Book excerpt: This text takes a practical, step-by-step approach to algebraic curves and surface interpolation motivated by the understanding of the many practical applications in engineering analysis, approximation, and curve-plotting problems. Because of its usefulness for computing, the algebraic approach is the main theme, but a brief discussion of the synthetic approach is also presented as a way of gaining additional insight before proceeding with the algebraic manipulation. Professionals, students, and researchers in applied mathematics, solid modeling, graphics, robotics, and engineering design and analysis will find this a useful reference.