On the number of tetrahedra with minimum, unit, and distinct volumes in three-space

We formulate and give partial answers to several combinatorial problems on volumes of simplices determined by $n$ points in 3-space, and in general in $d$ dimensions. (i) The number of tetrahedra of minimum (nonzero) volume spanned by $n$ points in \RR^3 is at most ${2/3}n^3-O(n^2)$, and there are point sets for which this number is ${3/16}n^3-O(n^2)$. We also present an $O(n^3)$ time algorithm for reporting all tetrahedra of minimum nonzero volume, and thereby extend an algorithm of Edelsbrunner, O'Rourke, and Seidel. In general, for every k,d\in \NN, $1\leq k \leq d$, the maximum number of $k$-dimensional simplices of minimum (nonzero) volume spanned by $n$ points in \RR^d is $\Theta(n^k)$. (ii) The number of unit-volume tetrahedra determined by $n$ points in \RR^3 is $O(n^{7/2})$, and there are point sets for which this number is $\Omega(n^3 \log \log{n})$. (iii) For every d\in \NN, the minimum number of distinct volumes of all full-dimensional simplices determined by $n$ points in \RR^d, not all on a hyperplane, is $\Theta(n)$.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, a preliminary version has appeard in proceedings of the ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, 200

Distinct Volume Subsets

Suppose that a and d are positive integers with a ≥ 2. Let h[subscript a,d](n) be the largest integer t such that any set of n points in R[superscript d] contains a subset of t points for which all the nonzero volumes of the ([t over a]) subsets of order a are distinct. Beginning with Erdos in 1957, the function h[subscript 2,d](n) has been closely studied and is known to be at least a power of n. We improve the best known bound for h[subscript 2,d](n) and show that h[subscript a,d](n) is at least a power of n for all a and d.David & Lucile Packard Foundation (Fellowship)Simons Foundation (Fellowship)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMS-1069197)Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Fellowship)NEC Corporation (MIT Award

Distinct Volume Subsets

Suppose that a and d are positive integers with a ≥ 2. Let h_(a,d)(n) be the largest integer t such that any set of n points in ℝ^d contains a subset of t points for which all the nonzero volumes of the [equaton; see abstract in PDF for details] subsets of order a are distinct. Beginning with Erdős in 1957, the function h_(2,d)(n) has been closely studied and is known to be at least a power of n. We improve the best known bound for h_(2,d)(n) and show that h_(a,d)(n) is at least a power of n for all a and d