Let $p(m)$ (respectively, $q(m)$) be the maximum number $k$ such that any tree with $m$ edges can be transformed by contracting edges (respectively, by removing vertices) into a caterpillar with $k$ edges. We derive closed-form expressions for $p(m)$
and $q(m)$ for all $m ge 1$. The two functions $p(n)$ and $q(n)$ can also be interpreted in terms of alternating paths among $n$ disjoint line segments in the plane, whose $2n$ endpoints are in convex position.
We construct a family of 17 disjoint axis-parallel line segments in the plane that do not admit a circumscribing polygon.
Deciding whether a family of disjoint axis-parallel line segments in the plane can be linked into a simple polygon (or a simple polygonal chain) by adding segments between their endpoints is NP-hard.
We study several problems on geometric packing and covering with movement. Given a family $mathcal{I}$ of $n$ intervals of $kappa$ distinct lengths, and another interval $B$, can we pack the intervals in $mathcal{I}$ inside $B$ (respectively, cover $
B$ by the intervals in $mathcal{I}$) by moving $tau$ intervals and keeping the other $sigma = n - tau$ intervals unmoved? We show that both packing and covering are W[1]-hard with any one of $kappa$, $tau$, and $sigma$ as single parameter, but are FPT with combined parameters $kappa$ and $tau$. We also obtain improved polynomial-time algorithms for packing and covering, including an $O(nlog^2 n)$ time algorithm for covering, when all intervals in $mathcal{I}$ have the same length.
Deciding whether a family of disjoint line segments in the plane can be linked into a simple polygon (or a simple polygonal chain) by adding segments between their endpoints is NP-hard.
We present improved universal covers for carpenters rule folding in the plane.
An identifying code in a graph is a subset of vertices having a nonempty and distinct intersection with the closed neighborhood of every vertex. We prove that the infimum density of any identifying code in $S_k$ (an infinite strip of $k$ rows in the
square grid) can always be achieved by a periodic identifying code with pattern length at most $2^{4k}$. Assisted by a compute program implementing Karps algorithm for minimum cycle mean, we find a periodic identifying code in $S_4$ with the minimum density $11/28$, and a periodic identifying code in $S_5$ with the minimum density $19/50$.
Butman, Hermelin, Lewenstein, and Rawitz proved that Clique in t-interval graphs is NP-hard for t >= 3. We strengthen this result to show that Clique in 3-track interval graphs is APX-hard.
We show that the problem k-Dominating Set and its several variants including k-Connected Dominating Set, k-Independent Dominating Set, and k-Dominating Clique, when parameterized by the solution size k, are W[1]-hard in either multiple-interval graph
s or their complements or both. On the other hand, we show that these problems belong to W[1] when restricted to multiple-interval graphs and their complements. This answers an open question of Fellows et al. In sharp contrast, we show that d-Distance k-Dominating Set for d >= 2 is W[2]-complete in multiple-interval graphs and their complements. We also show that k-Perfect Code and d-Distance k-Perfect Code for d >= 2 are W[1]-complete even in unit 2-track interval graphs. In addition, we present various new results on the parameterized complexities of k-Vertex Clique Partition and k-Separating Vertices in multiple-interval graphs and their complements, and present a very simple alternative proof of the W[1]-hardness of k-Irredundant Set in general graphs.
We obtain improved upper bounds and new lower bounds on the chromatic number as a linear function of the clique number, for the intersection graphs (and their complements) of finite families of translates and homothets of a convex body in $RR^n$.
