Interesting...

If you draw a arbitrary smooth curve with continuous first order derivative,
there is a curvature at any  point on the curve, and a radius of curvature
associated with that curvature.  It means at any point there is an arc of a 
circle that best describes an infinately small segment of that curve. If the
curve happens to be a stright line, the curvature is zero and the radius of
curvature is infinite. 

Circle is defined as x^2 + y^2 = R^2 in the usual x-y coordinate. 
Mathematically, if R=0, it is a point; if it is infinite, that's nothing.

Max
--- Joe Programmer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- Michael Glickman wrote:
> > 
> > Well this is just a matter of terminology. 
> > In fact a line is a circle with zero curvature,
> > 
> 
> I don't see any way that can be true.  What universe are you from?
> 
> Here is a standard definition of a circle:
> 
>    A circle is the set of all points in a plane 
>    at a fixed distance from a fixed point in the 
>    plane.  The fixed point is called the center 
>    of the circle.  The fixed distance is called 
>    the radius of the circle.
> 
> On a line, where is the center?  What is the radius?


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