Illuminating disjoint line segments in the plane (Q1434256): Difference between revisions

In the Euclidean plane \(E^2\), let \(S\) be a set of points (light sources), and \(D\) be a family of objects. We say that the set \(S\) ``illuminates'' a point set \(P\) if for any \(p\in P\) there is some \(s\in S\) such that \(]p,s[\cap D=\emptyset\), and the whole family \(D\) is illuminated by \(S\) if any boundary point of every member of \(D\) is illuminated by some \(s\in S\). (Note that the concept of illumination used here equals the concept of ``visibility'' introduced by F. A. Valentine.) Improving older results, the author shows that if \(D\) consists of \(n\) disjoint line segments (each of them clearly forming its own boundary), \(\lfloor{(n+1)\over 2}\rfloor\) light sources are enough. He also considers ``free space illumination'' (i.e., illumination of the complement of the union of all objects, with respect to \(E^2\)) and proves that \(\lfloor{4(n+1)\over 5}\rfloor\) light sources are sufficient (and sometimes also necessary) to illuminate the free space and both sides of \(n\geq 2\) disjoint line segments in \(E^2\).