11 Search Results for "Abel, Zachary"

Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.32
Tetris Is Hard with Just One Piece Type

Authors: MIT Hardness Group, Josh Brunner, Erik D. Demaine, Della Hendrickson, and Jeffery Li

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 366, 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)

Abstract
We analyze the computational complexity of Tetris clearing (determining whether the player can clear an initial board using a given sequence of pieces) and survival (determining whether the player can avoid losing before placing all the given pieces in an initial board) when restricted to a single polyomino piece type. We prove, for any tetromino piece type P except for O, the NP-hardness of Tetris clearing and survival under the standard Super Rotation System (SRS), even when the input sequence consists of only a specified number of P pieces. These surprising results disprove a 23-year-old conjecture on the computational complexity of Tetris with only I pieces (although our result is only for a specific rotation system). As a corollary, we prove the NP-hardness of Tetris clearing when the sequence of pieces has to be able to be generated from a 7k-bag randomizer for any positive integer k ≥ 1. On the positive side, we give polynomial-time algorithms for Tetris clearing and survival when the input sequence consists of only dominoes, assuming a particular rotation model, solving a version of a 9-year-old open problem. Along the way, we give polynomial-time algorithms for Tetris clearing and survival with 1 × k pieces (for any fixed k), provided the top k-1 rows are initially empty, showing that our I NP-hardness result needs to have filled cells in the top three rows.
Cite as

MIT Hardness Group, Josh Brunner, Erik D. Demaine, Della Hendrickson, and Jeffery Li. Tetris Is Hard with Just One Piece Type. In 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 366, pp. 32:1-32:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{mithardnessgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2026.32,
  author =	{MIT Hardness Group and Brunner, Josh and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Della and Li, Jeffery},
  title =	{{Tetris Is Hard with Just One Piece Type}},
  booktitle =	{13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-417-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{366},
  editor =	{Iacono, John},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-257515},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: complexity, hardness, video games, counting}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.49
2D Minimal Graph Rigidity is in NC for One-Crossing-Minor-Free Graphs

Authors: Rohit Gurjar, Kilian Rothmund, and Thomas Thierauf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 364, 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)

Abstract
Minimally rigid graphs can be decided and embedded in the plane efficiently, i.e. in polynomial time. There is also an efficient randomized parallel algorithm, i.e. in RNC. We present an NC-algorithm to decide whether one-crossing-minor-free graphs are minimally rigid. In the special case of K_{3,3}-free graphs, we also compute an infinitesimally rigid embedding in NC.
Cite as

Rohit Gurjar, Kilian Rothmund, and Thomas Thierauf. 2D Minimal Graph Rigidity is in NC for One-Crossing-Minor-Free Graphs. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 49:1-49:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{gurjar_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.49,
  author =	{Gurjar, Rohit and Rothmund, Kilian and Thierauf, Thomas},
  title =	{{2D Minimal Graph Rigidity is in NC for One-Crossing-Minor-Free Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{49:1--49:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-412-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{364},
  editor =	{Mahajan, Meena and Manea, Florin and McIver, Annabelle and Thắng, Nguy\~{ê}n Kim},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.49},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255385},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.49},
  annote =	{Keywords: Graph Rigidity, Parallel Algorithms, Polynomial Identity Testing, Derandomization}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.47
Dudeney’s Dissection Is Optimal

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Tonan Kamata, and Ryuhei Uehara

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract
In 1907, Henry Ernest Dudeney posed a puzzle: "cut any equilateral triangle ... into as few pieces as possible that will fit together and form a perfect square" (without overlap, via translation and rotation). Four weeks later, Dudeney demonstrated a beautiful four-piece solution, which today remains perhaps the most famous example of dissection. In this paper (over a century later), we finally solve Dudeney’s puzzle, by proving that the equilateral triangle and square have no common dissection with three or fewer polygonal pieces. We reduce the problem to the analysis of discrete graph structures representing the correspondence between the edges and the vertices of the pieces forming each polygon.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Tonan Kamata, and Ryuhei Uehara. Dudeney’s Dissection Is Optimal. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 47:1-47:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.47,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Kamata, Tonan and Uehara, Ryuhei},
  title =	{{Dudeney’s Dissection Is Optimal}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{47:1--47:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.47},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253345},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.47},
  annote =	{Keywords: Geometric Dissection, Dudeney Dissection, Dissection with Fewest Pieces}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.28
Sliding Squares in Parallel

