves, etc. There is a method to extend the idea to three dimensional spaces (i.e., surfaces instead of curves). When its all said and done you have a very efficient modeling tool that is very smooth. Put simply, a spline, as I refer to it, is a set of special mathematic functions which are basically made up of polynomials “spliced together,” but done so in a particularly smooth way. One of the simplest polynomials is a linear one, i.e., graphs as a line. So the easiest spline to understand is the broken line spline. If you take a series of points and connect them with straight lines (yeah, connect the dots, la la la la, for you Pee Wee Herman fans) you have formed a linear spline. Move up a degree and you can also connect them smoothly with parabolas, then cubic curves, etc. There is a method to extend the idea to three dimensional spaces (i.e., surfaces instead of curves). When its all said and done you have a very efficient modeling tool that is very smooth.

]]> http://blog.drscottfranklin.net/2005/09/29/what-does-it-do/comment-page-1/#comment-12 jonboy Thu, 29 Sep 2005 19:38:24 +0000 http://blog.drscottfranklin.net/2005/09/29/what-does-it-do/#comment-12 OK .... so ... What's a spline? Feel free to go ahead and tell me in full technical jargon 'cause I once learned all about fractals [sp] in Sunday School. OK …. so … What’s a spline? Feel free to go ahead and tell me in full technical jargon ’cause I once learned all about fractals [sp] in Sunday School.

]]>