Necessary Conditions for the Global Rigidity of Direction–Length Frameworks

It is an intriguing open problem to give a combinatorial characterisation or polynomial algorithm for determining when a graph is globally rigid in ℝ ^d . This means that any generic realisation is uniquely determined up to congruence when each edge represents a fixed length constraint. Hendrickson gave two natural necessary conditions, one involving connectivity and the other redundant rigidity. In general, these are not sufficient, but they do suffice in two dimensions, as shown by Jackson and Jordán. Our main result is an analogue of the redundant rigidity condition for frameworks that have both direction and length constraints. For any generic globally rigid direction-length framework in ℝ ^d with at least 2 length edges, we show that deleting any length edge results in a rigid framework. It seems harder to obtain a corresponding result when a direction edge is deleted: we can do this in two dimensions, under an additional hypothesis that we believe to be unnecessary. Our proofs use a lemma of independent interest, stating that a certain space parameterising equivalent frameworks is a smooth manifold. We prove this lemma using arguments from differential topology and the Tarski–Seidenberg theorem on semi-algebraic sets.     

New Classes of Counterexamples to Hendrickson’s Global Rigidity Conjecture

We examine the generic local and global rigidity of various graphs in ℝ ^d . Bruce Hendrickson showed that some necessary conditions for generic global rigidity are (d+1)-connectedness and generic redundant rigidity, and hypothesized that they were sufficient in all dimensions. We analyze two classes of graphs that satisfy Hendrickson’s conditions for generic global rigidity, yet fail to be generically globally rigid. We find a large family of bipartite graphs for d>3, and we define a construction that generates infinitely many graphs in ℝ⁵. Finally, we state some conjectures for further exploration.     

The 2‐dimensional rigidity of certain families of graphs

Laman's characterization of minimally rigid 2‐dimensional generic frameworks gives a matroid structure on the edge set of the underlying graph, as was first pointed out and exploited by L. Lovász and Y. Yemini. Global rigidity has only recently been characterized by a combination of two results due to T. Jordán and the first named author, and R. Connelly, respectively. We use these characterizations to investigate how graph theoretic properties such as transitivity, connectivity and regularity influence (2‐dimensional generic) rigidity and global rigidity and apply some of these results to reveal rigidity properties of random graphs. In particular, we characterize the globally rigid vertex transitive graphs, and show that a random d‐regular graph is asymptotically almost surely globally rigid for all d ≥ 4. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 54: 154–166, 2007     

Combining globally rigid frameworks

It is shown how to combine two generically globally rigid bar frameworks in d-space to get another generically globally rigid framework. The construction is to identify d+ 1 vertices from each of the frameworks and erase one of the edges that they have in common.     

无线传感网络节点定位的三边扩展法

针对无线传感网络中难以解决的基于欧氏距离的多跳定位问题,通过引入刚性图与整体刚性图的概念,应用刚性框架理论和图论知识,将多跳定位的首要问题——唯一可解性问题转化成了整体刚性图的判定问题,同时给出了判定的充分必要条件,有效降低了刚性框架理论的分析复杂度.再采用三边扩展法逐步构建整体刚性图,不断扩大可定位节点的范围,实现确定网络中所有可定位节点位置的目的.     

Globally Linked Pairs of Vertices in Equivalent Realizations of Graphs

A two-dimensional framework (G,p) is a graph G = (V,E) together with a map p: V → ℝ². We view (G,p) as a straight line realization of G in ℝ². Two realizations of G are equivalent if the corresponding edges in the two frameworks have the same length. A pair of vertices {u,v} is globally linked in G if %and for all equivalent frameworks (G,q), the distance between the points corresponding to u and v is the same in all pairs of equivalent generic realizations of G. The graph G is globally rigid if all of its pairs of vertices are globally linked. We extend the characterization of globally rigid graphs given by the first two authors [13] by characterizing globally linked pairs in M-connected graphs, an important family of rigid graphs. As a byproduct we simplify the proof of a result of Connelly [6] which is a key step in the characterization of globally rigid graphs. We also determine the number of distinct realizations of an M-connected graph, each of which is equivalent to a given generic realization. Bounds on this number for minimally rigid graphs were obtained by Borcea and Streinu in [3].     

Bounded Direction–Length Frameworks

A direction–length framework is a pair (G,p) where G=(V;D,L) is a ‘mixed’ graph whose edges are labelled as ‘direction’ or ‘length’ edges and p is a map from V to ℝ ^d for some d. The label of an edge uv represents a direction or length constraint between p(u) and p(v). Let G ⁺ be obtained from G by adding, for each length edge e of G, a direction edge with the same end vertices as e. We show that (G,p) is bounded if and only if (G ⁺,p) is infinitesimally rigid. This gives a characterization of when (G,p) is bounded in terms of the rank of the rigidity matrix of (G ⁺,p). We use this to characterize when a mixed graph is generically bounded in ℝ ^d . As an application we deduce that if (G,p) is a globally rigid generic framework with at least two length edges and e is a length edge of G then (G∖e,p) is bounded.     

