Squircle

Definition

A shape intermediate between a square and a circle.

Basic Shape

It is a square with rounded corners which is vividly different to a rounded square due to the presence of complex curves. A squircle also resembles an ellipse but with a different overall shape.

Equation

It is the mathematical statement that represents a squircle.

In the equation of a superellipse, |x/a|ⁿ + |y/b|ⁿ = 1, when the values are: n=4 and a=b=1,

We get the equation of a squircle as:

x⁴ + y⁴ = 1,where (x, y) are the set of two points on the curve

Uses and Applications

• In optics, when the light is passed through a two-dimensional square aperture, the central spot in the diffraction pattern can be closely modeled by a squircle
• Constructing the shapes of dinner plates which provides greater surface area than circular ones with the same radius
• Constructing a touchpad button in many Nokia phones
• Italian car manufacturer – Fiat used numerous squircles in the interior and exterior design of the third generation model – Panda
• Apple Inc. uses a shape that resembles a squircle in its iOS mobile operating system as the shape of app icons,
• One of the shapes for adaptive icons available in the Android ‘Oreo’ operating system, used in mobile phones, is a squircle.
• It was used at Sergels Torg in the heart of Stockholm, which provides maximum space for the traffic flow within a constrained space