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The problem of calculating the intersection between a ray and a triangle is well-known. For this there exists e.g. the Möller-Trumbore intersection algorithm.

For my application I need an algorithm which efficiently computes the intersection between a polynomial curve (i.e. a "curved ray" to say it so) and a triangle. But unfortunately I was not able to find any algorithm which is adapted to this situation.

Hence, my question is: Is there an (established) algorithm, which calculates efficiently the intersection of a polynomial curve with a triangle?

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  • You're mathematically looking for a solution where A=B (A being equations of the triangle, and B the equations of the polynomial). If a triangle is just 3 lines (with boundary conditions), you can compare your polynomial equation against each line to find a point such that A1=B, A2=B or A3=B (the "roots", if you would, where B-A#=0). A plane follows similar logic. Those are the intersections, and solving a math equation has numerous approaches, some more performant than others. Right triangles may benefit from a rotation of the curve and elimination of multiple axis. Commented Jul 15, 2024 at 13:01
  • I’m voting to close this question because it belongs on Math SE Commented Jul 15, 2024 at 13:04
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    No, it does NOT belong to Math SE. My question is not how to calculate the intersection of a curve and a triangle, this is completely clear to me. My question is, if there exists an established algorithm, which does this efficiently. Ofc. I could just apply some root-finding algorithm on "A=B". But this does not answer the question, if this is an efficient and established way to solve this problem. I mean: Mathematically the ray-triangle intersection problem is a triviality, but Möller-Trumbore is not a triviality. I am asking the analogous question in the context of curved rays. Commented Jul 15, 2024 at 13:07
  • Möller-Trumbore is essentially the same "triviality" as the "ray-triangle intersection problem" you mention, using assumptions of parallelism. Polynomial curves that are continuous and differentiable everywhere would fall under similar assumptions (continuity, eventually crossing the domain area of the triangle), but the essence is the same: "do conditions exist that necessitate this math-construct will intersect our triangle". Just because they're "algorithms" doesn't mean they don't represent core mathematics questions that fit well (and end up answered) on the math SE. Commented Jul 15, 2024 at 13:13
  • So if I ask on math stack exchange, how to calculate a ray-triangle intersection efficiently, they will directly refer to Möller-Trumbore, the associated publication and some implementation in C++? I doubt that. Commented Jul 15, 2024 at 14:41

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