In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, a Bézier curve is a parametric curve important in computer graphics and related fields. Generalizations of Bézier curves to higher dimensions are called Bézier surfaces, of which the Bézier triangle is a special case. Bézier curves were widely publicized in 1962 by the French engineer Pierre Bézier, who used them to design automobile bodies. The curves were first developed in 1959 by Paul de Casteljau using de Casteljau's algorithm, a numerically stable method to evaluate Bézier curves. In vector graphics, Bézier curves are an important tool used to model smooth curves that can be scaled indefinitely. "Paths," as they are commonly referred to in image manipulation programs such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and GIMP are combinations of Bézier curves patched together. Paths are not bound by the limits of rasterized images and are intuitive to modify. Bézier curves are also used in animation as a tool to control motion in applications such as Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects, Microsoft Expression Blend, Blender, Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds max.