Efficient parallel algorithms for shortest paths in planar digraphs

Efficient parallel algorithms are presented, on the CREW PRAM model, for generating a succinct encoding of all pairs shortest path information in a directed planar graphG with real-valued edge costs but no negative cycles. We assume that a planar embedding ofG is given, together with a set ofq faces that cover all the vertices. Then our algorithm runs inO(log² n) time and employsO(nq+M(q)) processors (whereM(t) is the number of processors required to multiply twot×t matrices inO(logt) time). Let us note here that wheneverq<n then our processor bound is better than the best previous one (M(n)).O(log² n) time,n-processor algorithms are presented for various subproblems, including that of generating all pairs shortest path information in a directedouterplanar graph. Our work is based on the fundamental hammock-decomposition technique of G. Frederickson. We achieve this decomposition inO(logn log*n) parallel time by usingO(n) processors. The hammock-decomposition seems to be a fundamental operation that may help in improving efficiency of many parallel (and sequential) graph algorithms.This work was partially supported by the EEC ESPRIT Basic Research Action No. 3075 (ALCOM) and by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology of Greece.