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Workshop on Algorithms and Data Structures

WADS 1991: Algorithms and Data Structures pp 331–342Cite as

Computing minimum length paths of a given homotopy class

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 519))

Abstract

In this abstract, we use the universal covering space of a surface to generalize previous results on computing paths in a simple polygon. We look at optimizing paths among obstacles in the plane under the Euclidean and link metrics and polygonal convex distance functions. The universal cover is a unifying framework that reveals connections between minimum paths under these three distance functions, as well as yielding simpler linear-time algorithms for shortest path trees and minimum link paths in simple polygons.

(extended abstract)

This research was supported by Digital Equipment Corporation and the ESPRIT Basic Research Action No. 3075 (project ALCOM).

On leave from the Department of Computer Science of the University of British Columbia. Portions of this research was performed while at the Computer Science Department of Stanford University.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DEC Systems Research Center, USA

    John Hershberger

  2. Department of Computer Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

    Jack Snoeyink

Authors
  1. John Hershberger
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  2. Jack Snoeyink
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Editor information

Frank Dehne Jörg-Rüdiger Sack Nicola Santoro

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Hershberger, J., Snoeyink, J. (1991). Computing minimum length paths of a given homotopy class. In: Dehne, F., Sack, JR., Santoro, N. (eds) Algorithms and Data Structures. WADS 1991. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 519. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0028273

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0028273

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-54343-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47566-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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