parametric curve

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parametric curve A curve defined as a function of independent variables. For example, a curve in 3-space may be thought of as the path of a moving point and can be described by the values of the position vector r at successive instants in time t. Adding higher-order terms in t past the linear form gives curves of different complexity. If t2 appears only, then it is a quadratic; if t3 appears it is a cubic, and so on.