The union of balls and its dual shape
@article{Edelsbrunner1993TheUO, title={The union of balls and its dual shape}, author={Herbert Edelsbrunner}, journal={Discrete \& Computational Geometry}, year={1993}, volume={13}, pages={415-440} }
Efficient algorithms are described for computing topological, combinatorial, and metric properties of the union of finitely many spherical balls in ℝd. These algorithms are based on a simplicial complex dual to a decomposition of the union of balls using Voronoi cells, and on short inclusion-exclusion formulas derived from this complex. The algorithms are most relevant in ℝ3 where unions of finitely many balls are commonly used as models of molecules.
Figures from this paper
425 Citations
Computing polygonal surfaces from unions of balls
- Computer ScienceProceedings Computer Graphics International, 2004.
- 2004
A new algorithm is presented for computing a polygonal surface from a union of balls that uses the dual shape of the balls to give the resulting surface the correct topology.
Contemporary Mathematics State of the Union ( of Geometric Objects )
- Mathematics
- 2007
Let C be a set of geometric objects in R. The combinatorial complexity of the union ofC is the total number of faces of all dimensions on its boundary . We survey the known upper bounds on the…
Inclusion-Exclusion Formulas from Independent Complexes
- MathematicsDiscret. Comput. Geom.
- 2007
Using inclusion-exclusion, we can write the indicator function of a union of finitely many balls as an alternating sum of indicator functions of common intersections of balls. We exhibit abstract…
The medial axis of the union of inner Voronoi balls in the plane
- Computer ScienceComput. Geom.
- 2012
Accurate and efficient unions of balls
- Computer ScienceSCG '00
- 2000
Given a sample of points from the boundary of an object in IR 3, a representation of the object as a union of balls is constructed, and it is shown that the set of ball centers in the construction converges to the true medial axis as the sampling density increases.
State of the Union ( of Geometric Objects ) : A Review ∗
- Mathematics
- 2007
Let C be a set of geometric objects in R. The combinatorial complexity of the union U(C) of C is the total number of faces of all dimensions, of the arrange ment of the boundaries of the objects,…
Algebraic decomposition of non-convex polyhedra
- Computer ScienceProceedings of IEEE 36th Annual Foundations of Computer Science
- 1995
Any arbitrary polyhedron P/spl sube/R/sup d/ can be written as algebraic sum of simple terms, each an integer multiple of the intersection of d or fewer half-spaces defined by facets of P. P can be…
An Output-Sensitive Algorithm for Computing Weighted α-Complexes
- Computer Science, MathematicsCCCG
- 2015
An output-sensitive algorithm to compute α-complexes of n-point sets in constant dimensions, whose running time is O(f log n log αs), where s is the smallest pairwise distance and f is the number of simplices in the cα-complex for a constant c.
References
SHOWING 1-10 OF 36 REFERENCES
Improved Algorithms for Discs and Balls Using Power Diagrams
- Computer ScienceJ. Algorithms
- 1988
On the complexity of computing the homology type of a triangulation
- Computer Science[1991] Proceedings 32nd Annual Symposium of Foundations of Computer Science
- 1991
The algorithm could be used in computer-aided design to tell whether two finite-element meshes or Bezier-spline surfaces are of the same topological type, and whether they can be embedded in R/sup 3/.
On the shape of a set of points in the plane
- Mathematics, Computer ScienceIEEE Trans. Inf. Theory
- 1983
A generalization of the convex hull of a finite set of points in the plane leads to a family of straight-line graphs, "alpha -shapes," which seem to capture the intuitive notions of "fine shape" and "crude shape" of point sets.
Elements of algebraic topology
- Mathematics
- 1984
Elements of Algebraic Topology provides the most concrete approach to the subject. With coverage of homology and cohomology theory, universal coefficient theorems, Kunneth theorem, duality in…
Algorithms in Combinatorial Geometry
- MathematicsEATCS Monographs in Theoretical Computer Science
- 1987
This book offers a modern approach to computational geo- metry, an area thatstudies the computational complexity of geometric problems with an important role in this study.
HOMOTOPY TYPE COMPARISON OF A SPACE WITH COMPLEXES ASSOCIATED WITH ITS OPEN COVERS
- Mathematics
- 1967
1. Introduction. This paper deals with the homotopy type comparison of a space with certain complexes (such as the nerve) associated with suitably "well pieced together" open covers of the space by…
Three-dimensional alpha shapes
- Computer ScienceTOGS
- 1994
This article introduces the formal notion of the family of α-shapes of a finite point set in R, a well-defined polytope, derived from the Delaunay triangulation of the point set, with a parameter α ε R controlling the desired level of detail.
INCLUSION-EXCLUSION-BONFERRONI IDENTITIES AND INEQUALITIES FOR DISCRETE TUBE-LIKE PROBLEMS VIA EULER CHARACTERISTICS
- Mathematics
- 1992
Improvements to the classical inclusion-exclusion identity are developed. There are two main results: an abstract combinatoric result and a concrete geometric result. In the abstract result…
Simulation of simplicity: a technique to cope with degenerate cases in geometric algorithms
- Computer ScienceTOGS
- 1990
This paper describes a general-purpose programming technique, called Simulation of Simplicity, that can be used to cope with degenerate input data for geometric algorithms and it is believed that this technique will become a standard tool in writing geometric software.
Simulation of simplicity: a technique to cope with degenerate cases in geometric algorithms
- Computer ScienceSCG '88
- 1988
A general purpose programming technique, called the Simulation of Simplicity, which can be used to cope with degenerate input data for geometric algorithms, and it is believed that this technique will become a standard tool in writing geometric software.