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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.26

Finding a Fair Scoring Function for Top-k Selection: From Hardness to Practice

Authors: Guangya Cai

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 367, 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)

Abstract

We study the problem of finding a fair linear scoring function over (numerical) attributes for top-k selection, ensuring fairness through a proportional representation constraint on the protected group. Existing algorithms do not scale efficiently, particularly in higher dimensions. Our hardness analysis shows that in more than two dimensions, no algorithm is likely to scale efficiently with respect to dataset size, and the computational complexity is likely to grow rapidly with dimensionality. However, the hardness results also provide key insights guiding algorithm design, leading to our two-pronged solution: (1) For small k, our analysis reveals a gap in the hardness barrier. By addressing various engineering challenges, including achieving efficient parallelism, we turn this potential of efficiency into an optimized geometry-based algorithm delivering substantial performance gains. (2) For large k, where the hardness is robust, we employ a practically efficient optimization-based algorithm which, despite being theoretically worse, achieves superior real-world performance. Experimental evaluations on real-world datasets then explore scenarios where worst-case behavior does not manifest, identifying areas critical to practical performance. Our solution achieves speedups of up to several orders of magnitude compared to the state of the art, an efficiency made possible through a tight integration of hardness analysis, algorithm design, practical engineering, and empirical evaluation.

Cite as

Guangya Cai. Finding a Fair Scoring Function for Top-k Selection: From Hardness to Practice. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 26:1-26:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{cai:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.26,
  author =	{Cai, Guangya},
  title =	{{Finding a Fair Scoring Function for Top-k Selection: From Hardness to Practice}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{26:1--26:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.26},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258320},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.26},
  annote =	{Keywords: Fairness, Top-k, Integration}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19

Splitting Sandwiches Unevenly via Unique Sink Orientations and Rainbow Arrangements

Authors: Michaela Borzechowski, Sebastian Haslebacher, Hung P. Hoang, Patrick Schnider, and Simon Weber

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 367, 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)

Abstract

The famous Ham-Sandwich theorem states that any d point sets in ℝ^d can be simultaneously bisected by a single hyperplane. The α-Ham-Sandwich theorem gives a sufficient condition for the existence of biased cuts, i.e., hyperplanes that do not cut off half but some prescribed fraction of each point set. We give two new proofs for this theorem. The first proof is completely combinatorial and highlights a strong connection between the α-Ham-Sandwich theorem and Unique Sink Orientations of grids. The second proof uses point-hyperplane duality and the Poincaré-Miranda theorem and allows us to generalize the result to and beyond oriented matroids. For this we introduce a new concept of rainbow arrangements, generalizing colored pseudo-hyperplane arrangements. Along the way, we also show that the realizability problem for rainbow arrangements is ∃ℝ-complete, which also implies that the realizability problem for grid Unique Sink Orientations is ∃ℝ-complete.

Cite as

Michaela Borzechowski, Sebastian Haslebacher, Hung P. Hoang, Patrick Schnider, and Simon Weber. Splitting Sandwiches Unevenly via Unique Sink Orientations and Rainbow Arrangements. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 19:1-19:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{borzechowski_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19,
  author =	{Borzechowski, Michaela and Haslebacher, Sebastian and Hoang, Hung P. and Schnider, Patrick and Weber, Simon},
  title =	{{Splitting Sandwiches Unevenly via Unique Sink Orientations and Rainbow Arrangements}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258250},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: \alpha-Ham-Sandwich Theorem, Pseudo-Hyperplanes, Arrangements, Unique Sink Orientations, Oriented Matroids}
}

@InProceedings{borzechowski_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19,
  author =	{Borzechowski, Michaela and Haslebacher, Sebastian and Hoang, Hung P. and Schnider, Patrick and Weber, Simon},
  title =	{{Splitting Sandwiches Unevenly via Unique Sink Orientations and Rainbow Arrangements}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258250},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: \alpha-Ham-Sandwich Theorem, Pseudo-Hyperplanes, Arrangements, Unique Sink Orientations, Oriented Matroids}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.20