Perfect foresight dynamics in games with linear incentives and time symmetry

This paper investigates absorption and global accessibility under perfect foresight dynamics in games with linear incentives. An action distribution in the society is absorbing if there is no equilibrium path escaping from the distribution, and globally accessible if, from every initial distribution, there exists an equilibrium path which converges to the distribution. Using time symmetry of the dynamics, we show that every absorbing strict Nash equilibrium, if it exists, is globally accessible under zero rate of time preference. With the additional assumption of supermodularity, we prove that there generically exists an absorbing strict Nash equilibrium. Relations with a global game and a reaction-diffusion model also become clear. The definition of absorption used in this paper is slightly different from the original one in Matsui and Matsuyama (1995). This difference is neglected in Sect. 1, and will be discussed in Sect. 2.2.     

On bar frameworks,stress matrices and semidefinite programming

A bar framework G(p) in r-dimensional Euclidean space is a graph G on the vertices 1, 2, . . . , n, where each vertex i is located at point p ⁱ in \mathbbR^r{\mathbb{R}^r} . Given a framework G(p) in \mathbbR^r{\mathbb{R}^r} , a problem of great interest is that of determining whether or not there exists another framework G(q), not obtained from G(p) by a rigid motion, such that ||q ⁱ − q ^j ||² = ||p ⁱ − p ^j ||² for each edge (i, j) of G. This problem is known as either the global rigidity problem or the universal rigidity problem depending on whether such a framework G(q) is restricted to be in the same r-dimensional space or not. The stress matrix S of a bar framework G(p) plays a key role in these and other related problems. In this paper, semidefinite programming (SDP) theory is used to address, in a unified manner, several problems concerning universal rigidity. New results are presented as well as new proofs of previously known theorems. In particular, we use the notion of SDP non-degeneracy to obtain a sufficient condition for universal rigidity, and we show that this condition yields the previously known sufficient condition for generic universal rigidity. We present new results concerning positive semidefinite stress matrices and we use a semidefinite version of Farkas lemma to characterize bar frameworks that admit a nonzero positive semidefinite stress matrix S.     

Is every cycle basis fundamental?

A collection of (simple) cycles in a graph is called fundamental if they form a basis for the cycle space and if they can be ordered such that C_j(C₁ U … U C_j-1) ≠ Ø for all j. We characterize by excluded minors those graphs for which every cycle basis is fundamental. We also give a constructive characterization that leads to a (polynomial) algorithm for recognizing these graphs. In addition, this algorithm can be used to determine if a graph has a cycle basis that covers every edge two or more times. An equivalent dual characterization for the cutset space is also given.     

An exact algorithm for subgraph homeomorphism

The subgraph homeomorphism problem is to decide if there is an injective mapping of the vertices of a pattern graph into vertices of a host graph so that the edges of the pattern graph can be mapped into (internally) vertex-disjoint paths in the host graph. The restriction of subgraph homeomorphism where an injective mapping of the vertices of the pattern graph into vertices of the host graph is already given in the input instance is termed fixed-vertex subgraph homeomorphism.We show that fixed-vertex subgraph homeomorphism for a pattern graph on p vertices and a host graph on n vertices can be solved in time 2^n−pn^O(1) or in time 3^n−pn^O(1) and polynomial space. In effect, we obtain new non-trivial upper bounds on the time complexity of the problem of finding k vertex-disjoint paths and general subgraph homeomorphism.     

A Characterization of b‐Perfect Graphs

A b‐coloring is a coloring of the vertices of a graph such that each color class contains a vertex that has a neighbor in all other color classes, and the b‐chromatic number of a graph G is the largest integer k such that G admits a b‐coloring with k colors. A graph is b‐perfect if the b‐chromatic number is equal to the chromatic number for every induced subgraph of G. We prove that a graph is b‐perfect if and only if it does not contain as an induced subgraph a member of a certain list of 22 graphs. This entails the existence of a polynomial‐time recognition algorithm and of a polynomial‐time algorithm for coloring exactly the vertices of every b‐perfect graph. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 71:95–122, 2012     

Contracting planar graphs to contractions of triangulations

For every graph H, there exists a polynomial-time algorithm deciding if a planar input graph G can be contracted to H. However, the degree of the polynomial depends on the size of H. We identify a class of graphs C such that for every fixed H∈C, there exists a linear-time algorithm deciding whether a given planar graph G can be contracted to H. The class C is the closure of planar triangulated graphs under taking of contractions. In fact, we prove that a graph H∈C if and only if there exists a constant cH such that if the treewidth of a graph is at least cH, it contains H as a contraction. We also provide a characterization of C in terms of minimal forbidden contractions.     

