Rectilinear Link Diameter and Radius in a Rectilinear Polygonal Domain

We study the computation of the diameter and radius under the rectilinear link distance within a rectilinear polygonal domain of $n$ vertices and $h$ holes. We introduce a \emph{graph of oriented distances} to encode the distance between pairs of points of the domain. This helps us transform the problem so that we can search through the candidates more efficiently. Our algorithm computes both the diameter and the radius in $\min \{\,O(n^\omega), O(n^2 + nh \log h + \chi^2)\,\}$ time, where $\omega<2.373$ denotes the matrix multiplication exponent and $\chi\in \Omega(n)\cap O(n^2)$ is the number of edges of the graph of oriented distances. We also provide a faster algorithm for computing the diameter that runs in $O(n^2 \log n)$ time

Approximate geospatial joins with precision guarantees

Geospatial joins are a core building block of con- nected mobility applications. An especially challenging problem are joins between streaming points and static polygons. Since points are not known beforehand, they cannot be indexed. Nevertheless, points need to be mapped to polygons with low latencies to enable real-time feedback. We present an approximate geospatial join that guarantees a user-defined precision. Our technique uses a quadtree-based hierarchical grid to approximate polygons and stores these approximations in a specialized radix tree. Our approach can perform up to several orders of magnitude faster than existing techniques while providing sufficiently precise results for many applications

Twin-Width VIII: Delineation and Win-Wins

We introduce the notion of delineation. A graph class C is said delineated by twin-width (or simply, delineated) if for every hereditary closure D of a subclass of C, it holds that D has bounded twin-width if and only if D is monadically dependent. An effective strengthening of delineation for a class C implies that tractable FO model checking on C is perfectly understood: On hereditary closures of subclasses D of C, FO model checking on D is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) exactly when D has bounded twin-width. Ordered graphs [BGOdMSTT, STOC \u2722] and permutation graphs [BKTW, JACM \u2722] are effectively delineated, while subcubic graphs are not. On the one hand, we prove that interval graphs, and even, rooted directed path graphs are delineated. On the other hand, we observe or show that segment graphs, directed path graphs (with arbitrarily many roots), and visibility graphs of simple polygons are not delineated. In an effort to draw the delineation frontier between interval graphs (that are delineated) and axis-parallel two-lengthed segment graphs (that are not), we investigate the twin-width of restricted segment intersection classes. It was known that (triangle-free) pure axis-parallel unit segment graphs have unbounded twin-width [BGKTW, SODA \u2721]. We show that K_{t,t}-free segment graphs, and axis-parallel H_t-free unit segment graphs have bounded twin-width, where H_t is the half-graph or ladder of height t. In contrast, axis-parallel H?-free two-lengthed segment graphs have unbounded twin-width. We leave as an open question whether unit segment graphs are delineated. More broadly, we explore which structures (large bicliques, half-graphs, or independent sets) are responsible for making the twin-width large on the main classes of intersection and visibility graphs. Our new results, combined with the FPT algorithm for first-order model checking on graphs given with O(1)-sequences [BKTW, JACM \u2722], give rise to a variety of algorithmic win-win arguments. They all fall in the same framework: If p is an FO definable graph parameter that effectively functionally upperbounds twin-width on a class C, then p(G) ? k can be decided in FPT time f(k) ? |V(G)|^O(1). For instance, we readily derive FPT algorithms for k-Ladder on visibility graphs of 1.5D terrains, and k-Independent Set on visibility graphs of simple polygons. This showcases that the theory of twin-width can serve outside of classes of bounded twin-width

A Framework for Dynamic Terrain with Application in Off-road Ground Vehicle Simulations

The dissertation develops a framework for the visualization of dynamic terrains for use in interactive real-time 3D systems. Terrain visualization techniques may be classified as either static or dynamic. Static terrain solutions simulate rigid surface types exclusively; whereas dynamic solutions can also represent non-rigid surfaces. Systems that employ a static terrain approach lack realism due to their rigid nature. Disregarding the accurate representation of terrain surface interaction is rationalized because of the inherent difficulties associated with providing runtime dynamism. Nonetheless, dynamic terrain systems are a more correct solution because they allow the terrain database to be modified at run-time for the purpose of deforming the surface. Many established techniques in terrain visualization rely on invalid assumptions and weak computational models that hinder the use of dynamic terrain. Moreover, many existing techniques do not exploit the capabilities offered by current computer hardware. In this research, we present a component framework for terrain visualization that is useful in research, entertainment, and simulation systems. In addition, we present a novel method for deforming the terrain that can be used in real-time, interactive systems. The development of a component framework unifies disparate works under a single architecture. The high-level nature of the framework makes it flexible and adaptable for developing a variety of systems, independent of the static or dynamic nature of the solution. Currently, there are only a handful of documented deformation techniques and, in particular, none make explicit use of graphics hardware. The approach developed by this research offloads extra work to the graphics processing unit; in an effort to alleviate the overhead associated with deforming the terrain. Off-road ground vehicle simulation is used as an application domain to demonstrate the practical nature of the framework and the deformation technique. In order to realistically simulate terrain surface interactivity with the vehicle, the solution balances visual fidelity and speed. Accurately depicting terrain surface interactivity in off-road ground vehicle simulations improves visual realism; thereby, increasing the significance and worth of the application. Systems in academia, government, and commercial institutes can make use of the research findings to achieve the real-time display of interactive terrain surfaces

Optimal Partitioning of a Surveillance Space for Persistent Coverage Using Multiple Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: An Integer Programming Approach

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an essential tool for the battle eld commander in part because they represent an attractive intelligence gathering platform that can quickly identify targets and track movements of individuals within areas of interest. In order to provide meaningful intelligence in near-real time during a mission, it makes sense to operate multiple UAVs with some measure of autonomy to survey the entire area persistently over the mission timeline. This research considers a space where intelligence has identi ed a number of locations and their surroundings that need to be monitored for a period of time. An integer program is formulated and solved to partition this surveillance space into the minimum number of subregions such that these locations fall outside of each partitioned subregion for e cient, persistent surveillance of the locations and their surroundings. Partitioning is followed by a UAV-to-partitioned subspace matching algorithm so that each subregion of the partitioned surveillance space is assigned exactly one UAV. Because the size of the partition is minimized, the number of UAVs used is also minimized