The Spanning Ratio of the Directed Θ₆-Graph Is 5

Authors: Prosenjit Bose, Jean-Lou De Carufel, John Stuart, and Darryl Hill

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 367, 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)

Abstract

Given a finite set P ⊂ ℝ², the directed Theta-6 graph, denoted Θ₆(P), is a well-studied geometric graph due to its close relationship with the Delaunay triangulation. The Θ₆(P)-graph is defined as follows: the plane around each point u ∈ P is partitioned into 6 equiangular cones with apex u, and in each cone, u is joined to the point whose projection on the bisector of the cone is closest. Equivalently, the Θ₆(P)-graph contains an edge from u to v exactly when the interior of ∇_u^v is disjoint from P, where ∇_u^v is the unique equilateral triangle containing u on a corner, v on the opposite side, and whose sides are parallel to the cone boundaries. It was previously shown that the spanning ratio of the Θ₆(P)-graph is between 4 and 7 in the worst case (Akitaya, Biniaz, and Bose Comput. Geom., 105-106:101881, 2022). We close this gap by showing a tight spanning ratio of 5. This is the first tight bound proven for the spanning ratio of any Θ_k(P)-graph. Our lower bound models a long path by mapping it to a converging series. Our upper bound proof uses techniques novel to the area of spanners. We use linear programming to prove that among several candidate paths, there exists a path satisfying our bound.

Cite as

Prosenjit Bose, Jean-Lou De Carufel, John Stuart, and Darryl Hill. The Spanning Ratio of the Directed Θ₆-Graph Is 5. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 20:1-20:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{bose_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.20,
  author =	{Bose, Prosenjit and De Carufel, Jean-Lou and Stuart, John and Hill, Darryl},
  title =	{{The Spanning Ratio of the Directed \Theta₆-Graph Is 5}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{20:1--20:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.20},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258268},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.20},
  annote =	{Keywords: Geometric Spanners, Theta Graphs, Directed Theta Graphs, Spanning Ratio, Computational Geometry}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.46

Realizing Metric Spaces with Convex Obstacles

Authors: Sándor Kisfaludi-Bak and Leonidas Theocharous

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 359, 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)

Abstract

The presence of obstacles has a significant impact on distance computation, motion-planning, and visibility. These problems have been studied extensively in the planar setting, while our understanding of these problems in 3- and higher-dimensional spaces is still rudimentary. In this paper, we study the impact of different types of obstacles on the induced geodesic metric in 3-dimensional Euclidean space. We say that a finite metric space (X, dist_X) is approximately realizable by a collection 𝒯 of obstacles in ℝ³ if for any ε > 0 it can be embedded into (ℝ³⧵⋃_{T∈𝒯} T, dist_𝒯) with worst-case multiplicative distortion 1+ε, where dist_𝒯 denotes the geodesic distance in the free space induced by 𝒯. We focus on three key geometric properties of obstacles -convexity, disjointness, and fatness- and examine how dropping each one of them affects the existence of such embeddings. Our main result concerns dropping the fatness property: we demonstrate that any finite metric space is realizable with 1+ε worst-case multiplicative distortion using a collection of convex and pairwise disjoint obstacles in ℝ³, even if the obstacles are congruent and equilateral triangles. Based on the same construction, we can also show that if we require fatness but drop any of the other two properties instead, then we can still approximately realize any finite metric space. Our results have important implications on the approximability of tsp with obstacles, a natural variant of tsp introduced recently by Alkema et al. (ESA 2022). Specifically, we use the recent results of Banerjee et al. on tsp in doubling spaces (FOCS 2024) and of Chew et al. on distances among obstacles (Inf. Process. Lett. 2002) to show that tsp with obstacles admits a PTAS if the obstacles are convex, fat, and pairwise disjoint. If any of these three properties is dropped, then our results, combined with the APX-hardness of Metric tsp, demonstrate that tsp with obstacles is APX-hard.

