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An astroid is the four-cusped plane curve parametrized by $x=a{\cos }^{3}t$, $y=a{\sin }^{3}t$ for $a>0$. It appears as the relative trajectory in the astroid motion of a harmonic oscillator in a rotating frame. The parametrization has zero first derivative at the cusps while remaining smooth as a function of its parameter.

Parametrize a positively oriented closed plane curve at constant arc length speed on $[0,2\pi ]$, and let $c_n$ be its complex-position Fourier coefficients. Green's theorem and Parseval's identity give $A=\pi {\sum }_{n}n|c_n{|}^2$ and $L^2/(4{\pi }^2)={\sum }_n{n}^2|c_n{|}^2$. Since $n\le n^2$ for integers, the planar isoperimetric inequality follows. Equality leaves only the constant and positive first harmonic, a translated circle.

A parabola is a plane curve whose points are equally distant from a focus and a directrix. In suitable coordinates it has equation $y=a{x}^2$, with $a\ne 0$. Its quadratic geometry can also describe a contour deformation through a saddle point.

This plane curve is an Archimedean spiral. Put ${\mathbf{e}}_r=(\cos u,\sin u,0)$ and ${\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }=(-\sin u,\cos u,0)$, so ${\mathbf{e}}_r^{\prime }={\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }$ and ${\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }^{\prime }=-{\mathbf{e}}_r$. ThenTherefore the curvature of a plane curve isThe parametrization is regular even at $u=0$, where the curvature of a plane curve is $2$.