B-Spline Curves coefficients - division by zero (code in DELPHI) - delphi

Question

I was trying to implement the following recursive formula to my code
but to my surprise it turns out that after implementing this to DELPHI, I get an error due to division by zero. I am 98% sure that my knot vector is correctly calculated, which in a way means there shouldn't be any divisions by zero. I am 70% sure that the recursive formula is correctly implemented, for that reason I am posting my code here:
program project1;
uses
SysUtils;
Type
TRealPoint = record
x: single;
y: single;
end;
type
TSample = Class(TObject)
public
KnotVector: array of single;
FitPoints: array of TRealPoint;
Degree: integer;
constructor Create; overload;
function Coefficient(i, p: integer; Knot: single): single;
procedure GetKnots;
destructor Destroy; overload;
end;
constructor TSample.Create;
begin
inherited;
end;
function TSample.Coefficient(i, p: integer; Knot: single): single;
var
s1, s2: single;
begin
If (p = 0) then
begin
If (KnotVector[i] <= Knot) And (Knot < KnotVector[i+1]) then Result := 1.0
else Result := 0.0;
end
else
begin
s1 := (Knot - KnotVector[i])*Coefficient(i, p-1, Knot)/(KnotVector[i+p] - KnotVector[i]); //THIS LINE ERRORS due to division by zero ???
s2 := (KnotVector[i+p+1]-Knot)*Coefficient(i+1,p-1,Knot)/(KnotVector[i+p+1]-KnotVector[i+1]);
Result := s1 + s2;
end;
end;
procedure TSample.GetKnots();
var
KnotValue: single;
i, MaxKnot: integer;
begin
// KNOTS
KnotValue:= 0.0;
SetLength(KnotVector, Length(FitPoints) + 1 + Degree);
MaxKnot:= Length(KnotVector) - (2*Degree + 1);
for i := Low(KnotVector) to High(KnotVector) do
begin
if i <= (Degree) then KnotVector[i] := KnotValue / MaxKnot
else if i > Length(FitPoints) then KnotVector[i] := KnotValue / MaxKnot
else
begin
KnotValue := KnotValue + 1.0;
KnotVector[i] := KnotValue / MaxKnot;
end;
end;
end;
destructor TSample.Destroy;
begin
inherited;
end;
var
i, j: integer;
Test: TSample;
N: array of array of single;
begin
Test := TSample.Create;
//define degree
Test.Degree := 3;
//random fit points
j := 15;
SetLength(Test.FitPoints, j + 1 + Test.Degree);
For i := Low(Test.FitPoints) to High(Test.FitPoints) do
begin
Test.FitPoints[i].x := Random()*2000;
Test.FitPoints[i].y := Random()*2000;
end;
//get knot vector
Test.GetKnots;
//get coefficients
SetLength(N, j+1, j+1);
For j := Low(N) to High(N) do
begin
For i := Low(N[j]) to High(N[j]) do
begin
N[j, i] := Test.Coefficient(i,3,Test.KnotVector[j]);
write(floattostrf(N[j,i], ffFixed, 2, 2) + ', ');
end;
writeln();
end;
readln();
Test.Free;
end.
Basically I'm not sure how to continue. I would need the values of matrix N (see this link) of basis coefficients but somehow using the formula from this link leads me to division by zero.
So... Is there a totally different way how to calculate those coefficients or what is the problem here?
UPDATE
Instead of using my own idea i tried to implement the algorithm from here as suggested by Dsm in the comments. As a result, there is no more divison by zero, but the result is totally unexpected anyways.
For n + 1 = 10 random fit points with spline degree 3 the basis matrix N (see link) is singular - as seen from the attached image.
Instead of that I would expect the matrix to be band matrix. Anyway, here is my updated code:
program project1;
uses
SysUtils;
Type
TRealPoint = record
x: single;
y: single;
end;
type
TMatrix = array of array of double;
type
TSample = Class(TObject)
public
KnotVector: array of double;
FitPoints: array of TRealPoint;
SplineDegree: integer;
Temp: array of double;
A: TMatrix;
procedure GetKnots;
function GetBasis(Parameter: double): boolean;
procedure FormBasisMatrix;
end;
procedure TSample.GetKnots();
var
i, j: integer;
begin
// KNOTS
//https://pages.mtu.edu/~shene/COURSES/cs3621/NOTES/INT-APP/PARA-knot-generation.html
SetLength(KnotVector, Length(FitPoints) + SplineDegree + 1);
for i := Low(KnotVector) to High(KnotVector) do
begin
if i <= SplineDegree then KnotVector[i] := 0
else if i <= (High(KnotVector) - SplineDegree - 1) then KnotVector[i] := (i - SplineDegree) / (Length(FitPoints) - SplineDegree)
else KnotVector[i] := 1;
end;
end;
function TSample.GetBasis(Parameter: double): boolean;
var
m, d, k: integer;
FirstTerm, SecondTerm: double;
begin
//http://pages.mtu.edu/~shene/COURSES/cs3621/NOTES/spline/B-spline/bspline-curve-coef.html
Result := False;
//initialize to 0
SetLength(Temp, Length(FitPoints));
For m := Low(Temp) to High(Temp) do Temp[m] := 0.0;
//special cases
If Abs(Parameter - KnotVector[0]) < 1e-8 then
begin
Temp[0] := 1;
end
else if Abs(Parameter - KnotVector[High(KnotVector)]) < 1e-8 then
begin
Temp[High(Temp)] := 1;
end
else
begin
//find knot span [u_k, u_{k+1})
for k := Low(KnotVector) to High(KnotVector) do if Abs(KnotVector[k] - Parameter) < 1e-8 then break;
Temp[k] := 1.0;
for d := 1 to SplineDegree do
begin
Temp[k - d] := (KnotVector[k + 1] - Parameter) * Temp[k - d + 1] / (KnotVector[k + 1] - KnotVector[k - d + 1]);
for m := k - d + 1 to k - 1 do
begin
FirstTerm := (Parameter - KnotVector[m]) / (KnotVector[m + d] - KnotVector[m]);
SecondTerm := (KnotVector[m + d + 1] - Parameter) / (KnotVector[m + d + 1] - KnotVector[m + 1]);
Temp[m] := FirstTerm * Temp[m] + SecondTerm * Temp[m + 1];
end;
Temp[k] := (Parameter - KnotVector[k]) * Temp[k] / (KnotVector[k + d] - KnotVector[k]);
end;
end;
Result := True;
end;
procedure TSample.FormBasisMatrix;
var
i, j: integer;
begin
SetLength(A, Length(FitPoints), Length(FitPoints));
for j := Low(A) to High(A) do
begin
for i := low(A[j]) to High(A[j]) do //j - row, i - column
begin
If GetBasis(KnotVector[j + SplineDegree]) then A[j, i] := Temp[i];
end;
end;
end;
var
i, j, iFitPoints: integer;
Test: TSample;
N: array of array of single;
begin
Test := TSample.Create;
//define degree
Test.SplineDegree := 3;
//random fit points
iFitPoints := 10;
SetLength(Test.FitPoints, iFitPoints);
For i := Low(Test.FitPoints) to High(Test.FitPoints) do
begin
Test.FitPoints[i].x := Random()*200;
Test.FitPoints[i].y := Random()*200;
end;
//get knot vector
Test.GetKnots;
//get B-Spline basis matrix
Test.FormBasisMatrix;
// print matrix
for j := Low(Test.A) to High(Test.A) do
begin
for i := Low(Test.A) to High(Test.A) do write(FloatToStrF(Test.A[j, i], ffFixed, 2, 2) + ', ');
writeln();
end;
readln();
Test.Free;
end.

