min .5 * sum_i lensq(bez_pt(b, u[i]) - d[i]) lensq(d)=dot(d, d) = d.x * d.x + d.y * d.y sum_i (f(i) + g(i)) = sum_i f(i) + sum_i g(i), so we can separate into x,y parts. Since they are the same, we write `z' in the below to mean either x or y. .5 * sum_i (bez_pt(b, u[i]) - d[i]).z^2 = .5 * sum_i (B0(u[i]) * b[0] + B1(u[i]) * b[1] + B2(u[i]) * b[2] + B3(u[i]) * b[3] - d[i] ).z^2 = H. Suppose that b[0,1,3] are fixed (with b[1] perhaps being calculated from a prior call to existing generate_bezier). d H / d b[2].z = sum_i B2(u[i]) * (bez_pt(b, u[i]) - d[i]).z Solve for dH/db[2].z==0: -sum_i B2(u[i]) B2(u[i]) * b[2].z = sum_i B2(u[i]) * (B0(u[i]) * b[0] + B1(u[i]) * b[1] + B3(u[i]) * b[3] - d[i] ).z b[2].z = ((sum_i B2(u[i]) * (B0(u[i]) * b[0] + B1(u[i]) * b[1] + B3(u[i]) * b[3] - d[i] ).z) / -sum_i (B2(u[i]))^2)