Contact (mathematics) - Contact Between Curves

Contact Between Curves

Two curves in the plane intersecting at a point p are said to have:

  • 1-point contact if the curves have a simple crossing (not tangent).
  • 2-point contact if the two curves are tangent.
  • 3-point contact if the curvatures of the curves are equal. Such curves are said to be osculating.
  • 4-point contact if the derivatives of the curvature are equal.
  • 5-point contact if the second derivatives of the curvature are equal.

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