We present a new algorithm for appearance-preserving simplification. Not only does it generate a low-polygon-count approximation of a model, but it also preserves the appearance. This is accomplished for a particular display resolution in the sense that we properly sample the surface position, curvature, and color attributes of the input surface. We convert the input surface to a representation that decouples the sampling of these three attributes, storing the colors and normals in texture and normal maps, respectively. Our simplification algorithm employs a new texture deviation metric, which guarantees that these maps shift by no more than a user-specified number of pixels on the screen. The simplification process filters the surface position, while the runtime system filters the colors and normals on a per-pixel basis. We have applied our simplification technique to several large models achieving significant amounts of simplification with little or no loss in rendering quality.

Hierarchical graphs and clustered graphs are useful non-classical graph models for structured relational information. Hierarchical graphs are graphs with layering structures; clustered graphs are graphs with recursive clustering structures. Both have applications in CASE tools, software visualization, and VLSI design. Drawing algorithms for hierarchical graphs have been well investigated. However, the problem of straight-line representation has not been solved completely. In this paper, we answer the question: does every planar hierarchical graph admit a planar straight-line hierarchical drawing? We present an algorithm that constructs such drawings in linear time. Also, we answer a basic question for clustered graphs, that is, does every planar clustered graph admit a planar straight-line drawing with clusters drawn as convex polygons? We provide a method for such drawings based on our algorithm for hierarchical graphs.

We consider the problem of deciding whether a polygonal knot in 3-dimensional Euclidean space is unknotted, capable of being continuously deformed without self-intersection so that it lies in a plane. We show that this problem, unknotting problem is in NP. We also consider the problem, unknotting problem of determining whether two or more such polygons can be split, or continuously deformed without self-intersection so that they occupy both sides of a plane without intersecting it. We show that it also is in NP. Finally, we show that the problem of determining the genus of a polygonal knot (a generalization of the problem of determining whether it is unknotted) is in PSPACE. We also give exponential worstcase running time bounds for deterministic algorithms to solve each of these problems. These algorithms are based on the use of normal surfaces and decision procedures due to W. Haken, with recent extensions by W. Jaco and J. L. Tollefson.

. We consider the problem of coding planar graphs by binary strings. Depending on whether O(1)-time queries for adjacency and degree are supported, we present three sets of coding schemes which all take linear time for encoding and decoding. The encoding lengths are significantly shorter than the previously known results in each case. 1 Introduction This paper investigates the problem of encoding a graph G with n nodes and m edges into a binary string S. This problem has been extensively studied with three objectives: (1) minimizing the length of S, (2) minimizing the time needed to compute and decode S, and (3) supporting queries efficiently. A number of coding schemes with different trade-offs have been proposed. The adjacency-list encoding of a graph is widely useful but requires 2mdlog ne bits. (All logarithms are of base 2.) A folklore scheme uses 2n bits to encode a rooted n-node tree into a string of n pairs of balanced parentheses. Since the total number of such trees is...

There is a positive constant c1 such that for any diagram D representing the unknot, there is a sequence of at most 2 c 1 n Reidemeister moves that will convert it to a trivial knot diagram, where n is the number of crossings in D. A similar result holds for elementary moves on a polygonal knot K embedded in the 1-skeleton of the interior of a compact triangulated orientable PL 3-manifold M . There is a positive constant c2 such that for each t 1, if M consists of t tetrahedra, and K is unknotted, then there is a sequence of at most 2 c 2 t elementary moves in M which transforms K to a triangle contained inside one tetrahedron of M . We obtain explicit values for c1 and c2 . Keywords: knot theory, knot diagram, Reidemeister move, normal surfaces, computational complexity This paper grew out of work begun while the authors were visiting the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley in 1996/7. Research at MSRI is supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9022140. The first au...

We give a detailed description of the embedding phase of the Hopcroft and Tarjan planarity testing algorithm. The embedding phase runs in linear time. An implementation based on this paper can be found in [MMN93].

A fundamental problem in model-based computer vision is that of identifying which of a given set of geometric models is present in an image. Considering a "probe" to be an oracle that tells us whether or not a model is present at a given point, we study the problem of computing efficient strategies ("decision trees") for probing an image, with the goal to minimize the number of probes necessary (in the worst case) to determine which single model is present. We show that a dlg ke height binary decision tree always exists for k polygonal models (in fixed position), provided (1) they are non-degenerate (do not share boundaries) and (2) they share a common point of intersection. Further, we give an efficient algorithm for constructing such decision tress when the models are given as a set of polygons in the plane. We show that constructing a minimum height tree is NP-complete if either of the two assumptions is omitted. We provide an efficient greedy heuristic strategy and show ...

In the mid 1980s, graphics workstations became the main platforms for software and information engineers. Since then, visualization of relational information has become an essential element of software systems. Graphs are commonly used to model relational information. They are depicted on a graphics workstation as graph drawings. The usefulness of the relational model depends on whether the graph drawings effectively convey the relational information to the users. This thesis is concerned with finding good drawings of graphs. As the amount of information that we want to visualize becomes larger and the relations become more complex, the classical graph model tends to be inadequate. Many extended models use a node hierarchy to help cope with the complexity. This thesis introduces a new graph model called the clustered graph. The central theme of the thesis is an investigation of efficient algorithms to produce good drawings for clustered graphs. Although the criteria for judging the qua...

We prove that every n-vertex graph G with pathwidth pw(G) has a three-dimensional straight-line grid drawing with O(pw(G) n) volume. Thus for

In a total order of the vertices of a graph, two edges with no endpoint in common can be crossing, nested, or disjoint. A k-stack (resp...