General Class of Implicit Variational Inclusions and Graph Convergence on <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis>-Maximal Relaxed Monotonicity

Based on the generalized graph convergence, first a general framework for an implicit algorithm involving a sequence of generalized resolvents (or generalized resolvent operators) of set-valued A-maximal monotone (also referred to as A-maximal (m)-relaxed monotone, and A-monotone) mappings, and H-maximal monotone mappings is developed, and then the convergence analysis to the context of solving a general class of nonlinear implicit variational inclusion problems in a Hilbert space setting is examined. The obtained results generalize the work of Huang, Fang and Cho (in J. Nonlinear Convex Anal. 4:301–308, 2003) involving the classical resolvents to the case of the generalized resolvents based on A-maximal monotone (and H-maximal monotone) mappings, while the work of Huang, Fang and Cho (in J. Nonlinear Convex Anal. 4:301–308, 2003) added a new dimension to the classical resolvent technique based on the graph convergence introduced by Attouch (in Variational Convergence for Functions and Operators, Applied Mathematics Series, Pitman, London 1984). In general, the notion of the graph convergence has potential applications to several other fields, including models of phenomena with rapidly oscillating states as well as to probability theory, especially to the convergence of distribution functions on ℜ. The obtained results not only generalize the existing results in literature, but also provide a certain new approach to proofs in the sense that our approach starts in a standard manner and then differs significantly to achieving a linear convergence in a smooth manner.     

A branch-and-reduce approach to global optimization

This paper presents valid inequalities and range contraction techniques that can be used to reduce the size of the search space of global optimization problems. To demonstrate the algorithmic usefulness of these techniques, we incorporate them within the branch-and-bound framework. This results in a branch-and-reduce global optimization algorithm. A detailed discussion of the algorithm components and theoretical properties are provided. Specialized algorithms for polynomial and multiplicative programs are developed. Extensive computational results are presented for engineering design problems, standard global optimization test problems, univariate polynomial programs, linear multiplicative programs, mixed-integer nonlinear programs and concave quadratic programs. For the problems solved, the computer implementation of the proposed algorithm provides very accurate solutions in modest computational time.     

Combinatorial pseudo-triangulations

We prove that a planar graph is generically rigid in the plane if and only if it can be embedded as a pseudo-triangulation. This generalizes the main result of [Haas et al. Planar minimally rigid graphs and pseudo-triangulations, Comput. Geom. 31(1–2) (2005) 31–61] which treats the minimally generically rigid case.The proof uses the concept of combinatorial pseudo-triangulation, CPT, in the plane and has two main steps: showing that a certain “generalized Laman property” is a necessary and sufficient condition for a CPT to be “stretchable”, and showing that all generically rigid plane graphs admit a CPT assignment with that property.Additionally, we propose the study of CPTs on closed surfaces.     

The firefighter problem for cubic graphs

We show that the firefighter problem is NP-complete for cubic graphs. We also show that given a rooted tree of maximum degree three in which every leaf is at the same distance from the root, it is NP-complete to decide whether or not there is a strategy that protects every leaf from the fire, which starts at the root. By contrast, we describe a polynomial time algorithm to decide if it is possible to save a given subset of the vertices of a graph with maximum degree three, provided the fire breaks out at a vertex of degree at most two.     

On embeddability and stresses of graphs

Gluck has proven that triangulated 2-spheres are generically 3-rigid. Equivalently, planar graphs are generically 3-stress free. We show that already the K ₅-minor freeness guarantees the stress freeness. More generally, we prove that every K _r+2-minor free graph is generically r-stress free for 1≤r≤4. (This assertion is false for r≥6.) Some further extensions are discussed. Supported by an I.S.F. grant.     

Generic Global Rigidity

Suppose a finite configuration of labeled points p = (p₁,. . . ,p_n) in E^d is given along with certain pairs of those points determined by a graph G such that the coordinates of the points of p are generic, i.e., algebraically independent over the integers. If another corresponding configuration q = (q₁,. . . ,q_n) in E^d is given such that the corresponding edges of G for p and q have the same length, we provide a sufficient condition to ensure that p and q are congruent in E^d. This condition, together with recent results of Jackson and Jordán, give necessary and sufficient conditions for a graph being generically globally rigid in the plane.