7212084
Finding large sticks and potatoes in polygons
We study a class of optimization problems in polygons that seek to compute the "largest" subset of a prescribed type, e.g., a longest line segment ("stick") or a maximum-area triangle or convex body ("potato"). Exact polynomial-time algorithms are known for some of these problems, but their time bounds are high (e.g., O(n7) for the largest convex polygon in a simple n-gon). We devise efficient approximation algorithms for these problems. In particular, we give near-linear time algorithms for a (1 - ∈)-approximation of the biggest stick, an O(1)-approximation of the maximum-area convex body, and a (1 - ∈)-approximation of the maximum-area fat triangle or rectangle. In addition, we give efficient methods for computing large ellipses inside a polygon (whose vertices are a dense sampling of a closed smooth curve). Our algorithms include both deterministic and randomized methods, one of which has been implemented (for computing large area ellipses in a well sampled closed smooth curve).
29567956
Curve reconstruction from noisy samples
6513086
Hand Recognition Using Geometric Classifiers
We discuss the issues and challenges in the design of a hand outline based recognition system. Our system is easier to use, cheaper to build and more accurate than previous systems. Extensive tests on more than 700 images collected from 70 people are reported. Classification, verification and identification of the input images were done using two simple geometric classifiers. We describe a novel minimum enclosing ball classifier which performs well for hand recognition and could be of interest for other applications.
359856
Curve reconstruction from noisy samples
We present an algorithm to reconstruct a collection of disjoint smooth closed curves from n noisy samples. Our noise model assumes that the samples are obtained by first drawing points on the curves according to a locally uniform distribution followed by a uniform perturbation of each point in the normal direction with a magnitude smaller than the minimum local feature size. The reconstruction is faithful with a probability that approaches 1 as n increases.We expect that our approach can lead to provable algorithms under less restrictive noise models and for handling non-smooth features.
26447607
A counterexample in congestion control of wireless networks
This paper studies the interaction between TCP congestion control and wireless interference. One of the triumphs of wireline network research of the last decade has been the casting of the Internet congestion control problem within an optimization framework based on utility functions. Such an approach has provided a sound theoretical understanding of the underlying stability and fairness issues, as well as a post-facto justification of the scalability and stability of TCP-like additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) algorithms. This paper provides counterexamples showing that the same result cannot be extended to wireless networks, at least not in a straightforward manner. The fundamental difference is that wireless networks are of a broadcast nature. There is no strict notion of a 'link', since transmissions from nearby nodes interfere with each other. We consider a fairly general model of interference in wireless networks, and present a counterexample of a wireless network in which the congestion control mechanism has an unstable equilibrium point at the desired fair solution. ns-2 simulations of this counterexample manifest an oscillatory throughput behaviour that is orders of magnitude worse than the corresponding wired networks. Surprisingly, this oscillatory throughput behaviour appears to be fairly typical of simulations in wireless networks, with almost all randomly chosen network simulation examples manifesting it. This loss of stability leads us to suggest that perhaps TCP should be modified for use in wireless networks, and that a cross-layer redesign of wireless TCP and MAC is needed to explicitly account for the effects of the wireless nature of interference.
769656
Towards an information theory of large networks: an achievable rate region
We study communication networks of arbitrary size and topology and communicating over a general vector discrete memoryless channel (DMC). We propose an information-theoretic constructive scheme for obtaining an achievable rate region in such networks. Many well-known capacity-defining achievable rate regions can be derived as special cases of the proposed scheme. A few such examples are the physically degraded and reversely degraded relay channels, the Gaussian multiple-access channel, and the Gaussian broadcast channel. The proposed scheme also leads to inner bounds for the multicast and allcast capacities. Applying the proposed scheme to a specific wireless network of n nodes located in a region of unit area, we show that a transport capacity of /spl Theta/(n) bit-meters per second (bit-meters/s) is feasible in a certain family of networks, as compared to the best possible transport capacity of /spl Theta/(/spl radic/n) bit-meters/s in Gupta et al. (2000), where the receiver capabilities were limited. Even though the improvement is shown for a specific class of networks, a clear implication is that designing and employing more sophisticated multiuser coding schemes can provide sizable gains in at least some large wireless networks.
15224609
Codes for Optical CDMA
There has been a recent upsurge of interest in applying Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) techniques to optical networks. Conventional spreading codes for OCDMA, known as optical orthogonal codes (OOC) spread the signal in the time domain only, which often results in the requirement of a large chip rate. By spreading in both time and wavelength using two-dimensional OOCs, the chip rate can be reduced considerably. This paper presents an overview of 1-D and 2-D optical orthogonal codes as well as some new results relating to bounds on code size and code construction.
45262024
Some new bounds on the spectral radius of graphs
The eigenvalues of a graph are the eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix. This paper presents some upper and lower bounds on the greatest eigenvalue and a lower bound on the smallest eigenvalue.
18907580
A Tutorial on Some New Methods for Performance Evaluation of Queueing Networks
In the 1970's, Baskett, Chandy, Muntz and Palacios, Kelly, and others, generalized the earlier results of Jackson (1957) and obtained explicit solutions for the steady-state distributions of some restricted queueing networks. These queueing networks are called "product-form networks," due to the structure of their explicit solutions. The class of such tractable networks is quite small, however. For example, if customers require different mean service times on different revisits to the same server, or if customers on a later visit are given higher priority, then very little is known concerning whether the network is even stable or what form the steady-state distribution has if it exists. Recently, some new methods have been developed for establishing the stability of a system and for obtaining bounds on key performance measures such as mean delay, mean number in system, or mean throughput. Since they are based on the well-developed computational tool of linear programming, these methods can be widely employed in diverse applications in communication networks, computer systems, and manufacturing systems. We provide a tutorial exposition of some of these recent developments. >