the.com/interpolation
guessing the dots between the dots, and calling it math.
means a method for estimating unknown values that fall between two known data points.
from from latin interpolare, meaning to touch up or refurbish — roman scribes used it for sneaking altered words into old texts, and by the 1600s mathematicians borrowed the word for sneaking new values into old tables.
newton's obsessionnewton wrote entire treatises just on interpolation formulas
vs extrapolationone guesses inside the data, one gambles outside it
pixels do itevery resized photo is interpolation faking missing pixels
linear is lazieststraight-line interpolation ignores curves and still mostly works
for instance
google maps routes — interpolates gps points to draw smooth roads between pings
image resizing — photoshop bicubic interpolation invents pixels when you enlarge a photo
weather forecasting grids — models interpolate temperature between widely spaced weather stations
animation tweening — disney animators used it to fill frames between key poses