Authors: Hugo A. Akitaya, Sándor P. Fekete, Peter Kramer, Saba Molaei, Christian Rieck, Frederick Stock, and Tobias Wallner

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 351, 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)

Abstract
We consider algorithmic problems motivated by modular robotic reconfiguration in the sliding square model, in which we are given n square-shaped modules in a (labeled or unlabeled) start configuration and need to find a schedule of sliding moves to transform it into a desired goal configuration, maintaining connectivity of the configuration at all times. Recent work has aimed at minimizing the total number of moves, resulting in fully sequential schedules that can perform reconfiguration in 𝒪(n²) moves, or 𝒪(nP) for arrangements of bounding box perimeter size P. We provide first results in the sliding square model that exploit parallel motion, performing reconfiguration in worst-case optimal makespan of 𝒪(P). We also provide tight bounds on the complexity of the problem by showing that even deciding the possibility of reconfiguration within makespan 1 is NP-complete in the unlabeled case. In the labeled variant, we note that deciding the same for makespan 2 is NP-complete, while makespan 1 is straightforward.
Cite as

Hugo A. Akitaya, Sándor P. Fekete, Peter Kramer, Saba Molaei, Christian Rieck, Frederick Stock, and Tobias Wallner. Sliding Squares in Parallel. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 28:1-28:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{a.akitaya_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.28,
  author =	{A. Akitaya, Hugo and Fekete, S\'{a}ndor P. and Kramer, Peter and Molaei, Saba and Rieck, Christian and Stock, Frederick and Wallner, Tobias},
  title =	{{Sliding Squares in Parallel}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{28:1--28:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-395-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{351},
  editor =	{Benoit, Anne and Kaplan, Haim and Wild, Sebastian and Herman, Grzegorz},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.28},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244961},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.28},
  annote =	{Keywords: Sliding squares, parallel motion, reconfigurability, motion planning, multi-agent path finding, makespan, swarm robotics, computational geometry}
}
Document
Media Exposition
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.85
Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences for Modular Robots (Media Exposition)

Authors: UML Modular Robotics Group, Hugo A. Akitaya, Andrew Clements, Sam Downey, Jonathan Eisenbies, Soham Samanta, Gabriel Shahrouzi, and Frederick Stock

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 332, 41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025)

Abstract
This paper introduces a set of tools built to help researchers design algorithms for modular robots. These tools can brute force solutions to specific reconfigurations, visualize movements of modular robots, and can be used to design specific configurations of robots. Multiple models of modular robots are supported, and can be added by users.
Cite as

UML Modular Robotics Group, Hugo A. Akitaya, Andrew Clements, Sam Downey, Jonathan Eisenbies, Soham Samanta, Gabriel Shahrouzi, and Frederick Stock. Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences for Modular Robots (Media Exposition). In 41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 332, pp. 85:1-85:5, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{umlmodularroboticsgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.85,
  author =	{UML Modular Robotics Group and A. Akitaya, Hugo and Clements, Andrew and Downey, Sam and Eisenbies, Jonathan and Samanta, Soham and Shahrouzi, Gabriel and Stock, Frederick},
  title =	{{Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences for Modular Robots}},
  booktitle =	{41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025)},
  pages =	{85:1--85:5},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-370-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{332},
  editor =	{Aichholzer, Oswin and Wang, Haitao},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.85},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-232371},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.85},
  annote =	{Keywords: modular reconfigurable robots, sliding cube model, reconfiguration}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2024.1
A Universal In-Place Reconfiguration Algorithm for Sliding Cube-Shaped Robots in a Quadratic Number of Moves

Authors: Zachary Abel, Hugo A. Akitaya, Scott Duke Kominers, Matias Korman, and Frederick Stock

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 293, 40th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2024)

