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 introduce a new method to optimize the required area, minimum angle and number of bends of planar drawings of graphs on a grid. The main tool is a new type of ordering on the vertices and faces of triconnected planar graphs. Using this method linear time and space algorithms can be designed for many graph drawing problems. -- Every triconnected planar graph G can be drawn convexly with straight lines on an (2n \Gamma 4) \Theta (n \Gamma 2) grid, where n is the number of vertices. -- Every triconnected planar graph with maximum degree four can be drawn orthogonally on an n \Theta n grid with at most d 3n 2 e + 4, and if n ? 6 then every edge has at most two bends. -- Every 3-planar graph G can be drawn with at most b n 2 c + 1 bends on an b n 2 c \Theta b n 2 c grid. -- Every triconnected planar graph G can be drawn planar on an (2n \Gamma 6) \Theta (3n \Gamma 9) grid with minimum angle larger than 2 d radians and at most 5n \Gamma 15 bends, with d the maximum d...

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 introduce a new approach for drawing diagrams. Our approach is to use a technique we call confluent drawing for visualizing non-planar graphs in a planar way. This approach allows us to draw, in a crossing-free manner, graphs—such as software interaction diagrams—that would normally have many crossings. The main idea of this approach is quite simple: we allow groups of edges to be merged together and drawn as “tracks” (similar to train tracks). Producing such confluent drawings automatically from a graph with many crossings is quite challenging, however, we offer a heuristic algorithm (one version for undirected graphs and one version for directed ones) to test if a non-planar graph can be drawn efficiently in a confluent way. In addition, we identify several large classes of graphs that can be completely categorized as being either confluently drawable or confluently non-drawable.

In this paper we present an extensive experimental study...

INTRODUCTION Graph drawing addresses the problem of constructing geometric representations of graphs, and has important applications to key computer technologies such as software engineering, database systems, visual interfaces, and computer-aided-design. Research on graph drawing has been conducted within several diverse areas, including discrete mathematics (topological graph theory, geometric graph theory, order theory), algorithmics (graph algorithms, data structures, computational geometry, vlsi), and human-computer interaction (visual languages, graphical user interfaces, software visualization). This chapter overviews aspects of graph drawing that are especially relevant to computational geometry. Basic definitions on drawings and their properties are given in Section 1.1. Bounds on geometric and topological properties of drawings (e.g., area and crossings) are presented in Section 1.2. Section 1.3 deals with the time complexity of fundamental graph drawin

This paper is organized as follows. In section 2, we present an overview on the GraphEd system and the implemented graph drawing algorithms. Section 3 explains our evaluation experiments, and Section 4 shows our results. In Section 5 we give a subjective ranking of layout criteria. 2 GraphEd

: We present a graph drawing system for general undirected graphs with straight-line edges. It carries out a rather complex set of preprocessing steps, designed to produce a topologically good, but not necessarily nice-looking layout, which is then subjected to Davidson and Harel's simulated annealing beautification algorithm. The intermediate layout is planar for planar graphs and attempts to come close to planar for nonplanar graphs. The system's results are significantly better, and much faster, than what the annealing approach is able to achieve on its own. 1 Introduction A large amount of work on the problem of graph layout has been carried out in recent years, resulting in a number of sophisticated and powerful algorithms. An extensive and detailed survey can be found in [BETT93]. Many of the approaches taken are limited to special cases of graphs, such as trees or planar graphs; others concentrate on special kinds of layouts, such as rectilinear grid drawings, or convex drawin...

: We present a new algorithm for drawing planar graphs on the plane. It can be viewed as a generalization of the algorithm of Chrobak and Payne, which in turn, is based on an algorithm by de Fraysseix, Pach and Pollack. Our algorithm improves the previous ones in that it does not require a preliminary triangulation step; triangulation proves problematic in drawing graphs "nicely", as it has the tendency to ruin the structure of the input graph. The new algorithm retains the positive features of the previous algorithms: It embeds a biconnected graph of n vertices on a grid of size (2n \Gamma 4) \Theta (n \Gamma 2) in linear time. We have implemented the algorithm as part of a software system for drawing graphs nicely. 1 Introduction In this paper we describe a new drawing algorithm for planar graphs. The algorithm is a central component of a software system we have developed for drawing graphs "nicely" [HS94], and was especially designed for that purpose. (The other main component of ...

We consider the problem of drawing plane graphs with an arbitrarily high vertex degree orthogonally into the plane such that the number of bends on the edges should be minimized. It has been known how to achieve the bend minimum without any respect to the size of the vertices. Naturally, the vertices should be represented by uniformly small squares. In addition we might require that each face should be represented by a non-empty region. This would allow a labeling of the faces. We present an efficient algorithm which provably achieves the bend minimum following these constraints. Omitting the latter requirement we conjecture that the problem becomes NP-hard. For that case, we give advices for good approximations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches giving some interesting examples.