Improving the global continuity of the natural neighbor interpolation

Abstract

The natural neighbor interpolation is a potential interpolation method for multidimensional data. However, only globally C1 interpolants have been known so far. This paper proposes a globally C2 interpolant, and write it in an explicit form. When the data are supplied to the interpolant from a third-degree polynomial, the interpolant can reproduce that polynomial exactly. The idea used to derive the interpolant is applicable to obtain a globally Ck interpolant for an arbitrary non-negative integer k. Hence, this paper gets rid of the continuity limitation of the natural neighbor interpolation, and thus leads it to a new research stage. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004.