BERNSTEIN_POLYNOMIAL
The Bernstein Polynomials


BERNSTEIN_POLYNOMIAL is a C library which evaluates the Bernstein polynomials.

A Bernstein polynomial BP(n,x) of degree n is a linear combination of the (n+1) Bernstein basis polynomials B(n,x) of degree n:

        BP(n,x) = sum ( 0 <= k <= n ) CP(n,k) * B(n,k)(x).
      

For 0 <= k <= n, the k-th Bernstein basis polynomial of degree n is:

        B(n,k)(x) = C(n,k) * (1-x)^(n-k) * x^k
      
where C(n,k) is the combinatorial function "N choose K" defined by
        C(n,k) = n! / k! / ( n - k )!
      

For an arbitrary value of n, the set B(n,k) forms a basis for the space of polynomials of degree n or less.

Every basis polynomial B(n,k) is nonnegative in [0,1], and may be zero only at the endpoints.

Except for the case n = 0, the basis polynomial B(n,k)(x) has a unique maximum value at

        x = k/n.
      

For any point x, (including points outside [0,1]), the basis polynomials for an arbitrary value of n sum to 1:

        sum ( 1 <= k <= n ) B(n,k)(x) = 1
      

For 0 < n, the Bernstein basis polynomial can be written as a combination of two lower degree basis polynomials:

        B(n,k)(x) = ( 1 - x ) * B(n-1,k)(x) + x * B(n-1,k-1)(x) +
      
where, if k is 0, the factor B(n-1,k-1)(x) is taken to be 0, and if k is n, the factor B(n-1,k)(x) is taken to be 0.

A Bernstein basis polynomial can be written as a combination of two higher degree basis polynomials:

        B(n,k)(x) = ( (n+1-k) * B(n+1,k)(x) + (k+1) * B(n+1,k+1)(x) ) / ( n + 1 )
      

The derivative of B(n,k)(x) can be written as:

        d/dx B(n,k)(x) = n * B(n-1,k-1)(x) - B(n-1,k)(x)
      

A Bernstein polynomial can be written in terms of the standard power basis:

        B(n,k)(x) = sum ( k <= i <= n ) (-1)^(i-k) * C(n,k) * C(i,k) * x^i
      

A power basis monomial can be written in terms of the Bernstein basis of degree n where k <= n:

        x^k = sum ( k-1 <= i <= n-1 ) C(i,k) * B(n,k)(x) / C(n,k)
      

Over the interval [0,1], the n-th degree Bernstein approximation polynomial to a function f(x) is defined by

        BA(n,f)(x) = sum ( 0 <= k <= n ) f(k/n) * B(n,k)(x)
      
As a function of n, the Bernstein approximation polynomials form a sequence that slowly, but uniformly, converges to f(x) over [0,1].

By a simple linear process, the Bernstein basis polynomials can be shifted to an arbitrary interval [a,b], retaining their properties.

Licensing:

The computer code and data files described and made available on this web page are distributed under the GNU LGPL license.

Languages:

BERNSTEIN_POLYNOMIAL is available in a C version and a C++ version and a FORTRAN90 version and a MATLAB version and a Python version.

Related Data and Programs:

CHEBYSHEV_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which considers the Chebyshev polynomials T(i,x), U(i,x), V(i,x) and W(i,x). Functions are provided to evaluate the polynomials, determine their zeros, produce their polynomial coefficients, produce related quadrature rules, project other functions onto these polynomial bases, and integrate double and triple products of the polynomials.

DIVDIF, a C library which uses divided differences to interpolate data.

HERMITE_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates the physicist's Hermite polynomial, the probabilist's Hermite polynomial, the Hermite function, and related functions.

JACOBI_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates the Jacobi polynomial and associated functions.

LAGUERRE_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates the Laguerre polynomial, the generalized Laguerre polynomial, and the Laguerre function.

LEGENDRE_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates the Legendre polynomial and associated functions.

LEGENDRE_SHIFTED_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates the shifted Legendre polynomial, with domain [0,1].

LOBATTO_POLYNOMIAL, a C library which evaluates Lobatto polynomials, similar to Legendre polynomials except that they are zero at both endpoints.

SPLINE, a C library which constructs and evaluates spline interpolants and approximants.

TEST_APPROX, a C library which defines test problems for approximation, provided as a set of (x,y) data.

TEST_INTERP_1D, a C library which defines test problems for interpolation of data y(x), depending on a 1D argument.

Reference:

  1. Kenneth Joy,
    "Bernstein Polynomials",
    On-Line Geometric Modeling Notes,
    idav.ucdavis.edu/education/CAGDNotes/Bernstein-Polynomials.pdf
  2. David Kahaner, Cleve Moler, Steven Nash,
    Numerical Methods and Software,
    Prentice Hall, 1989,
    ISBN: 0-13-627258-4,
    LC: TA345.K34.
  3. Josef Reinkenhof,
    Differentiation and integration using Bernstein's polynomials,
    International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering,
    Volume 11, Number 10, 1977, pages 1627-1630.

Source Code:

Examples and Tests:

List of Routines:

You can go up one level to the C source codes.


Last revised on 17 March 2016.