spline(1)
NAME
spline - interpolate datasets using splines under tension
SYNOPSIS
spline [ options ] [ files ]
DESCRIPTION
spline reads datasets from standard input or from one or more files, and fits a smooth curve (a "spline") through each dataset. An interpolated version of each dataset, consisting of points from the smooth curve, is written to standard output. Unless the -a or -A options are used (see below), each dataset should be a sequence of values for a vector-valued function of a single scalar variable. That is, each dataset should be a sequence of data points, given as alternating t and y values. t is a scalar independent variable, and y is a vector-valued dependent variable. The dimensionality of y is specified with the -d option (the default dimensionality is 1). Between each data point and the next, t should increase. An input file may contain more than a single dataset. If an input file is in ASCII format (the default), its datasets should be separated by blank lines. The t and y values of the data points in each dataset may be arranged arbitrarily, so long as they are separated by white space. Besides datasets, an input file may contain any number of comment lines, which should begin with the comment character `#'. Comment lines are ignored. They are not treated as blank, i.e., they do not interrupt a dataset in progress. Options and file names may be interspersed on the command line, but the options are processed before the file names are read. If -- is seen, it is interpreted as the end of the options. If no file names are specified, or the file name - is encountered, the standard input is read. The type of interpolation, and the format of the input and output files, may be selected by command-line options.
OPTIONS
Interpolation-Related Options
-f
--filter
Use a local interpolation algorithm (the cubic Bessel
algorithm), so that spline can be used as a real-time filter.
The slope of the interpolating curve at each point in a dataset
will be chosen by fitting a quadratic function through that
point and the two adjacent points in the dataset. If -f is
specified then the -t option, otherwise optional, must be used
as well. Also, if -f is specified then the -k, -p, and -T
options may not be used.
If -f is not specified, then the default (global) interpolation
algorithm will be used.
-k k
--boundary-condition k
Set the boundary condition parameter for each constructed spline
to be k. (The default value is 1.0.) In each of its
components, the spline will satisfy the two boundary conditions
y"[0]=ky"[1] and y"[n]=ky"[n-1]. Here y[0] and y[1] signify the
values of a specified component of the vector-valued dependent
variable y at the first two points of a dataset, and y[n-1] and
y[n] the values at the last two points. Setting k to zero will
yield a "natural" spline, i.e., one that has zero curvature at
the two ends of the dataset. The -k option may not be used if
-f or -p is specified.
-n n
--no-of-intervals n
Subdivide the interval over which interpolation occurs into n
subintervals. The number of data points computed, and written
to the output, will be n+1. The default value for n is 100.
-p
--periodic
Construct a periodic spline. If this option is specified, the y
values for the first and last points in each dataset must be
equal. The -f and -k options may not be used if -p is
specified.
-T tension
--tension tension
Each interpolating curve will be a spline under tension. This
option sets the tension value (the default is 0.0).
If tension equals zero, the curve will be a piecewise cubic
spline. Increasing the tension above zero makes the curve
"tighter", and reduces the likelihood of spurious inflection
points. That is because between each pair of successive points
in a dataset, the curve will satisfy the fourth-order
differential equation y""=sgn(tension)*(tension^2)y" in each of
its components. As tension increases to positive infinity, it
will converge to a polygonal line. The -T option may not be
used if -f is specified.
-t tmin tmax [tspacing]
--t-spacing tmin tmax [tspacing]
For each dataset, set the interval over which interpolation
occurs to be the interval between tmin and tmax. If tspacing is
not specified, the interval will be divided into the number of
subintervals specified by the -n option.
If the -t option is not used, the interval over which
interpolation occurs will be the entire range of the independent
variable in the dataset. The -t option must always be used if
the -f option is used to request filter-like behavior (see
above).
Format-Related Options
-d dimension
--y-dimension dimension
Set the dimensionality of the dependent variable y in the input
and output files to be dimension. The default dimension is 1.
-I data-format
--input-format data-format
Set the data format for the input file(s) to be data-format,
which may be one of the following.
a ASCII format (the default). Each file is a sequence of
floating point numbers, interpreted as the t and y
coordinates of the successive data points in a dataset.