Cite as

Sándor Kisfaludi-Bak and Leonidas Theocharous. Realizing Metric Spaces with Convex Obstacles. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 46:1-46:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{kisfaludibak_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.46,
  author =	{Kisfaludi-Bak, S\'{a}ndor and Theocharous, Leonidas},
  title =	{{Realizing Metric Spaces with Convex Obstacles}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{46:1--46:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-408-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{359},
  editor =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Hon, Wing-Kai and Tsai, Meng-Tsung},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.46},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249545},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.46},
  annote =	{Keywords: traveling salesman, geodesic distance}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.GD.2025.23

The Price of Connectivity Augmentation on Planar Graphs

Authors: Hugo A. Akitaya, Justin Dallant, Erik D. Demaine, Michael Kaufmann, Linda Kleist, Frederick Stock, Csaba D. Tóth, and Torsten Ueckerdt

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 357, 33rd International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization (GD 2025)

Abstract

Given two classes of graphs, 𝒢₁ ⊆ 𝒢₂, and a c-connected graph G ∈ 𝒢₁, we wish to augment G with a smallest cardinality set of new edges F to obtain a k-connected graph G' = (V,E∪ F) ∈ 𝒢₂. In general, this is the c → k connectivity augmentation problem. Previous research considered variants where 𝒢₁ = 𝒢₂ is the class of planar graphs, plane graphs, or planar straight-line graphs. In all three settings, we prove that the c → k augmentation problem is NP-complete when 2 ≤ c < k ≤ 5. However, the connectivity of the augmented graph G' is at most 5 if 𝒢₂ is limited to planar graphs. We initiate the study of the c → k connectivity augmentation problem for arbitrary k ∈ ℕ, where 𝒢₁ is the class of planar graphs, plane graphs, or planar straight-line graphs, and 𝒢₂ is a beyond-planar class of graphs: 𝓁-planar, 𝓁-plane topological, or 𝓁-plane geometric graphs. We obtain tight bounds on the tradeoffs between the desired connectivity k and the local crossing number 𝓁 of the augmented graph G'. We also show that our hardness results apply to this setting. The connectivity augmentation problem for triangulations is intimately related to edge flips; and the minimum augmentation problem to the flip distance between triangulations. We prove that it is NP-complete to find the minimum flip distance between a given triangulation and a 4-connected triangulation, settling an open problem posed in 2014, and present an EPTAS for this problem.

Cite as

Hugo A. Akitaya, Justin Dallant, Erik D. Demaine, Michael Kaufmann, Linda Kleist, Frederick Stock, Csaba D. Tóth, and Torsten Ueckerdt. The Price of Connectivity Augmentation on Planar Graphs. In 33rd International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization (GD 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 357, pp. 23:1-23:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{a.akitaya_et_al:LIPIcs.GD.2025.23,
  author =	{A. Akitaya, Hugo and Dallant, Justin and Demaine, Erik D. and Kaufmann, Michael and Kleist, Linda and Stock, Frederick and T\'{o}th, Csaba D. and Ueckerdt, Torsten},
  title =	{{The Price of Connectivity Augmentation on Planar Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{33rd International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization (GD 2025)},
  pages =	{23:1--23:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-403-1},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{357},
  editor =	{Dujmovi\'{c}, Vida and Montecchiani, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.GD.2025.23},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-250095},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.GD.2025.23},
  annote =	{Keywords: connectivity augmentation, local crossing number, flip distance}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.64

A Dynamic Piecewise-Linear Geometric Index with Worst-Case Guarantees

Authors: Emil Toftegaard Gæde, Ivor van der Hoog, Eva Rotenberg, and Tord Stordalen

