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The algorithmic Fried Potato Problem in two dimensions

Authors :
Criado, Francisco
Santos, Francisco
Source :
In "Discrete Mathematics Days 2024". D. Garijo, D. Orden and F. Santos eds, Editorial Universidad de Alcal\'a, 2024, pp. 53-58
Publication Year :
2025

Abstract

Conway's Fried Potato Problem seeks to determine the best way to cut a convex body in $n$ parts by $n-1$ hyperplane cuts (with the restriction that the $i$-th cut only divides in two one of the parts obtained so far), in a way as to minimize the maxuimum of the inradii of the parts. It was shown by Bezdek and Bezdek that the solution is always attained by $n-1$ parallel cuts. But the algorithmic problem of finding the best direction for these parallel cuts remains. In this note we show that for a convex $m$-gon $P$, this direction (and hence the cuts themselves) can be found in time $O(m \log^4 m)$, which improves on a quadratic algorithm proposed by Ca\~nete-Fern\'andez-M\'arquez (DMD 2022). Our algorithm first preprocesses what we call the dome (closely related to the medial axis) of $P$ using a variant of the Dobkin-Kirkpatrick hierarchy, so that linear programs in the dome and in slices of it can be solved in polylogarithmic time.<br />Comment: 6 pages. This is a conference "extended abstract", but it contains full details and proofs and no further publication is intended

Details

Database :
arXiv
Journal :
In "Discrete Mathematics Days 2024". D. Garijo, D. Orden and F. Santos eds, Editorial Universidad de Alcal\'a, 2024, pp. 53-58
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.2501.13873
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.37536/TYSP5643