In this paper, we propose the generalized B divided difference, with which the $(k−1)$th derivative of B-spline curves of order $k$ can be obtained directly without the need to compute the first $(k−2)$ derivatives as before. Based on the generalized B divided difference, the necessary and sufficient condition for degree-reducible B-spline curves is presented. Algorithms for degree reduction of B-spline curves are proposed using the constrained optimization methods.

We discuss a sharp lower bound for the first positive eigenvalue of the sublaplacian on a closed, strictly pseudoconvex pseudohermitian manifold of dimension 2m + 1 ≥ 5. We prove that the equality holds iff the manifold is equivalent to the CR sphere up to a scaling. For this purpose, we establish an Obata-type theorem in CR geometry that characterizes the CR sphere in terms of a nonzero function satisfying a certain overdetermined system. Similar results are proved in dimension 3 under an additional condition.

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Let X and Y be two complex manifolds, let$D$⊂$X$and$G$⊂$Y$be two nonempty open sets, let$A$(resp.$B$) be an open subset of ∂$D$(resp. ∂$G$), and let$W$be the 2-fold cross (($D$∪$A$)×$B$)∪($A$×($B$∪$G$)). Under a geometric condition on the boundary sets$A$and$B$, we show that every function locally bounded, separately continuous on$W$, continuous on$A$×$B$, and separately holomorphic on ($A$×$G$)∪($D$×$B$) “extends” to a function continuous on a “domain of holomorphy” $\widehat{W}$ and holomorphic on the interior of $\widehat{W}$ .