Answer 1

This does not appear to be the complete answer, but it may help you on your way, and the result is closer to what you expect, but as I say, not completely there.
First of all the knots do not look right to me. The knots appear to form a 'ramp' function (clamped line), and though I can't work out if 'm' has any specific value, I would expect the function to be continuous, which yours is not. Making it continuous gives better results, e.g.
procedure TSample.GetKnots();
var
i, j: integer;
iL : integer;
begin
// KNOTS
//https://pages.mtu.edu/~shene/COURSES/cs3621/NOTES/INT-APP/PARA-knot-generation.html
iL := Length( FitPoints );
SetLength(KnotVector, iL + SplineDegree + 1);
// set outer knot values and sum used to geterate first internal value
for i := 0 to SplineDegree - 1 do
begin
KnotVector[ i ] := 0;
KnotVector[ High(KnotVector)-i] := 1;
end;
// and internal ones
for i := 0 to High(KnotVector) - 2* SplineDegree + 1 do
begin
KnotVector[ SplineDegree + i - 1] := i / (iL - 1);
end;
end;
I introduced iL = Length( Fitpoints ) for convenience - it is not important.
The second issue I spotted is more of a programming one. In the GetBasis routine, you evaluate k by breaking a for loop. The problem with that is that k is not guaranteed to persist outside the loop, so your use of it later is not guaranteed to succeed (although it may)
Finally, in the same place, your range determination is completely wrong in my opinion. You should be looking for parameter to lie in a half open line segment, but instead you are looking for it to lie close to an endpoint of that line.
Putting these two together
for k := Low(KnotVector) to High(KnotVector) do if Abs(KnotVector[k] - Parameter) < 1e-8 then break;
should be replaced by
k1 := 0;
for k1 := High(KnotVector) downto Low(KnotVector) do
begin
if Parameter >= KnotVector[k1] then
begin
k := k1;
break;
end;
end;
where k1 is an integer.
I can't help feeling that there is a plus 1 error somewhere, but I can't spot it.
Anyway, I hope that this helps you get a bit further.

Answer 2

To build recursive pyramid for coefficient calculation at intervals, you have to start top level of recursion (inner loop of calculations) from the first real (not duplicate) knot index:
For i := Test.Degree...
Also check the last loop index.
P.S. You can remove constructor and destructor from class description and implementation if they have nothing but inherited.