How to Keep an Eye on Small Things

Abstract

We present new results on two types of guarding problems for polygons. For the first problem, we present an optimal linear time algorithm for computing a smallest set of points that guard a given shortest path in a simple polygon having [Formula: see text] edges. We also prove that in polygons with holes, there is a constant [Formula: see text] such that no polynomial-time algorithm can solve the problem within an approximation factor of [Formula: see text], unless P=NP. For the second problem, we present a [Formula: see text]-FPT algorithm for computing a shortest tour that sees [Formula: see text] specified points in a polygon with [Formula: see text] holes. We also present a [Formula: see text]-FPT approximation algorithm for this problem having approximation factor [Formula: see text]. In addition, we prove that the general problem cannot be polynomially approximated better than by a factor of [Formula: see text], for some constant [Formula: see text], unless P [Formula: see text]NP.