Quasi-cluster algebras from non-orientable surfaces

With any non necessarily orientable unpunctured marked surface (S,M) we associate a commutative algebra, called quasi-cluster algebra, equipped with a distinguished set of generators, called quasi-cluster variables, in bijection with the set of arcs and one-sided simple closed curves in (S,M). Quasi-cluster variables are naturally gathered into possibly overlapping sets of fixed cardinality, called quasi-clusters, corresponding to maximal non-intersecting families of arcs and one-sided simple closed curves in (S,M). If the surface S is orientable, then the quasi-cluster algebra is the cluster algebra associated with the marked surface (S,M) in the sense of Fomin, Shapiro and Thurston. We classify quasi-cluster algebras with finitely many quasi-cluster variables and prove that for these quasi-cluster algebras, quasi-cluster monomials form a linear basis. Finally, we attach to (S,M) a family of discrete integrable systems satisfied by quasi-cluster variables associated to arcs in the quasi-cluster algebra and we prove that solutions of these systems can be expressed in terms of cluster variables of type A.Comment: 38 pages, 14 figure

Closed classes of functions, generalized constraints and clusters

Classes of functions of several variables on arbitrary non-empty domains that are closed under permutation of variables and addition of dummy variables are characterized in terms of generalized constraints, and hereby Hellerstein's Galois theory of functions and generalized constraints is extended to infinite domains. Furthermore, classes of operations on arbitrary non-empty domains that are closed under permutation of variables, addition of dummy variables and composition are characterized in terms of clusters, and a Galois connection is established between operations and clusters.Comment: 21 page

Searching edges in the overlap of two plane graphs

Consider a pair of plane straight-line graphs, whose edges are colored red and blue, respectively, and let n be the total complexity of both graphs. We present a O(n log n)-time O(n)-space technique to preprocess such pair of graphs, that enables efficient searches among the red-blue intersections along edges of one of the graphs. Our technique has a number of applications to geometric problems. This includes: (1) a solution to the batched red-blue search problem [Dehne et al. 2006] in O(n log n) queries to the oracle; (2) an algorithm to compute the maximum vertical distance between a pair of 3D polyhedral terrains one of which is convex in O(n log n) time, where n is the total complexity of both terrains; (3) an algorithm to construct the Hausdorff Voronoi diagram of a family of point clusters in the plane in O((n+m) log^3 n) time and O(n+m) space, where n is the total number of points in all clusters and m is the number of crossings between all clusters; (4) an algorithm to construct the farthest-color Voronoi diagram of the corners of n axis-aligned rectangles in O(n log^2 n) time; (5) an algorithm to solve the stabbing circle problem for n parallel line segments in the plane in optimal O(n log n) time. All these results are new or improve on the best known algorithms.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure

Approximation Algorithms for Polynomial-Expansion and Low-Density Graphs

We study the family of intersection graphs of low density objects in low dimensional Euclidean space. This family is quite general, and includes planar graphs. We prove that such graphs have small separators. Next, we present efficient $(1+\varepsilon)$-approximation algorithms for these graphs, for Independent Set, Set Cover, and Dominating Set problems, among others. We also prove corresponding hardness of approximation for some of these optimization problems, providing a characterization of their intractability in terms of density