Pierre Étienne Bézier (September 1, 1910 – November 25, 1999) (IPA: [ˈpjɛʁ eˈtjɛn beˈzje]) was a French engineer and patentor (thus not the inventor) of the Bézier curves and Bézier surfaces that are now used in most computer-aided design and computer graphics systems.
Born in Paris, Bézier obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers in 1930. He earned a second degree in electrical engineering in 1931 at the École Supérieure d'Électricité, and a doctorate in 1977 in mathematics from the University of Paris.
He worked for Renault from 1933–1975, where he developed his UNISURF CAD CAM system.
From 1968–1979 he was Professor of Production Engineering at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers.
In 1985 he was recognized by ACM SIGGRAPH with a `Steven A. Coons' award for his lifetime contribution to computer graphics and interactive techniques.
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