Characterization of polynomial surfaces of revolution and polynomial quadrics

Abstract

In this paper, we characterize the polynomiality of surfaces of revolution by means of the polynomiality of an associated plane curve. In addition, if the surface of revolution is polynomial, we provide formulas for computing a polynomial parametrization, over C, of the surface. Furthermore, we perform the first steps towards the analysis of the existence, and actual computation, of real polynomial parametrizations of surfaces of revolution. As a consequence, we give a complete picture of the real polynomiality of quadrics and we formulate a necessary condition for the general case.