Abstract
In the modular robot reconfiguration problem, we are given n cube-shaped modules (or robots) as well as two configurations, i.e., placements of the n modules so that their union is face-connected. The goal is to find a sequence of moves that reconfigures the modules from one configuration to the other using "sliding moves," in which a module slides over the face or edge of a neighboring module, maintaining connectivity of the configuration at all times. For many years it has been known that certain module configurations in this model require at least Ω(n²) moves to reconfigure between them. In this paper, we introduce the first universal reconfiguration algorithm - i.e., we show that any n-module configuration can reconfigure itself into any specified n-module configuration using just sliding moves. Our algorithm achieves reconfiguration in O(n²) moves, making it asymptotically tight. We also present a variation that reconfigures in-place, it ensures that throughout the reconfiguration process, all modules, except for one, will be contained in the union of the bounding boxes of the start and end configuration.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Hugo A. Akitaya, Scott Duke Kominers, Matias Korman, and Frederick Stock. A Universal In-Place Reconfiguration Algorithm for Sliding Cube-Shaped Robots in a Quadratic Number of Moves. In 40th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 293, pp. 1:1-1:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2024.1,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and A. Akitaya, Hugo and Kominers, Scott Duke and Korman, Matias and Stock, Frederick},
  title =	{{A Universal In-Place Reconfiguration Algorithm for Sliding Cube-Shaped Robots in a Quadratic Number of Moves}},
  booktitle =	{40th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2024)},
  pages =	{1:1--1:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-316-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{293},
  editor =	{Mulzer, Wolfgang and Phillips, Jeff M.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2024.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199468},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2024.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: modular reconfigurable robots, sliding cube model, reconfiguration}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.1
Baba Is Universal

Authors: Zachary Abel and Della Hendrickson

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 291, 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)

Abstract
We consider the computational complexity of constant-area levels of games which allow an unlimited number of objects in a fixed region. We discuss how to prove that such games are RE-hard (and in particular undecidable) and capable of universal computation, even on constant-area levels. We use the puzzle game Baba is You as a case study, showing that 8×17 levels are capable of universal computation by constructing a particular small universal counter machine within Baba is You.
Cite as

Zachary Abel and Della Hendrickson. Baba Is Universal. In 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 291, pp. 1:1-1:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2024.1,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Hendrickson, Della},
  title =	{{Baba Is Universal}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)},
  pages =	{1:1--1:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-314-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{291},
  editor =	{Broder, Andrei Z. and Tamir, Tami},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199093},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Undecidability, Baba is You, RE-hardness, counter machines, universal computation}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33
Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Adam C. Hesterberg, and Jason S. Ku

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 164, 36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020)

Abstract
A closed quasigeodesic is a closed loop on the surface of a polyhedron with at most 180° of surface on both sides at all points; such loops can be locally unfolded straight. In 1949, Pogorelov proved that every convex polyhedron has at least three (non-self-intersecting) closed quasigeodesics, but the proof relies on a nonconstructive topological argument. We present the first finite algorithm to find a closed quasigeodesic on a given convex polyhedron, which is the first positive progress on a 1990 open problem by O'Rourke and Wyman. The algorithm’s running time is pseudopolynomial, namely O(n²/ε² L/𝓁 b) time, where ε is the minimum curvature of a vertex, L is the length of the longest edge, 𝓁 is the smallest distance within a face between a vertex and a nonincident edge (minimum feature size of any face), and b is the maximum number of bits of an integer in a constant-size radical expression of a real number representing the polyhedron. We take special care in the model of computation and needed precision, showing that we can achieve the stated running time on a pointer machine supporting constant-time w-bit arithmetic operations where w = Ω(lg b).
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Adam C. Hesterberg, and Jason S. Ku. Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra. In 36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 164, pp. 33:1-33:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hesterberg, Adam C. and Ku, Jason S.},
  title =	{{Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-143-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{164},
  editor =	{Cabello, Sergio and Chen, Danny Z.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-121912},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: polyhedra, geodesic, pseudopolynomial, geometric precision}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3
Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible

Authors: Zachary Abel, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Linus Hamilton, Adam Hesterberg, Justin Kopinsky, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)