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

Abstract

Indexing data is a fundamental problem in computer science. The input is a set S of n distinct integers from a universe 𝒰. Indexing queries take a value q ∈ 𝒰 and return the membership, predecessor or rank of q in S. A range query takes two values q, r ∈ 𝒰 and returns the set S ∩ [q,r]. Recently, various papers study a special case where the the input data behaves in an approximately piece-wise linear way. Given the sorted (rank,value) pairs, and given some constant ε, one wants to maintain a small number of axis-disjoint line-segments such that, for each rank, the value is within ± ε of the corresponding line-segment. Ferragina and Vinciguerra (VLDB 2020) observe that this geometric problem is useful for solving indexing problems, particularly when the number of line-segments is small compared to the size of the dataset. We study the dynamic version of this geometric problem. In the dynamic setting, inserting or deleting just one data point may cause up to three line-segments to be merged, or one line-segment to be split at most three-way. To determine and compute this, we use techniques from dynamic maintenance of convex hulls, and provide new algorithms with worst-case guarantees, including an O(log n) algorithm to compute a separating line between two non-intersecting convex hulls - an operation previously missing from the literature. We then use our fully-dynamic geometry-based subroutine in an indexing data structure, combining it with a natural hashing technique. The resulting indexing data structure has theoretically efficient worst-case guarantees in expectation. We compare its practical performance to the solution of Ferragina and Vinciguerra, which was shown to perform better in certain structured settings [Sun, Zhou, Li VLDB 2023]. Our empirical analysis shows that our solution supports more efficient range queries in the special case where the update sequence contains many deletions.

Cite as

Emil Toftegaard Gæde, Ivor van der Hoog, Eva Rotenberg, and Tord Stordalen. A Dynamic Piecewise-Linear Geometric Index with Worst-Case Guarantees. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 64:1-64:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{gaede_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.64,
  author =	{G{\ae}de, Emil Toftegaard and van der Hoog, Ivor and Rotenberg, Eva and Stordalen, Tord},
  title =	{{A Dynamic Piecewise-Linear Geometric Index with Worst-Case Guarantees}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{64:1--64:18},
  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.2025.64},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-245323},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.64},
  annote =	{Keywords: Algorithms Engineering, Data Structures, Indexing, Convex Hulls}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.9

Online Routing in Directed Yao₄^∞ Graphs

Authors: Prosenjit Bose, Jean-Lou De Carufel, and John Stuart

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 349, 19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025)

Abstract

The x⃑{Yao₄^∞} and x⃑{Yao₄} graphs are two families of directed geometric graphs whose vertices are points in the plane, and each vertex has up to four outgoing edges. Consider a horizontal and a vertical line through each vertex v, defining four quadrants around v. Then v has an outgoing edge to the closest vertex in each of its four quadrants. When the distance is measured using the Euclidean norm, the resulting graph is the x⃑{Yao₄} graph, whereas with the L_∞-norm, we obtain the x⃑{Yao^{∞}₄} graph, which is a sub-graph of the well-known L_∞-Delaunay graph. In this paper, we provide a local routing algorithm with routing ratio at most 85.22 for x⃑{Yao^{∞}₄} graphs. Prior to this work, no constant spanning or routing ratios for x⃑{Yao₄^∞} graphs were previously known. Now, x⃑{Yao₄^∞} graphs are the sparsest family of directed planar graphs supporting a competitive local routing strategy. Furthermore, we show that no local routing algorithm for x⃑{Yao₄^∞} graphs can have a routing ratio lower than 7+√2≈ 8.41. Moreover, we prove that the spanning ratio is at least 5+√2≈ 6.41 in the worst case. The techniques we develop in this paper also allow us to prove lower bounds of 7-√3+√{5-2√3}≈ 6.51 and 7+√2 for the spanning and routing ratios of x⃑{Yao₄}, respectively.

