An Optimal-Time Algorithm for Shortest Paths on a Convex Polytope in Three Dimensions

We present an optimal-time algorithm for computing (an implicit representation of) the shortest-path map from a fixed source s on the surface of a convex polytope P in three dimensions. Our algorithm runs in O ( n log  n ) time and requires O ( n log  n ) space, where n is the number of edges of P ....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Discrete & computational geometry Vol. 39; no. 1-3; pp. 500 - 579
Main Authors: Schreiber, Yevgeny, Sharir, Micha
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.03.2008
Springer Nature B.V
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ISSN:0179-5376, 1432-0444
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Summary:We present an optimal-time algorithm for computing (an implicit representation of) the shortest-path map from a fixed source s on the surface of a convex polytope P in three dimensions. Our algorithm runs in O ( n log  n ) time and requires O ( n log  n ) space, where n is the number of edges of P . The algorithm is based on the O ( n log  n ) algorithm of Hershberger and Suri for shortest paths in the plane (Hershberger, J., Suri, S. in SIAM J. Comput. 28(6):2215–2256, 1999 ), and similarly follows the continuous Dijkstra paradigm, which propagates a “wavefront” from  s along  ∂ P . This is effected by generalizing the concept of conforming subdivision of the free space introduced by Hershberger and Suri and by adapting it for the case of a convex polytope in ℝ 3 , allowing the algorithm to accomplish the propagation in discrete steps, between the “transparent” edges of the subdivision. The algorithm constructs a dynamic version of Mount’s data structure (Mount, D.M. in Discrete Comput. Geom. 2:153–174, 1987 ) that implicitly encodes the shortest paths from  s to all other points of the surface. This structure allows us to answer single-source shortest-path queries, where the length of the path, as well as its combinatorial type, can be reported in O (log  n ) time; the actual path can be reported in additional O ( k ) time, where k is the number of polytope edges crossed by the path. The algorithm generalizes to the case of m source points to yield an implicit representation of the geodesic Voronoi diagram of m sites on the surface of  P , in time  O (( n + m )log ( n + m )), so that the site closest to a query point can be reported in time  O (log ( n + m )).
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ISSN:0179-5376
1432-0444
DOI:10.1007/s00454-007-9031-0