Non-crossing frameworks with non-crossing reciprocals (Q1764166)

A (2-dimensional) framework is an embedding of a graph \(G\) in the plane such that each edge is represented by a straight line segment. A framework is called non-crossing, if there are no crossing edges. In this case there exists a planar dual graph \(G^{\ast }\), and a framework representing \( G^{\ast }\) is called reciprocal to the original framework if corresponding edges are parallel. But in general the reciprocal framework may have crossing edges. A reciprocal framework may be constructed by a self-stress which is defined on the original framework. The main result of this paper is a characterisation of non-crossing frameworks with given self-stress which have non-crossing reciprocals. The conditions concern the types of faces, the sign patterns in the stress, and a geometric condition on the stress vectors at some of the vertices. Two sections of the paper describe the role of pseudo-triangulations and Laman circuits in the construction of non-crossing frameworks with non-crossing reciprocals. (A pseudo-triangle is a simple planar polygon with exactly three convex vertices. A pseudo-triangulation is an embedding whose interior faces are pseudo-triangles and the complement of the outer face is a convex polygon. A Laman circuit is an edge-minimal graph that can sustain a self-stress in a generic embedding.) Finally, non-crossing reciprocal pairs are characterised via liftings to piecewise linear surfaces.