If y is d-dimensional, there will be d+1 numbers for each
point. The t and y coordinates of a point need not
appear on the same line, and points need not appear on
different lines. But if a blank line occurs (i.e., two
newlines in succession are seen), it is interpreted as
the end of a dataset, and the beginning of the next.
f Single precision binary format. Each file is a sequence
of floating point numbers, interpreted as the t and y
coordinates of the successive data points in a dataset.
If y is d-dimensional, there will be d+1 numbers for each
point. Successive datasets are separated by a single
occurrence of the quantity FLT_MAX, which is the largest
possible single precision floating point number. On most
machines this is approximately 3.4x10^38.
d Double precision binary format. Each file is a sequence
of double precision floating point numbers, interpreted
as the t and y coordinates of the successive data points
in a dataset. If y is d-dimensional, there will be d+1
numbers for each point. Successive datasets are
separated by a single occurrence of the quantity DBL_MAX,
which is the largest possible double precision floating
point number. On most machines this is approximately
1.8x10^308.
i Integer binary format. Each file is a sequence of
integers, interpreted as the t and y coordinates of the
successive data points in a dataset. If y is
d-dimensional, there will be d+1 numbers for each point.
Successive datasets are separated by a single occurrence
of the quantity INT_MAX, which is the largest possible
integer. On most machines this is 2^31-1.
-a [step_size [lower_limit]]
--auto-abscissa [step_size [lower_limit]]
Automatically generate values for t, the independent variable
(the default values of step_size and lower_limit are 1.0 and
0.0, respectively).
Irrespective of data format (`a', `f', `d', or `i'), this option
specifies that the values of t are missing from the input file:
the dataset(s) to be read contain only values of y, the
dependent variable. So if y is d-dimensional, there will be
only d numbers for each point. The increment from each t value
to the next will be step_size, and the first t value will be
lower_limit. This option is useful, e.g., when interpolating
curves rather than functions.
-A
--auto-dist-abscissa
Automatically generate values for t, the independent variable.
This is a variant form of the -a option. The increment from
each t value to the next will be the distance in d-dimensional
space between the corresponding y values, and the first t value
will be 0.0. That is, t will be "polygonal arclength". This
option is useful when interpolating curves rather than
functions.
-O data-format
--output-format data-format
Set the data format for the output file to be data-format. The
interpretation of data-format is the same as for the -I option.
The default is `a', i.e., ASCII format.
-P significant-digits
--precision significant-digits
Set the numerical precision for the t and y values in the output
file to be significant-digits. This takes effect only if the
output file is written in `a' format, i.e., in ASCII.
significant-digits must be a positive integer (the default is
6).
-s
--suppress-abscissa
Omit the independent variable t from the output file; for each
point, supply only the dependent variable y. If y is
d-dimensional, there will be only d numbers for each point, not
d+1. This option is useful when interpolating curves rather
than functions.
Informational Options
--help Print a list of command-line options, and exit.
--version
Print the version number of spline and the plotting utilities
package, and exit.
EXAMPLES
Typing
echo 0 0 1 1 2 0 | spline
will produce on standard output an interpolated dataset consisting of
101 data points. If graphed, this interpolated dataset will yield a
parabola.
It is sometimes useful to interpolate between a sequence of arbitrarily
placed points in d-dimensional space, i.e., to "spline a curve" rather
than a function. The -a and -s options are used for this. For
example,
echo 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 | spline -d 2 -a -s
will produce on standard output a 101-point dataset that interpolates
between the four points (0,0), (1,0), (1,1), and (0,1). The -d 2
option specifies that the dependent variable y is two-dimensional. The
-a option specifies that the t values are missing from the input and
should be automatically generated. The -s option specifies that the t
values should be stripped from the output.
AUTHORS
spline was written by Robert S. Maier (rsm@math.arizona.edu), starting with an earlier version by Rich Murphey (rich@freebsd.org). The algorithms for constructing splines under tension are similar to those used in the FITPACK subroutine library, and are ultimately due to Alan K. Cline (cline@cs.utexas.edu).
SEE ALSO
"The GNU Plotting Utilities Manual".
BUGS
Email bug reports to bug-gnu-utils@gnu.org.
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