Devil's curve
Encyclopedia
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
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'.