Parallel processing of region boundaries

Abstract A region may be represented by specifying the curves that bound it. When p processors are available, typical operations on regions so represented can be performed much faster than using a single processor. This paper presents parallel algorithms to determine properties of regions, such as area; to perform operations on regions, such as union and intersection; to determine if a point lies inside a region; and to determine whether a given digital curve could be the boundary of a region. Some of the algorithms involve sorting, the time complexity of which depends on the particular model of parallel computation used.