GEO615E-Curve&Surface Fitting

APPLICATION FIELDS OF CURVE AND SURFACE FITTING

TECHNIQUES IN GEOMATICS

Mustafa Koray TORUN

İTÜ Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü

Geomatik Mühendisliği Programı
501082608
mkoraytorun@hotmail.com

Summary: Curve fitting is the process of constructing a curve, or mathematical

function that has the best fit to a series of data points, possibly subject to constraints. Curve
fitting can involve either interpolation, where an exact fit to the data is required, or smoothing,
in which a "smooth" function is constructed that approximately fits the data. A related topic
is regression analysis, which focuses more on questions of statistical inference such as how
much uncertainty is present in a curve that is fit to data observed with random errors. Fitted
curves can be used as an aid for data visualization, to infer values of a function where no data
are available, and to summarize the relationships among two or more variables.
The mathematical methods of surface fitting applied to the scattered surface data are
interpolating finite element methods. Finite element methods are based on the concept that the
domain on which data points are provided is divided into subdomains (patches) on which a
function is defined.

Keywords: Curve Fittings, Surface Fittings, Least-Square Methods, Linear Regression,

Polynomial curves

1. INTRODUCTION

Curve fitting is the process of constructing a curve, or mathematical function, that has
the best fit to a series of data points, possibly subject to constraints. Curve fitting can involve
either interpolation, where an exact fit to the data is required, or smoothing, in which a "smooth"
function is constructed that approximately fits the data. A related topic is regression analysis,
which focuses more on questions of statistical inference such as how much uncertainty is present
in a curve that is fit to data observed with random errors. Fitted curves can be used as an aid for
data visualization, to infer values of a function where no data are available, and to summarize
the relationships among two or more variables.

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Figure 1-1: Polynomials Order Table

2. CURVE FITTINGS

Curve Fittings Techniques are: Data Transformations,Filtering and Smoothing ,Least-

Squares Fitting, Residual Analysis and Interpolants.

2.1. Different Types of Curve Fittings

For algebraic analysis of data, "fitting" usually means trying to find the curve that
minimizes the vertical (i.e. y-axis) displacement of a point from the curve (e.g. ordinary least
squares).
However for graphical and image applications geometric fitting seeks to provide the
best visual fit; which usually means trying to minimize the orthogonal distance to the curve
(e.g. total least squares), or to otherwise include both axes of displacement of a point from the
curve.
Geometric fits are not popular because they usually require non-linear and/or iterative
calculations, although they have the advantage of a more aesthetic and geometrically accurate
result.

2.2. Fitting lines and polynomial curves to data points

Let's start with a first degree polynomial equation:

This is a line with slope a. We know that a line will connect any two points. So, a first
degree polynomial equation is an exact fit through any two points with distinct x coordinates.
If we increase the order of the equation to a second degree polynomial, we get:

This will exactly fit a simple curve to three points. If we increase the order of the
equation to a third degree polynomial, we get:

This will exactly fit four points (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curve_fitting, 2010).

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3. CURVE FITTING EXAMPLES

There are 2 type of Curve Fitting methods: Linear Regression (Weight individual points
and least-squares regression algorithm) and Nonlinear Curve Fitting requires also weight
individual points as linear regression and numeric processes to find the global minimum- the one
set of coefficients that results in the lowest residual sum of squared error (RSSE)
(http://www.excelcurvefitting.com/pdfs/Curve%20Fitting%20Best%20Practice%20Part
%205.pdf ,2010).

4. SURFACE FITTINGS

The mathematical methods of surface fitting applied to the scattered surface data are
interpolating finite element methods. Finite element methods are based on the concept that the
domain on which data points are provided is divided into subdomains (patches) on which a
function is defined (Loch and others, 2004).

5. SURFACE FITTINGS EXAMPLES

Surface fitting can be applied on geoid modeling. Mainly the interpolation is handled
according to three approaches. These are: Pointwise (i.e. interpolated with weighted average),
Simultenously with a function (i.e. interpolation with polynomials) and patchwise (i.e.
interpolation with summation of surfaces).
A case study of geoid model of the working area was expressed with 5 th degree
polynomial. This polynomial constitutes the trend function (deterministic part) of a collocation
problem. The geoid undulations of interpolation points were determined according to Least
Squares Collocation (LSC) method. Collocation is the most general form of the adjustment
process which includes least squares adjustment, filtering and prediction (interpolation,
extrapolation) steps with in a combined algorithm.

Figure 4.1- Geoid Seperation

The Earth's surface, and two reference surfaces used to approximate it: the Geoid, and a
reference ellipsoid. The deviation between the Geoid and a reference ellipsoid is called geoid
separation (N) (Erol, 2003).

6. CONCLUSION

The study in this paper describes Curve fitting is the process of constructing a curve,
or mathematical function that has the best fit to a series of data points, possibly subject to
constraints. Curve fitting can involve either interpolation, where an exact fit to the data is

2010-2011 Güz Yarıyılı

 GEO615E-Curve&Surface Fitting

required, or smoothing, in which a "smooth" function is constructed that approximately fits the
data.
A related topic is regression analysis, which focuses more on questions of statistical
inference such as how much uncertainty is present in a curve that is fit to data observed with
random errors.
Fitted curves can be used as an aid for data visualization, to infer values of a function
where no data are available, and to summarize the relationships among two or more variables.
The mathematical methods of surface fitting applied to the scattered surface data are
interpolating finite element methods. Finite element methods are based on the concept that the
domain on which data points are provided is divided into subdomains (patches) on which a
function is defined.

REFERENCES

Erol B., (2003) “Using GPS and Leveling Data in Local Precise Geoid Detemination and
Case Study”, Abstract, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 5, 6-11 Nisan 2003.
Loch B.I., J.A. Belward and J.S. Hanan (2004) “ Application of Surface Fitting Techniques
for the Representation of Leaf Surfaces”.

Internet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curve_fitting, 2010.
http://www.excelcurvefitting.com/pdfs/Curve%20Fitting%20Best%20Practice%20Part
%205.pdf, 2010.

Yazarların Soyadı, Adının baş harfi, (Yayın Yılı). “Eserin Adı”, yayınlandığı yer, Sayfa
numarası

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