Given n points in three dimensions, we show how to answer halfspace range reporting queries in O(logn+k) expected time for an output size k. Our data structure can be preprocessed in optimal O(n log n) expected time. We apply this result to obtain the first optimal randomized algorithm for the construction of the ( k)-level in an arrangement of n planes in three dimensions. The algorithm runs in O(n log n+nk²) expected time. Our techniques are based on random sampling. Applications in two dimensions include an improved data structure for "k nearest neighbors" queries, and an algorithm that constructs the order-k Voronoi diagram in O(n log n + nk log k) expected time.

Analyzing the worst-case complexity of the k-level in a planar arrangement of n curves is a fundamental problem in combinatorial geometry. We give the first subquadratic upper bound (roughly O(nk 9 2 s 3 )) for curves that are graphs of polynomial functions of an arbitrary fixed degree s. Previously, nontrivial results were known only for the case s = 1 and s = 2. We also improve the earlier bound for pseudo-parabolas (curves that pairwise intersect at most twice) to O(nk k). The proofs are simple and rely on a theorem of Tamaki and Tokuyama on cutting pseudo-parabolas into pseudo-segments, as well as a new observation for cutting pseudo-segments into pieces that can be extended to pseudo-lines. We mention applications to parametric and kinetic minimum spanning trees.

We show how to compute and maintain the two-dimensional arrangement on a quadric that is induced by intersection curves with other quadrics. The key idea is to parameterize the quadric by two variables, which then allows to implicitly compute the arrangement in a modified parameter space. We give details of a possible parameterization and explain how to implement the needed geometric and topological predicates.

In light of recent developments, this paper re-examines the fundamental geometric problem of how to construct the k-level in an arrangement of n lines in the plane. ffl The author's recent dynamic data structure for planar convex hulls improves a decade-old sweep-line algorithm by Edelsbrunner and Welzl, which now runs in O(n log m+m log 1+" n) deterministic time and O(n) space, where m is the output size and " is any positive constant. We discuss simplification of the data structure in this particular application, by viewing the problem kinetically. ffl Har-Peled recently announced a randomized algorithm with an expected running time of O((n + m)ff(n) log n). We observe that a version of an earlier randomized incremental algorithm by Agarwal, de Berg, Matousek, and Schwarzkopf yields almost the same result. ffl The current combinatorial bound by Dey shows that m = O(nk 1=3 ) in the worst case. We give an algorithm that guarantees O(n log n + nk 1=3 ) expected time. 1 Introd...

A top-k query retrieves the k highest scoring tuples from a data set with respect to a scoring function defined on the attributes of a tuple. The efficient evaluation of top-k queries has been an active research topic and many different instantiations of the problem, in a variety of settings, have been studied. However, techniques developed for conventional, centralized or distributed databases are not directly applicable to highly dynamic environments and on-line applications, like data streams. Recently, techniques supporting top-k queries on data streams have been introduced. Such techniques are restrictive however, as they can only efficiently report top-k answers with respect to a pre-specified (as opposed to ad-hoc) set of queries. In this paper we introduce a novel geometric representation for the top-k query problem that allows us to raise this restriction. Utilizing notions of geometric arrangements, we design and analyze algorithms for incrementally maintaining a data set organized in an arrangement representation under streaming updates. We introduce query evaluation strategies that operate on top of an arrangement data structure that are able to guarantee efficient evaluation for ad-hoc queries. The performance of our core technique is augmented by incorporating tuple pruning strategies, minimizing the number of tuples that need to be stored and manipulated. This results in a main memory indexing technique supporting both efficient incremental updates and the evaluation of ad-hoc top-k queries. A thorough experimental study evaluates the efficiency of the proposed technique.

