Abstract:
Whilst Paul de Casteljau is now famous for his fundamental algorithm for the generation of curves and surfaces, little is known about his other findings. This talk provides insight into some of his lesser known geometric discoveries. In connection with geometry, his classical algorithm is reviewed as an index reduction of a polar form. This idea is used to show de Casteljau’s algebraic way of smoothing, which long went unnoticed. The talk will also unveil unpublished material on metric geometry, covering theoretical advances such as the 14-point strophoid. Practical applications, including a recurrence approach for conjugate mirrors in geometric optics, will also be discussed. A view on regular polygons lead to an approximation of their diagonals using golden matrices, a generalisation of the golden ratio … and of Gauss' 17-sided polygon to any n-gon.

Speaker Bibliography:
Andreas is a Professor of People Management at Kempten University of Applied Sciences. After completing his studies in Computer Science in Braunschweig, Tübingen, and Amiens (FR), he earned his PhD with a work on cyclides and canal surfaces at the University of Karlsruhe (now KIT) in 1999. Andreas has lectured at TU Braunschweig and Universidad de Venezuela, and pursued postgraduate studies in Management at the Ross School of Business (US) and Ashridge (UK). He has (co-)founded two corporate universities, beginning with Volkswagen AutoUni in 2003, where he established the School of Science and Technology and managed Volkswagen's academic partnerships with MIT, along with overseeing all AutoUni activities in Latin America. In 2007, he became Chief Learning Officer at Erste Group, where he founded the Erste School of Banking and Finance, operating across eight countries.
In his diploma thesis, he had already written about some innovative ideas of de Casteljau, with whom he maintained a written correspondence. After de Casteljau's passing, Andreas felt a sense of duty to gather available sources, mainly in French, and make Paul de Faget de Casteljau’s work accessible to a broader audience.