Cite as

Prosenjit Bose, Jean-Lou De Carufel, and John Stuart. Online Routing in Directed Yao₄^∞ Graphs. In 19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 349, pp. 9:1-9:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{bose_et_al:LIPIcs.WADS.2025.9,
  author =	{Bose, Prosenjit and De Carufel, Jean-Lou and Stuart, John},
  title =	{{Online Routing in Directed Yao₄^∞ Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025)},
  pages =	{9:1--9:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-398-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{349},
  editor =	{Morin, Pat and Oh, Eunjin},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.9},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-242404},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.9},
  annote =	{Keywords: Geometric Spanners, Yao Graphs, Local Routing Algorithms}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.34

Link Diameter, Radius and 2-Point Link Distance Queries in Polygonal Domains

Authors: Mart Hagedoorn and Valentin Polishchuk

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 349, 19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025)

Abstract

We show how to preprocess a polygonal domain with holes so that the link distance (the number of links in a minimum-link path) between two query points in the domain can be reported efficiently. Using our data structures, the link diameter of the domain (i.e., the maximum number of links that may be required in a minimum-link path between two points in the domain) as well as the link center and radius of the domain (i.e., the point minimizing the maximum link distance to the furthest point in the domain and this maximum link distance) can be found in polynomial time. We also give a simpler algorithm for finding the link diameter, not using the link distance query structures. Answering 2-point link distance queries and computing the link diameter/radius/center in polygonal domains have been open questions since these problems were studied for simple polygons in the 90’s.

Cite as

Mart Hagedoorn and Valentin Polishchuk. Link Diameter, Radius and 2-Point Link Distance Queries in Polygonal Domains. In 19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 349, pp. 34:1-34:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{hagedoorn_et_al:LIPIcs.WADS.2025.34,
  author =	{Hagedoorn, Mart and Polishchuk, Valentin},
  title =	{{Link Diameter, Radius and 2-Point Link Distance Queries in Polygonal Domains}},
  booktitle =	{19th International Symposium on Algorithms and Data Structures (WADS 2025)},
  pages =	{34:1--34:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-398-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{349},
  editor =	{Morin, Pat and Oh, Eunjin},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.34},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-242659},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.WADS.2025.34},
  annote =	{Keywords: Minimum-link paths, link distance, diameter, center, radius, 2-point distance queries}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.59

Incremental Planar Nearest Neighbor Queries with Optimal Query Time

Authors: John Iacono and Yakov Nekrich

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

Abstract

In this paper we show that two-dimensional nearest neighbor queries can be answered in optimal O(log n) time while supporting insertions in O(log^{1+ε} n) time. No previous data structure was known that supports O(log n)-time queries and polylog-time insertions. In order to achieve logarithmic queries our data structure uses a new technique related to fractional cascading that leverages the inherent geometry of this problem. Our method can be also used in other semi-dynamic scenarios.

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John Iacono and Yakov Nekrich. Incremental Planar Nearest Neighbor Queries with Optimal Query Time. In 41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 332, pp. 59:1-59:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{iacono_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.59,
  author =	{Iacono, John and Nekrich, Yakov},
  title =	{{Incremental Planar Nearest Neighbor Queries with Optimal Query Time}},
  booktitle =	{41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025)},
  pages =	{59:1--59:15},
  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.2025.59},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-232117},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.59},
  annote =	{Keywords: Data Structures, Dynamic Data Structures, Nearest Neighbor Queries}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2025.70

Colorful Vertex Recoloring of Bipartite Graphs

Authors: Boaz Patt-Shamir, Adi Rosén, and Seeun William Umboh

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 327, 42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025)

