Lower bounds on the dilation of plane spanners

(I) We exhibit a set of 23 points in the plane that has dilation at least $1.4308$, improving the previously best lower bound of $1.4161$ for the worst-case dilation of plane spanners. (II) For every integer $n\geq13$, there exists an $n$-element point set $S$ such that the degree 3 dilation of $S$ denoted by $\delta_0(S,3) \text{ equals } 1+\sqrt{3}=2.7321\ldots$ in the domain of plane geometric spanners. In the same domain, we show that for every integer $n\geq6$, there exists a an $n$-element point set $S$ such that the degree 4 dilation of $S$ denoted by $\delta_0(S,4) \text{ equals } 1 + \sqrt{(5-\sqrt{5})/2}=2.1755\ldots$ The previous best lower bound of $1.4161$ holds for any degree. (III) For every integer $n\geq6$, there exists an $n$-element point set $S$ such that the stretch factor of the greedy triangulation of $S$ is at least $2.0268$.Comment: Revised definitions in the introduction; 23 pages, 15 figures; 2 table

On Euclidean Steiner (1+?)-Spanners

Lightness and sparsity are two natural parameters for Euclidean (1+?)-spanners. Classical results show that, when the dimension d ? ? and ? > 0 are constant, every set S of n points in d-space admits an (1+?)-spanners with O(n) edges and weight proportional to that of the Euclidean MST of S. Tight bounds on the dependence on ? > 0 for constant d ? ? have been established only recently. Le and Solomon (FOCS 2019) showed that Steiner points can substantially improve the lightness and sparsity of a (1+?)-spanner. They gave upper bounds of O?(?^{-(d+1)/2}) for the minimum lightness in dimensions d ? 3, and O?(?^{-(d-1))/2}) for the minimum sparsity in d-space for all d ? 1. They obtained lower bounds only in the plane (d = 2). Le and Solomon (ESA 2020) also constructed Steiner (1+?)-spanners of lightness O(?^{-1}log?) in the plane, where ? ? ?(log n) is the spread of S, defined as the ratio between the maximum and minimum distance between a pair of points. In this work, we improve several bounds on the lightness and sparsity of Euclidean Steiner (1+?)-spanners. Using a new geometric analysis, we establish lower bounds of ?(?^{-d/2}) for the lightness and ?(?^{-(d-1)/2}) for the sparsity of such spanners in Euclidean d-space for all d ? 2. We use the geometric insight from our lower bound analysis to construct Steiner (1+?)-spanners of lightness O(?^{-1}log n) for n points in Euclidean plane

Optimal Euclidean spanners: really short, thin and lanky

In a seminal STOC'95 paper, titled "Euclidean spanners: short, thin and lanky", Arya et al. devised a construction of Euclidean (1+\eps)-spanners that achieves constant degree, diameter $O(\log n)$, and weight $O(\log^2 n) \cdot \omega(MST)$, and has running time $O(n \cdot \log n)$. This construction applies to $n$-point constant-dimensional Euclidean spaces. Moreover, Arya et al. conjectured that the weight bound can be improved by a logarithmic factor, without increasing the degree and the diameter of the spanner, and within the same running time. This conjecture of Arya et al. became a central open problem in the area of Euclidean spanners. In this paper we resolve the long-standing conjecture of Arya et al. in the affirmative. Specifically, we present a construction of spanners with the same stretch, degree, diameter, and running time, as in Arya et al.'s result, but with optimal weight $O(\log n) \cdot \omega(MST)$. Moreover, our result is more general in three ways. First, we demonstrate that the conjecture holds true not only in constant-dimensional Euclidean spaces, but also in doubling metrics. Second, we provide a general tradeoff between the three involved parameters, which is tight in the entire range. Third, we devise a transformation that decreases the lightness of spanners in general metrics, while keeping all their other parameters in check. Our main result is obtained as a corollary of this transformation.Comment: A technical report of this paper was available online from April 4, 201