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Devil's curve
Encyclopedia
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Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, a Devil's curve is a curve
Curve
In mathematics, a curve is, generally speaking, an object similar to a line but which is not required to be straight...
defined in the Cartesian plane by an equation of the form
![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/formulas/6/1/3611649-1.gif)
Devil's curves were studied heavily by Gabriel Cramer
Gabriel Cramer
Gabriel Cramer was a Swiss mathematician, born in Geneva. He showed promise in mathematics from an early age. At 18 he received his doctorate and at 20 he was co-chair of mathematics.In 1728 he proposed a solution to the St...
. The name comes from the shape it takes when graphed.
It seems that the devil in the name of the curve is from a juggling game called diabolo
Diabolo
The diabolo is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts...
, which involves two sticks, a string, and a spinning prop in the likeness of the form of this curve. The confusion is the result of the Italian word diabolo meaning 'devil'.