Abstract

We consider the problem of vertex recoloring: we are given n vertices with their initial coloring, and edges arrive in an online fashion. The algorithm is required to maintain a valid coloring by means of vertex recoloring, where recoloring a vertex incurs a cost. The problem abstracts a scenario of job placement in machines (possibly in the cloud), where vertices represent jobs, colors represent machines, and edges represent "anti affinity" (disengagement) constraints. Online coloring in this setting is a hard problem, and only a few cases were analyzed. One family of instances which is fairly well-understood is bipartite graphs, i.e., instances in which two colors are sufficient to satisfy all constraints. In this case it is known that the competitive ratio of vertex recoloring is Θ(log n). In this paper we propose a generalization of the problem, which allows using additional colors (possibly at a higher cost), to improve overall performance. Concretely, we analyze the simple case of bipartite graphs of bounded largest bond (a bond of a connected graph is an edge-cut that partitions the graph into two connected components). From the upper bound perspective, we propose two algorithms. One algorithm exhibits a trade-off for the uniform-cost case: given Ω(logβ) ≤ c ≤ O(log n) colors, the algorithm guarantees that its cost is at most O((log n)/c) times the optimal offline cost for two colors, where n is the number of vertices and β is the size of the largest bond of the graph. The other algorithm is designed for the case where the additional colors come at a higher cost, D > 1: given Δ additional colors, where Δ is the maximum degree in the graph, the algorithm guarantees a competitive ratio of O(log D). From the lower bounds viewpoint, we show that if the cost of the extra colors is D > 1, no algorithm (even randomized) can achieve a competitive ratio of o(log D). We also show that in the case of general bipartite graphs (i.e., of unbounded bond size), any deterministic online algorithm has competitive ratio Ω(min(D,log n)).

Cite as

Boaz Patt-Shamir, Adi Rosén, and Seeun William Umboh. Colorful Vertex Recoloring of Bipartite Graphs. In 42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 327, pp. 70:1-70:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{pattshamir_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2025.70,
  author =	{Patt-Shamir, Boaz and Ros\'{e}n, Adi and Umboh, Seeun William},
  title =	{{Colorful Vertex Recoloring of Bipartite Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025)},
  pages =	{70:1--70:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-365-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{327},
  editor =	{Beyersdorff, Olaf and Pilipczuk, Micha{\l} and Pimentel, Elaine 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.2025.70},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-228955},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2025.70},
  annote =	{Keywords: online algorithms, competitive analysis, resource augmentation, graph coloring}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.8

Testing Polynomials for Vanishing on Cartesian Products of Planar Point Sets

Authors: Boris Aronov, Esther Ezra, and Micha Sharir

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

Abstract

We present subquadratic algorithms, in the algebraic decision-tree model of computation, for detecting whether there exists a triple of points, belonging to three respective sets A, B, and C of points in the plane, that satisfy a certain polynomial equation or two equations. The best known instance of such a problem is testing for the existence of a collinear triple of points in A×B×C, a classical 3SUM-hard problem that has so far defied any attempt to obtain a subquadratic solution, whether in the (uniform) real RAM model, or in the algebraic decision-tree model. While we are still unable to solve this problem, in full generality, in subquadratic time, we obtain such a solution, in the algebraic decision-tree model, that uses only roughly O(n^(28/15)) constant-degree polynomial sign tests, for the special case where two of the sets lie on one-dimensional curves and the third is placed arbitrarily in the plane. Our technique is fairly general, and applies to any other problem where we seek a triple that satisfies a single polynomial equation, e.g., determining whether A× B× C contains a triple spanning a unit-area triangle. This result extends recent work by Barba et al. [Luis Barba et al., 2019] and by Chan [Timothy M. Chan, 2020], where all three sets A, B, and C are assumed to be one-dimensional. While there are common features in the high-level approaches, here and in [Luis Barba et al., 2019], the actual analysis in this work becomes more involved and requires new methods and techniques, involving polynomial partitions and other related tools. As a second application of our technique, we again have three n-point sets A, B, and C in the plane, and we want to determine whether there exists a triple (a,b,c) ∈ A×B×C that simultaneously satisfies two real polynomial equations. For example, this is the setup when testing for the existence of pairs of similar triangles spanned by the input points, in various contexts discussed later in the paper. We show that problems of this kind can be solved with roughly O(n^(24/13)) constant-degree polynomial sign tests. These problems can be extended to higher dimensions in various ways, and we present subquadratic solutions to some of these extensions, in the algebraic decision-tree model.

