Editing Pierre Bézier

{{Short description|French mathematician (1910–1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name              = Pierre Bézier
| image             = 
| image_size        =
| caption           = Photograph by unknown artist
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1910|9|1|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Paris]], [[French Third Republic]]
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1999|11|25|1910|9|1|df=y}}
| death_place       = <!-- please add -->
| nationality       = [[France|French]]
| field             = [[Mathematics]]
| work_institution  = [[Renault]] <br> [[Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers]]
| alma_mater        = [[École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers]] <br> [[École Supérieure d'Électricité]] <br>  [[Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie]]
| doctoral_advisor  = <!-- please add -->
| doctoral_students = <!-- please add -->
| known_for         = [[Bézier curve]] <br> [[Bézier surface]]<br>[[Computer-aided manufacturing]]<br>[[UNISURF]]
| prizes            = [[ACM SIGGRAPH#Steven A. Coons Award|Steven A. Coons Award]] (1985)
| religion          = 
| footnotes         =  
}}

'''Pierre Étienne Bézier''' (1 September 1910 &ndash; 25 November 1999; {{IPA|fr|pjɛʁ etjɛn bezje|}}) was a French engineer and one of the founders of the fields of solid, geometric and physical modelling as well as in the field of representing curves, especially in [[computer-aided design]] and [[Computer-aided manufacturing|manufacturing]] systems.<ref name="award"/> As an engineer at [[Renault]], he became a leader in the transformation of design and manufacturing, through mathematics and computing tools, into computer-aided design and three-dimensional modeling.<ref name="award"/> 
 
Bézier [[patent]]ed and popularized the [[Bézier curve]]s and [[Bézier surface]]s that are now used in most computer-aided design and [[computer graphics]] systems.

==Background==
Born in [[Paris]], Bézier was the son and grandson of engineers.<ref name="doctor">{{cite web
 |title     = Dr. Pierre Bezier, Engineer, Inventor, Author, and Mathematician
 |publisher = Engology.com
 |url       = http://www.engology.com/eng5bezier.htm
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20120526012617/http://www.engology.com/eng5bezier.htm
|url-status  = dead
|archive-date = 26 May 2012
}}</ref> He obtained a degree in [[mechanical engineering]] from the [[École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers]] in  1930.  He earned a second degree in [[electrical engineering]] in 1931 at the [[École supérieure d'électricité]], and a doctorate in 1977 in [[mathematics]] from the [[Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University (University of Paris 6)|Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University]] where he contributed to the study of parametric polynomial curves and their vector coefficients.<ref name="phd">{{cite thesis
| author = Bezier, Pierre
| year = 1977
| title = Essai de définition numérique des courbes et des surfaces experimentales: Contribution à l'étude des propriétés des courbes et des surfaces paramétriques polynomiales à coefficients vectoriels.
| publisher = Diss. Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI)
}}</ref>

From 1968 to 1979 Bézier was Professor of Production Engineering at the [[Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers]].

He wrote four books and numerous papers, and received several distinctions including the [[Steven Anson Coons]] Award from the [[Association for Computing Machinery]] and an [[honorary doctorate]] from [[Technische Universität Berlin]]. He was an honorary member of the [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] and of the [[Société Belge des Mécaniciens]], president of the [[Ingénieurs et scientifiques de France|Société des Ingénieurs et Scientifiques de France]], [[Société des Ingénieurs Arts et Metiers]], and one of the first Advisory Editors of ''Computer-Aided Design'' magazine.

With his family's consent, the [[solid modeling|Solid Modeling]] Association established ''The Pierre Bézier Award for Solid, Geometric and Physical Modeling and Applications'' in 2007.<ref name="award">{{cite web
 |title       = The Pierre Bézier Award
 |publisher   = Solidmodeling.org
 |url         = http://solidmodeling.org/awards/bezier-award/
 |url-status     = live
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090930054126/http://solidmodeling.org/layout.php?nextlink=bezier&doc_num=8000
 |archivedate = 30 September 2009
}}</ref>

==Bézier curve==
[[File:Bézier 2 big.gif|thumb|right|The curve named after Pierre Bézier]]
Bézier popularized but did not actually create the [[Bézier curve]]&nbsp;&mdash; using such curves to design [[automobile]] bodies.  The curves were first developed in 1959 by [[Paul de Casteljau]] using [[de Casteljau's algorithm]], a [[numerical stability|numerically stable]] method to evaluate Bézier curves. The curves remain widely used in computer graphics to model smooth curves.

Bézier developed the notation, consisting of nodes with attached [[Adjustment handles|control handles]], with which the curves are represented in computer software. The control handles define the shape of the curve on either side of the common node, and can be manipulated by the user, via the software.<ref name="doctor"/>

Bézier curves were adopted as the standard curve of the [[PostScript]] language and subsequently were adopted by vector programs such as [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[CorelDRAW]] and [[Inkscape]]. Most outline fonts, including [[TrueType]] and [[PostScript fonts|PostScript Type 1]], are defined with Bézier curves.

==Renault==
From 1933 to 1975 Bézier worked for [[Renault]], where he would ultimately develop his [[UNISURF]] [[Computer-aided design|CAD]] [[Computer-aided manufacturing|CAM]] system.

He began his 42-year tenure at Renault as a Tool Setter.  In 1934, Bézier  became Tool Designer and in 1945 became Head of the Tool Design Office. As Director of Production Engineering in 1949, he designed the "transfer machines" that produced most of the mechanical parts for the [[Renault 4CV]].<ref name="Bézierobit"/> The transfer machines were high-performance work tools designed to machine engine blocks.  While imprisoned during WWII, Bézier developed and improved on the "automatic machine principle" introduced before the war by [[General Motors]]. The new "transfer station", with multiple workstations and electromagnetic heads (antecedents to robots), enabled different operations on a single part to be consecutively performed by transferring the part from one station to another.<ref name="Bézier">{{cite web
  | title = Renault History
  | publisher = Renault, via conceptcarz.com
  | url = http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/makehistory/127%2C0/Renault_History.aspx}}</ref>

In 1957, Bézier became Director of the Machine Tool Division, responsible for the automatic assembly of mechanical components and for the design and production of [[numerical control]] drilling and milling machines. Bézier began managing technical development at Renault in 1960.  He retired from Renault in 1975.<ref name="Bézierobit">{{cite web
  | title = Obituary
  | publisher = flutterby.com
  | url = http://www.flutterby.com/archives/1999_Dec/7_DeadPierreBezier.html}}</ref>

==CAD==
Bézier began researching [[computer-aided design|CAD]]/[[computer-aided manufacturing|CAM]] in 1960 while at Renault,<ref name="Bézierobit"/> focusing on the [[UNISURF]] system he developed for use with drawing machines, computer control, interactive free-form curves, surface design and 3D milling for manufacturing clay models and masters. UNISURF debuted in 1968 and has been in full use since 1975.<ref name="Bézierobit"/>

In 1985 he was recognized by [[ACM SIGGRAPH]] with a [[Steven A. Coons Award]] for his lifetime contribution to computer graphics and interactive techniques.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.siggraph.org/award/siggraph-1985-steven-anson-coons-award-bezier/|title=SIGGRAPH 1985 Steven Anson Coons Award: Bézier|work=ACM SIGGRAPH History Archives|publisher=ACM SIGGRAPH|access-date=2024-04-03}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bézier triangle]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bezier, Pierre}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:Renault people]]
[[Category:Computer graphics professionals]]
[[Category:Arts et Métiers ParisTech alumni]]