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Jarvis March Algorithm

Computational Geometry Algorithm

The Jarvis march, also called the gift wrapping algorithm, computes the convex hull of a set of points in the plane by starting from the leftmost point and repeatedly selecting the next point such that every other point lies to one side of the line formed, wrapping around the point set like a gift being wrapped until it returns to the starting point. Its running time is O(nh), where n is the number of points and h is the number of points on the hull, making it efficient when the hull has few vertices but slow when most points lie on the hull. It is one of the earliest convex hull algorithms, described by R. A. Jarvis in 1973.

Facts
Time Complexity
O(nh), where n is the number of points and h is the number of points on the hull 2
Credited To
R. A. Jarvis (1973) 2
Time Complexity
Time Complexity (category)
Quadratic Time -- O(n^2) 1
Connections

In Field

Source Wikipedia: Gift wrapping algorithm
Sources
1. Jarvis March Algorithm (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia infobox: time complexity quadratic
Quote, Wikipedia infobox: time complexity quadratic
quadratic
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2. Wikipedia: Gift wrapping algorithm
  • Planar case
    O(nh) time complexity, where n is the number of points and h is the number of points on the convex hull.
  • Planar case, naming
    In the two-dimensional case the algorithm is also known as Jarvis march, after R. A. Jarvis, who published it in 1973
  • In Field: Algorithms and Complexity Theory, Lead paragraph
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