Includes bibliographical references and index.

By virtue of their special algebraic structures, Pythagorean-hodograph (PH) curves offer unique advantages for computer-aided design and manufacturing, robotics, motion control, path planning, computer graphics, animation, and related fields. This book offers a comprehensive and self-contained treatment of the mathematical theory of PH curves, including algorithms for their construction and examples of their practical applications. Special features include an emphasis on the interplay of ideas from algebra and geometry and their historical origins, detailed algorithm descriptions, and many figures and worked examples. The book will appeal, in whole or in part, to mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers