Loop subdivision surface
# Loop subdivision surface

In computer graphics, the Loop method for subdivision surfaces is an approximating subdivision scheme developed by Charles Loop in 1987 for triangular meshes. Prior methods, namely Catmull-Clark and Doo-Sabin (1978), focused on quad meshes.

Loop subdivision surfaces are defined recursively, dividing each triangle into four smaller ones. The method is based on a quartic box spline. It generates $C^2$ continuous limit surfaces everywhere except at extraordinary vertices, where they are $C^1$ continuous.

## Applications

Geologists have applied Loop subdivision surfaces to model erosion on mountain faces, specifically in the Appalachians.

