Simple Skins for Matrices (and Other Meshes)

Surface Fitting via Matrix SVD

Andy Long and Cliff Long


Abstract: Many of us have had occasion to fit a curve to data points, either by interpolating the data (fitting the points exactly) or creating a smooth approximation (in the presence of noise, say). Extensions of the usual curve- fitting procedures to the problem of fitting surfaces are often cumbersome and clumsy, and not easy to implement. In this talk we present a simple (and easily implemented) method for fitting grid data (data which is a representable as a deformation of a two-dimensional grid), beginning with the important special case of a matrix and moving to more complex objects. We'll focus on a variety of examples, showing the general applicability of the method, and point to some important and useful extensions.

The Presentation


Given at the Fall Meeting of the Ohio Section of the MAA October 22-23, 1999; College of Wooster.

Some of this work will appear in an upcoming issue of The College Math Journal; other parts have been submitted to Computer-Aided Geometric Design.


Additional related images, which didn't make it into the presentation:


Website maintained by Andy Long. Comments appreciated.

aelon@sph.umich.edu