  The Chord algorithm is a popular, simple method for the succinct
approximation of curves, which is widely used, under different names, in a
variety of areas, such as, multiobjective and parametric optimization,
computational geometry, and graphics. We analyze the performance of the Chord
algorithm, as compared to the optimal approximation that achieves a desired
accuracy with the minimum number of points. We prove sharp upper and lower
bounds, both in the worst case and average case setting.
