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University of Denver

Barrier Graphs and Extremal Questions on Line, Ray, Segment, and Hyperplane Sensor Networks

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>A sensor network is typically modeled as a collection of spatially distributed objects with the same shape, generally for the purpose of surveilling or protecting areas and locations. In this dissertation we address several questions relating to sensors with linear shapes: line, line segment, and rays in the plane, and hyperplanes in higher dimensions.</p> <p>First we explore ray sensor networks in the plane, whose <em>resilience</em> is the number of sensors that must be crossed by an agent traveling between two known locations. The coverage of such a network is described by a particular tripartite graph, the <em>barrier graph</em> of the network. We show that barrier graphs are perfect (Berge) graphs and have a rigid neighborhood structure due to the rays' geometry.</p> <p>We introduce two extremal problems for networks in the plane made of line sensors, line segment sensors, or ray sensors, which informally ask how well it is possible to simultaneously protect <em>k</em> locations with<em> n</em> (line/ray/segment)-shaped sensors from intruders. The first question allows any number of intruders, while the second assumes there is a lone intruder. We show these are questions to be answered separately, and provide complete answers for <em>k</em> = 2 in both cases. We provide asymptotically tight answers for question (1) when <em>k</em> = 3, 4 and the locations are in convex position. We also provide asymptotic lower bounds for question (1) for any <em>k</em>.</p> <p>Finally, we generalize these extremal problems to <em>d</em> dimensions. For the <em>d</em>-dimensional version of question (1) we provide asymptotic lower and upper bounds for any combination of <em>k</em> and <em>d</em>, though these bounds do not meet.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D.
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Year dc:date.available
2019

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Boyer, Kirk Anthony
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Paul Horn, Ph.D.
  • Mario A. Lopez, Ph.D.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>
Language dc:language
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1555
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-2555

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Denver
Base URL
digitalcommons.du.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Boyer, Kirk Anthony. Barrier Graphs and Extremal Questions on Line, Ray, Segment, and Hyperplane Sensor Networks. Dissertation thesis, 2019. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1555