smootherstep: The Quintic Gateway to Mathematical Perfection

Ultra-Smooth Interpolation Beyond Smoothstep

The smootherstep function provides even smoother transitions than the standard smoothstep function by using quintic polynomial curves. It implements the mathematical formula:

$f(t) = 6t^5 - 15t^4 + 10t^3$

where the normalized parameter $t$ undergoes quintic transformation after saturation. The derivative analysis reveals its superior continuity:

$f'(0) = f'(1) = 0$ $f''(0) = f''(1) = 0$

This dual-zero boundary condition creates seamless transitions impossible with cubic smoothstep, making it essential for sophisticated mathematical visualizations where derivative continuity matters.

Mathematical Architecture and Temporal Flow Dynamics

The function operates through three mathematical stages:

Stage 1: Normalization Transform $t_{norm} = \frac{v - a}{b - a}$

Stage 2: Saturation Boundary Enforcement $t_{sat} = \text{clamp}(t_{norm}, 0, 1)$

Stage 3: Quintic Polynomial Application $\text{smootherstep}(a,b,v) = t_{sat}^3(t_{sat}(t_{sat} \cdot 6 - 15) + 10)$

This mathematical framework enables creation of temporal phase transitions that exhibit perfect mathematical harmony across derivative boundaries.

ライブエディター

const fragment = () => {
      const time = iTime.mul(0.3)
      const centerDistance = uv.sub(vec2(0.5)).length()

      const ringCount = float(8)
      const ringPhase = centerDistance.mul(ringCount).add(time)
      const ringBase = ringPhase.floor()
      const ringFraction = ringPhase.fract()

      const smootherTransition = smootherstep(float(0.2), float(0.8), ringFraction)
      const harmonicIndex = ringBase.mod(3).div(3)
      const colorPhase = harmonicIndex.add(smootherTransition.mul(0.333))

      const primaryHue = colorPhase.mul(6.28318).sin().mul(0.5).add(0.5)
      const secondaryHue = colorPhase.add(0.333).mul(6.28318).sin().mul(0.5).add(0.5)
      const tertiaryHue = colorPhase.add(0.667).mul(6.28318).sin().mul(0.5).add(0.5)

      const intensity = smootherTransition.mul(smootherTransition.oneMinus()).mul(4)
      const radialFalloff = centerDistance.mul(2).oneMinus().saturate()

      const finalColor = vec3(primaryHue, secondaryHue, tertiaryHue).mul(intensity).mul(radialFalloff)
      return vec4(finalColor, 1)

}