Cite as

Boris Aronov, Esther Ezra, and Micha Sharir. Testing Polynomials for Vanishing on Cartesian Products of Planar Point Sets. In 36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 164, pp. 8:1-8:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{aronov_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.8,
  author =	{Aronov, Boris and Ezra, Esther and Sharir, Micha},
  title =	{{Testing Polynomials for Vanishing on Cartesian Products of Planar Point Sets}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020)},
  pages =	{8:1--8:14},
  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.2020.8},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-121666},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.8},
  annote =	{Keywords: Algebraic decision tree, Polynomial partition, Collinearity testing, 3SUM-hard problems, Polynomials vanishing on Cartesian products}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2019.12

Optimal Algorithm for Geodesic Farthest-Point Voronoi Diagrams

Authors: Luis Barba

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 129, 35th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2019)

Abstract

Let P be a simple polygon with n vertices. For any two points in P, the geodesic distance between them is the length of the shortest path that connects them among all paths contained in P. Given a set S of m sites being a subset of the vertices of P, we present the first randomized algorithm to compute the geodesic farthest-point Voronoi diagram of S in P running in expected O(n + m) time. That is, a partition of P into cells, at most one cell per site, such that every point in a cell has the same farthest site with respect to the geodesic distance. This algorithm can be extended to run in expected O(n + m log m) time when S is an arbitrary set of m sites contained in P.

Cite as

Luis Barba. Optimal Algorithm for Geodesic Farthest-Point Voronoi Diagrams. In 35th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 129, pp. 12:1-12:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{barba:LIPIcs.SoCG.2019.12,
  author =	{Barba, Luis},
  title =	{{Optimal Algorithm for Geodesic Farthest-Point Voronoi Diagrams}},
  booktitle =	{35th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2019)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-104-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{129},
  editor =	{Barequet, Gill and Wang, Yusu},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2019.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-104161},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2019.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: Geodesic distance, simple polygons, farthest-point Voronoi diagram}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/OASIcs.SOSA.2019.9

Asymmetric Convex Intersection Testing

Authors: Luis Barba and Wolfgang Mulzer

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 69, 2nd Symposium on Simplicity in Algorithms (SOSA 2019)

Abstract

We consider asymmetric convex intersection testing (ACIT). Let P subset R^d be a set of n points and H a set of n halfspaces in d dimensions. We denote by {ch(P)} the polytope obtained by taking the convex hull of P, and by {fh(H)} the polytope obtained by taking the intersection of the halfspaces in H. Our goal is to decide whether the intersection of H and the convex hull of P are disjoint. Even though ACIT is a natural variant of classic LP-type problems that have been studied at length in the literature, and despite its applications in the analysis of high-dimensional data sets, it appears that the problem has not been studied before. We discuss how known approaches can be used to attack the ACIT problem, and we provide a very simple strategy that leads to a deterministic algorithm, linear on n and m, whose running time depends reasonably on the dimension d.

Cite as

Luis Barba and Wolfgang Mulzer. Asymmetric Convex Intersection Testing. In 2nd Symposium on Simplicity in Algorithms (SOSA 2019). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 69, pp. 9:1-9:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{barba_et_al:OASIcs.SOSA.2019.9,
  author =	{Barba, Luis and Mulzer, Wolfgang},
  title =	{{Asymmetric Convex Intersection Testing}},
  booktitle =	{2nd Symposium on Simplicity in Algorithms (SOSA 2019)},
  pages =	{9:1--9:14},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-099-6},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{69},
  editor =	{Fineman, Jeremy T. and Mitzenmacher, Michael},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SOSA.2019.9},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-100358},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SOSA.2019.9},
  annote =	{Keywords: polytope intersection, LP-type problem, randomized algorithm}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.8

Convex Hulls in Polygonal Domains

Authors: Luis Barba, Michael Hoffmann, Matias Korman, and Alexander Pilz

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 101, 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)

