Following the Ph.D. dissertation “Aspects of Intersection Algorithms” from SINTEF [1] from 1997 close dialogue was established between the algebraic geometry group in Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo and the Department of Applied Mathematics at SINTEF. Gradually the idea of establishing a closer cooperation with other European groups was maturing and the algebraic geometry group at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France was contacted. An application for an IST-FET Assessment project was made also including the CAD-company think3, and in October 2000 the project GAIA – “Application of approximate algebraic geometry in industrial computer aided geometry” was started.

Following the final review of the assessment project we were invited to propose a full FET-Open Project by the end of November 2001. This evaluation of the proposal was successful and July 1st 2002 the GAIA II project started. The project was originally intended to last 3 years, but we have been granted a 3 month extension. So the last day of the project is now September 30th 2005.

[1] Tor Dokken, Aspects of Intersection Algorithms and Approximation, Dissertation for the doctor philosophiae degree, University of Oslo, Norway, 1997, updated 2000.