Abstract
We analyze the computational complexity of the many types of pencil-and-paper-style puzzles featured in the 2016 puzzle video game The Witness. In all puzzles, the goal is to draw a path in a rectangular grid graph from a start vertex to a destination vertex. The different puzzle types place different constraints on the path: preventing some edges from being visited (broken edges); forcing some edges or vertices to be visited (hexagons); forcing some cells to have certain numbers of incident path edges (triangles); or forcing the regions formed by the path to be partially monochromatic (squares), have exactly two special cells (stars), or be singly covered by given shapes (polyominoes) and/or negatively counting shapes (antipolyominoes). We show that any one of these clue types (except the first) is enough to make path finding NP-complete ("witnesses exist but are hard to find"), even for rectangular boards. Furthermore, we show that a final clue type (antibody), which necessarily "cancels" the effect of another clue in the same region, makes path finding Sigma_2-complete ("witnesses do not exist"), even with a single antibody (combined with many anti/polyominoes), and the problem gets no harder with many antibodies.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Linus Hamilton, Adam Hesterberg, Justin Kopinsky, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy. Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 3:1-3:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Bosboom, Jeffrey and Demaine, Erik D. and Hamilton, Linus and Hesterberg, Adam and Kopinsky, Justin and Lynch, Jayson and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-87944},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, puzzles, hardness}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3
Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity

Authors: Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Jayson Lynch, and Tao B. Schardl

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 51, 32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016)

Abstract
We exactly settle the complexity of graph realization, graph rigidity, and graph global rigidity as applied to three types of graphs: "globally noncrossing" graphs, which avoid crossings in all of their configurations; matchstick graphs, with unit-length edges and where only noncrossing configurations are considered; and unrestricted graphs (crossings allowed) with unit edge lengths (or in the global rigidity case, edge lengths in {1,2}). We show that all nine of these questions are complete for the class Exists-R, defined by the Existential Theory of the Reals, or its complement Forall-R; in particular, each problem is (co)NP-hard. One of these nine results - that realization of unit-distance graphs is Exists-R-complete - was shown previously by Schaefer (2013), but the other eight are new. We strengthen several prior results. Matchstick graph realization was known to be NP-hard (Eades & Wormald 1990, or Cabello et al. 2007), but its membership in NP remained open; we show it is complete for the (possibly) larger class Exists-R. Global rigidity of graphs with edge lengths in {1,2} was known to be coNP-hard (Saxe 1979); we show it is Forall-R-complete. The majority of the paper is devoted to proving an analog of Kempe's Universality Theorem - informally, "there is a linkage to sign your name" - for globally noncrossing linkages. In particular, we show that any polynomial curve phi(x,y)=0 can be traced by a noncrossing linkage, settling an open problem from 2004. More generally, we show that the nontrivial regions in the plane that may be traced by a noncrossing linkage are precisely the compact semialgebraic regions. Thus, no drawing power is lost by restricting to noncrossing linkages. We prove analogous results for matchstick linkages and unit-distance linkages as well.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Jayson Lynch, and Tao B. Schardl. Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity. In 32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 51, pp. 3:1-3:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Lynch, Jayson and Schardl, Tao B.},
  title =	{{Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity}},
  booktitle =	{32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-009-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{51},
  editor =	{Fekete, S\'{a}ndor and Lubiw, Anna},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58951},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: Graph Drawing, Graph Rigidity Theory, Graph Global Rigidity, Linkages, Complexity Theory, Computational Geometry}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269
Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards

Authors: Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Anna Lubiw, André Schulz, Diane L. Souvaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Andrew Winslow

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 20, 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)

Abstract
We prove that every simple polygon can be made as a (2D) pop-up card/book that opens to any desired angle between 0 and 360°. More precisely, given a simple polygon attached to the two walls of the open pop-up, our polynomial-time algorithm subdivides the polygon into a single-degree-of-freedom linkage structure, such that closing the pop-up flattens the linkage without collision. This result solves an open problem of Hara and Sugihara from 2009. We also show how to obtain a more efficient construction for the special case of orthogonal polygons, and how to make 3D orthogonal polyhedra, from pop-ups that open to 90°, 180°, 270°, or 360°.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Anna Lubiw, André Schulz, Diane L. Souvaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Andrew Winslow. Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards. In 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 20, pp. 269-280, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2013)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Lubiw, Anna and Schulz, Andr\'{e} and Souvaine, Diane L. and Viglietta, Giovanni and Winslow, Andrew},
  title =	{{Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards}},
  booktitle =	{30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)},
  pages =	{269--280},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-50-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2013},
  volume =	{20},
  editor =	{Portier, Natacha and Wilke, Thomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-39407},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269},
  annote =	{Keywords: geometric folding, linkages, universality}
}
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