Abstract

We study generalizations of convex hulls to polygonal domains with holes. Convexity in Euclidean space is based on the notion of shortest paths, which are straight-line segments. In a polygonal domain, shortest paths are polygonal paths called geodesics. One possible generalization of convex hulls is based on the "rubber band" conception of the convex hull boundary as a shortest curve that encloses a given set of sites. However, it is NP-hard to compute such a curve in a general polygonal domain. Hence, we focus on a different, more direct generalization of convexity, where a set X is geodesically convex if it contains all geodesics between every pair of points x,y in X. The corresponding geodesic convex hull presents a few surprises, and turns out to behave quite differently compared to the classic Euclidean setting or to the geodesic hull inside a simple polygon. We describe a class of geometric objects that suffice to represent geodesic convex hulls of sets of sites, and characterize which such domains are geodesically convex. Using such a representation we present an algorithm to construct the geodesic convex hull of a set of O(n) sites in a polygonal domain with a total of n vertices and h holes in O(n^3h^{3+epsilon}) time, for any constant epsilon > 0.

Cite as

Luis Barba, Michael Hoffmann, Matias Korman, and Alexander Pilz. Convex Hulls in Polygonal Domains. In 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 101, pp. 8:1-8:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{barba_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.8,
  author =	{Barba, Luis and Hoffmann, Michael and Korman, Matias and Pilz, Alexander},
  title =	{{Convex Hulls in Polygonal Domains}},
  booktitle =	{16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)},
  pages =	{8:1--8:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-068-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{101},
  editor =	{Eppstein, David},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.8},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88343},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.8},
  annote =	{Keywords: geometric graph, polygonal domain, geodesic hull, shortest path}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.13

Subquadratic Algorithms for Algebraic Generalizations of 3SUM

Authors: Luis Barba, Jean Cardinal, John Iacono, Stefan Langerman, Aurélien Ooms, and Noam Solomon

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 77, 33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017)

Abstract

The 3SUM problem asks if an input n-set of real numbers contains a triple whose sum is zero. We consider the 3POL problem, a natural generalization of 3SUM where we replace the sum function by a constant-degree polynomial in three variables. The motivations are threefold. Raz, Sharir, and de Zeeuw gave an O(n^{11/6}) upper bound on the number of solutions of trivariate polynomial equations when the solutions are taken from the cartesian product of three n-sets of real numbers. We give algorithms for the corresponding problem of counting such solutions. Grønlund and Pettie recently designed subquadratic algorithms for 3SUM. We generalize their results to 3POL. Finally, we shed light on the General Position Testing (GPT) problem: "Given n points in the plane, do three of them lie on a line?", a key problem in computational geometry. We prove that there exist bounded-degree algebraic decision trees of depth O(n^{12/7+e}) that solve 3POL, and that 3POL can be solved in O(n^2 (log log n)^{3/2} / (log n)^{1/2}) time in the real-RAM model. Among the possible applications of those results, we show how to solve GPT in subquadratic time when the input points lie on o((log n)^{1/6}/(log log n)^{1/2}) constant-degree polynomial curves. This constitutes the first step towards closing the major open question of whether GPT can be solved in subquadratic time. To obtain these results, we generalize important tools - such as batch range searching and dominance reporting - to a polynomial setting. We expect these new tools to be useful in other applications.

Cite as

Luis Barba, Jean Cardinal, John Iacono, Stefan Langerman, Aurélien Ooms, and Noam Solomon. Subquadratic Algorithms for Algebraic Generalizations of 3SUM. In 33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 77, pp. 13:1-13:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2017)

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@InProceedings{barba_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.13,
  author =	{Barba, Luis and Cardinal, Jean and Iacono, John and Langerman, Stefan and Ooms, Aur\'{e}lien and Solomon, Noam},
  title =	{{Subquadratic Algorithms for Algebraic Generalizations of 3SUM}},
  booktitle =	{33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017)},
  pages =	{13:1--13:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-038-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2017},
  volume =	{77},
  editor =	{Aronov, Boris and Katz, Matthew J.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.13},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-72214},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.13},
  annote =	{Keywords: 3SUM, subquadratic algorithms, general position testing, range searching, dominance reporting, polynomial curves}
}

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