New applications of random sampling in computational geometry

Voronoi diagrams—a survey of a fundamental geometric data structure

Abstract: Computational geometry is concerned with the design and analysis of algorithms for geometrical problems. In addition, other more practically oriented, areas of computer science— such as computer graphics, computer-aided design, robotics, pattern recognition, and operations research—give rise to problems that inherently are geometrical. This is one reason computational geometry has attracted enormous research interest in the past decade and is a well-established area today. (For standard sources, we refer to the survey article by Lee and Preparata [19841 and to the textbooks by Preparata and Shames [1985] and Edelsbrunner [1987bl.) Readers familiar with the literature of computational geometry will have noticed, especially in the last few years, an increasing interest in a geometrical construct called the Voronoi diagram. This trend can also be observed in combinatorial geometry and in a considerable number of articles in natural science journals that address the Voronoi diagram under different names specific to the respective area. Given some number of points in the plane, their Voronoi diagram divides the plane according to the nearest-neighbor

Applications of random sampling in computational geometry, II

Abstract: Random sampling is used for several new geometric algorithms. The algorithms are “Las Vegas,” and their expected bounds are with respect to the random behavior of the algorithms. One algorithm reports all the intersecting pairs of a set of line segments in the plane, and requires O(A + n log n) expected time, where A is the size of the answer, the number of intersecting pairs reported. The algorithm requires O(n) space in the worst case. Another algorithm computes the convex hull of a point set in E3 in O(n log A) expected time, where n is the number of points and A is the number of points on the surface of the hull. A simple Las Vegas algorithm triangulates simple polygons in O(n log log n) expected time. Algorithms for half-space range reporting are also given. In addition, this paper gives asymptotically tight bounds for a combinatorial quantity of interest in discrete and computational geometry, related to halfspace partitions of point sets.

Data structures and algorithms for nearest neighbor search in general metric spaces

Abstract: We consider the computational problem of finding nearest neighbors in general metric spaces. Of particular interest are spaces that may not be conveniently embedded or approximated in Euclidian space, or where the dimensionality of a Euclidian representation 1s very high. Also relevant are high-dimensional Euclidian settings in which the distribution of data is in some sense of lower dimension and embedded in the space. The up-tree (vantage point tree) is introduced in several forms, together‘ with &&ciated algorithms, as an improved method for these difficult search nroblems. Tree construcI tion executes in O(nlog(n i ) time, and search is under certain circumstances and in the imit, O(log(n)) expected time. The theoretical basis for this approach is developed and the results of several experiments are reported. In Euclidian cases, kd-tree performance is compared.

High-speed policy-based packet forwarding using efficient multi-dimensional range matching

Abstract: The ability to provide differentiated services to users with widely varying requirements is becoming increasingly important, and Internet Service Providers would like to provide these differentiated services using the same shared network infrastructure. The key mechanism, that enables differentiation in a connectionless network, is the packet classification function that parses the headers of the packets, and after determining their context, classifies them based on administrative policies or real-time reservation decisions. Packet classification, however, is a complex operation that can become the bottleneck in routers that try to support gigabit link capacities. Hence, many proposals for differentiated services only require classification at lower speed edge routers and also avoid classification based on multiple fields in the packet header even if it might be advantageous to service providers. In this paper, we present new packet classification schemes that, with a worst-case and traffic-independent performance metric, can classify packets, by checking amongst a few thousand filtering rules, at rates of a million packets per second using range matches on more than 4 packet header fields. For a special case of classification in two dimensions, we present an algorithm that can handle more than 128K rules at these speeds in a traffic independent manner. We emphasize worst-case performance over average case performance because providing differentiated services requires intelligent queueing and scheduling of packets that precludes any significant queueing before the differentiating step (i.e., before packet classification). The presented filtering or classification schemes can be used to classify packets for security policy enforcement, applying resource management decisions, flow identification for RSVP reservations, multicast look-ups, and for source-destination and policy based routing. The scalability and performance of the algorithms have been demonstrated by implementation and testing in a prototype system.

Coresets, sparse greedy approximation, and the Frank-Wolfe algorithm

Abstract: The problem of maximizing a concave function f(x) in the unit simplex Δ can be solved approximately by a simple greedy algorithm. For given k, the algorithm can find a point x(k) on a k-dimensional face of Δ, such that f(x(k) ≥ f(xa) − O(1/k). Here f(xa) is the maximum value of f in Δ, and the constant factor depends on f. This algorithm and analysis were known before, and related to problems of statistics and machine learning, such as boosting, regression, and density mixture estimation. In other work, coming from computational geometry, the existence of ϵ-coresets was shown for the minimum enclosing ball problem by means of a simple greedy algorithm. Similar greedy algorithms, which are special cases of the Frank-Wolfe algorithm, were described for other enclosure problems. Here these results are tied together, stronger convergence results are reviewed, and several coreset bounds are generalized or strengthened.

The Art of Computer Programming

Abstract: A fuel pin hold-down and spacing apparatus for use in nuclear reactors is disclosed. Fuel pins forming a hexagonal array are spaced apart from each other and held-down at their lower end, securely attached at two places along their length to one of a plurality of vertically disposed parallel plates arranged in horizontally spaced rows. These plates are in turn spaced apart from each other and held together by a combination of spacing and fastening means. The arrangement of this invention provides a strong vibration free hold-down mechanism while avoiding a large pressure drop to the flow of coolant fluid. This apparatus is particularly useful in connection with liquid cooled reactors such as liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors.

Computational geometry. an introduction

Abstract: From the reviews: "This book offers a coherent treatment, at the graduate textbook level, of the field that has come to be known in the last decade or so as computational geometry...The book is well organized and lucidly written; a timely contribution by two founders of the field. It clearly demonstrates that computational geometry in the plane is now a fairly well-understood branch of computer science and mathematics. It also points the way to the solution of the more challenging problems in dimensions higher than two."

On the Uniform Convergence of Relative Frequencies of Events to Their Probabilities

Abstract: This chapter reproduces the English translation by B. Seckler of the paper by Vapnik and Chervonenkis in which they gave proofs for the innovative results they had obtained in a draft form in July 1966 and announced in 1968 in their note in Soviet Mathematics Doklady. The paper was first published in Russian as Вапник В. Н. and Червоненкис А. Я. О равномерноЙ сходимости частот появления событиЙ к их вероятностям. Теория вероятностеЙ и ее применения 16(2), 264–279 (1971).

Computational Geometry: An Introduction

Abstract: From the reviews: "This book offers a coherent treatment, at the graduate textbook level, of the field that has come to be known in the last decade or so as computational geometry...The book is well organized and lucidly written; a timely contribution by two founders of the field. It clearly demonstrates that computational geometry in the plane is now a fairly well-understood branch of computer science and mathematics. It also points the way to the solution of the more challenging problems in dimensions higher than two."