Explicit Cartesian Coordinates for Three-Dimensional Clothoids

Abstract

We combine the spherical-clothoid reconstruction theorem of Lucas and Ortega-Yagues with an explicit spinorial parametrization of the spherical clothoid and a Kampe de Feriet evaluation of Kummer-product integrals. This gives explicit Cartesian coordinates, in arclength, for every nonhelical three-dimensional clothoid. Kummer asymptotics then yield explicit asymptotic lines, including their gamma-digamma offsets and the angle between their axes.

11 pages, 1 figure. Includes reproducible Python code