On movable separability and isotheticity

Abstract This paper is concerned with the movable-separability properties of isothetic simple polygons. Previously obtained results in this area applied only to the highly restricted class of star-shaped isothetic polygons. We introduce new classes of isothetic polygons which are substantially more general, and establish their movable-separability properties. We also define new structures called separability hulls of isothetic polygons, and introduce the notion of a jagged cross , which is a very broad subclass of isothetic simple polygons with highly interesting geometry. Elegant results on the separability-related properties of these structures are shown. Although occasional remarks on algorithmic aspects are made, the emphasis is more on structural geometric properties of isothetic polygons than on algorithmic implications, which are open for further investigation.