We give a surprisingly short proof that in any planar arrangement of n curves where each pair intersects at most a fixed number (s) of times, the k-level has subquadratic (O(n 2s )) complexity. This answers one of the main open problems from the author's previous paper (FOCS'00), which provided a weaker bound for a restricted class of curves (graphs of degree-s polynomials) only. When combined with existing tools (cutting curves, sampling, etc.), the new idea generates a slew of improved k-level results for most of the curve families studied earlier, including a near-O(n ) bound for parabolas.

Penetration depth (PD) is a distance metric that is used to describe the extent of overlap between two intersecting objects. Most of the prior work in PD computation has been restricted to translational PD, which is defined as the minimal translational motion that one of the overlapping objects must undergo in order to make the two objects disjoint. In this paper, we extend the notion of PD to take into account both translational and rotational motion to separate the intersecting objects, namely generalized PD. When an object undergoes rigid transformation, some point on the object traces the longest trajectory. The generalized PD between two overlapping objects is defined as the minimum of the longest trajectories of one object under all possible rigid transformations to separate the overlapping objects. We present three new results to compute generalized PD between polyhedral models. First, we show that for two overlapping convex polytopes, the generalized PD is same as the translational PD. Second, when the complement of one of the objects is convex, we pose the generalized PD computation as a variant of the convex containment problem and compute an upper bound using optimization techniques. Finally, when both the objects are non-convex, we treat them as a combination of the above two cases, and present an algorithm that computes a lower and an upper bound on generalized PD. We highlight the performance of our algorithms on different models that undergo rigid motion in the 6-dimensional configuration space. Moreover, we utilize our algorithm for complete motion planning of polygonal robots undergoing translational and rotational motion in a plane. In particular, we use generalized PD computation for checking path non-existence.

Introduction Robots are versatile mechanical devices equipped with actuators and sensors under the control of a computing system. They perform tasks by executing motions in the physical space. This space is populated by various objects and is subject to the laws of nature. A typical task consists of achieving a goal spatial arrangement of objects from a given initial arrangement, for example, assembling a product. Robots are programmable, which means that they can perform a variety of tasks by simply changing the software commanding them. This software embeds robot algorithms, which are abstract descriptions of processes consisting of motions and sensing operations in the physical space. Robot algorithms differ in significant ways from traditional computer algorithms. The latter have full control over, and perfect access to the data they use, letting aside, for example, problems related to floating-point arithmetic. In contrast, robot algorithms eventually apply to physical objects i

We describe the algorithms and implementation details involved in the concretizations of a generic framework that enables exact construction, maintenance, and manipulation of arrangements embedded on certain two-dimensional orientable parametric surfaces in three-dimensional space. The fundamentals of the framework are described in a companion paper. Our work covers arrangements embedded on elliptic quadrics and cyclides induced by intersections with other algebraic surfaces, and a specialized case of arrangements induced by arcs of great circles embedded on the sphere. We also demonstrate how such arrangements can be used to accomplish various geometric tasks efficiently, such as computing the Minkowski sums of polytopes, the envelope of surfaces, and Voronoi diagrams embedded on parametric surfaces. We do not assume general position. Namely, we handle degenerate input, and produce exact results in all cases. Our implementation is realized using Cgal and, in particular, the package that provides the underlying framework. We have conducted experiments on various data sets, and documented the practical efficiency of our approach.

Abstract. We introduce a framework for the construction, maintenance, and manipulation of arrangements of curves embedded on certain two-dimensional orientable parametric surfaces in three-dimensional space. The framework applies to planes, cylinders, spheres, tori, and surfaces homeomorphic to them. We reduce the effort needed to generalize existing algorithms, such as the sweep line and zone traversal algorithms, originally designed for arrangements of bounded curves in the plane, by extensive reuse of code. We have realized our approach as the Cgal package Arrangement on surface 2. We define a compact interface for our framework; only the operations in the interface need to be implemented for a specific application. The companion paper [6] describes concretizations for several types of surfaces and curves embedded on them, and applications. This is the first implementation of a generic algorithm that can handle arrangements on a large class of parametric surfaces.