Algorithms for GIS: Syllabus and links

• The link to code/demos: here.
• Sample grid data: here.
• OpenGL
  • OpenGL Programming Guide
  • The Redbook
  • Sample Programs for the Redbook
  • OpenGL Reference manual

1. Review of C, Linux. Introduction to OpenGL. Warm-up assignments leading to the first project: Project 1
   Materials:
   • Intro.pdf | Pointers.pdf
   • Emacs: Emacs reference card | Emacs quick reference
   • vi: check for e.g. vi tutorials by Derek Wyatt
   • The C programming language (wikipedia)
   • The C Programming language
   • The history of C
   • C programming tutorial (by Steve Holmes)
   • OpenGL: OpenGL Programming Guide (Chapters 1, 2, 3)
   • Sample source code: graphics1.tar | graphics2.tar
2. Painter's algorithm, OpenGL Z-buffer's algorithm.
3. Space partitioning: BSP trees.
   Materials:
   • Java applet
   • Bruce Naylor's BSP tutorial
   • BSP FAQ (good for early history and games)
   • Ramblings in real time, by Michael Abrash (articles about how Quake works)
4. More space partitioning: Introduction to range searching in 1D (binary search tree) and 2D (the k-d tree and the range tree).
   Materials:
   • k-d tree: wiki page
   • k-d tree: Multidimensional binary search trees (original paper by Bentley, 1975)
   • kd-tree demo (from UMD) | demo (from diku)
   • range tree demo (from UMD)
5. The ubiquitous B-tree.
   Materials:
   • B-tree: wiki page
   • B-tree: animation
6. The quad-tree.
   Materials: It's hard to find a text solely on quad-trees. Below are some surveys:
   • Geometric data structures for computer graphics: an overview (Mark Overmars, 1987)
   • Geometric data structures for computer graphics (Zachmann and Langetepe, 2002)
   • quad-tree: animation
7. Terrain elevation models (grid vs TIN). Data structures for storing a TIN.
   Materials:
   • Algorithms for triangulated terrains (Van Kreveld)
8. Contour lines: computing contour lines on TINs and the interval tree.
   Materials:
   • Some nice pics: wiki page
   • Algorithms for triangulated terrains (Van Kreveld)
9. Visibility.
   Materials:
   • On IO-efficient viewshed algorithms and their accuracy
   • Approximating the visible region of a point in a terrain (Ben-Moshe, Carmi, Katz)
10. Flow (on grids).
    Materials:
11. Line simplification. Douglas-Peucker and Imai-Iri algorithms [Thu Nov 22nd].
    Materials:
    • Speeding up the Douglas Peucker Line simplification algorithms (Hersheberger, Snoeyink)
    • A new approach to subdivision simplification (De Berg, Van Kreveld, Schirra)
12. Terrain simplification. [Tue Nov 26th, Tue Dec 3rd].
    Materials:
    • Grid-to-TIN conversion: Algorithms for triangulated terrains (Van Kreveld)
    • Fast polygonal approximation of terrains and height fields (Garland and Heckbert) | Fast triangular approximation of terrains and height fields (shorter version)
    • Visibility preserving simplification(Ben-Moshe, Katz, Mitchell, Nir, SoCG 2002)
13. LIDAR data. LIDAR-to-grid conversion. [Dec 5th]
    Materials:
    • Generating raster DEMs from mass points via TIN streaming (Isenburg et al, 2006)
    • From point cloud to grid DEM: a scalable approach (Agarwa, Arge, Danner, 2006)
    • Hybrid MPI/GPU interpolation for grid DEM construction (Danner etal, 2012)