Solving Geometric Constraints records and explains the formal basis for graphical analysis techniques that have been used for decades in engineering disciplines. It describes a novel computer implementation of a 3D graphical analysis method - degrees of freedom analysis - for solving geometric constraint problems of the type encountered in the kinematic analysis of mechanical linkages, providing the best computational bounds yet achieved for this class of problems. The technique allows for the design of algorithms that provide signification speed increases and will foster the development of interactive software tools for the simulation, optimization, and design of complex mechanical devices as well as provide leverage in other geometric domains.

Geometric constraint programming increases flexibility in CAD design specifications and leads to new conceptual design paradigms. This volume features a collection of work by leading researchers developing the various aspects of constraint-based product modeling. In an introductory chapter the role of constraints in CAD systems of the future and their implications for the STEP data exchange format are discussed. The main part of the book deals with the application of constraints to conceptual and collaborative design, as well as state-of-the-art mathematical and algorithmic methods for constraint solving.

This sequence of actions is used metaphorically to solve, in a maximally decoupled form, the equations resulting from an algebraic representation of the problem. Degrees of freedom analysis has significant computational advantages over conventional algebraic approaches. The utility of the technique is demonstrated with a program that assembles and kinematically simulates mechanical linkages."

The Handbook of Geometric Constraint Systems Principles is an entry point to the currently used principal mathematical and computational tools and techniques of the geometric constraint system (GCS). It functions as a single source containing the core principles and results, accessible to both beginners and experts. The handbook provides a guide for students learning basic concepts, as well as experts looking to pinpoint specific results or approaches in the broad landscape. As such, the editors created this handbook to serve as a useful tool for navigating the varied concepts, approaches and results found in GCS research. Key Features: A comprehensive reference handbook authored by top researchers Includes fundamentals and techniques from multiple perspectives that span several research communities Provides recent results and a graded program of open problems and conjectures Can be used for senior undergraduate or graduate topics course introduction to the area Detailed list of figures and tables About the Editors: Meera Sitharam is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Computer & Information Science and Engineering. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Audrey St. John is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Mount Holyoke College, who received her Ph. D. from UMass Amherst. Jessica Sidman is a Professor of Mathematics on the John S. Kennedy Foundation at Mount Holyoke College. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

This book is a collection of surveys and exploratory articles about recent developments in the field of computational Euclidean geometry. Topics covered include the history of Euclidean geometry, Voronoi diagrams, randomized geometric algorithms, computational algebra, triangulations, machine proofs, topological designs, finite-element mesh, computer-aided geometric designs and Steiner trees. This second edition contains three new surveys covering geometric constraint solving, computational geometry and the exact computation paradigm.

The Handbook of Geometric Constraint Systems Principles is an entry point to the currently used principal mathematical and computational tools and techniques of the geometric constraint system (GCS). It functions as a single source containing the core principles and results, accessible to both beginners and experts. The handbook provides a guide for students learning basic concepts, as well as experts looking to pinpoint specific results or approaches in the broad landscape. As such, the editors created this handbook to serve as a useful tool for navigating the varied concepts, approaches and results found in GCS research. Key Features: A comprehensive reference handbook authored by top researchers Includes fundamentals and techniques from multiple perspectives that span several research communities Provides recent results and a graded program of open problems and conjectures Can be used for senior undergraduate or graduate topics course introduction to the area Detailed list of figures and tables About the Editors: Meera Sitharam is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Computer & Information Science and Engineering. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Audrey St. John is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Mount Holyoke College, who received her Ph. D. from UMass Amherst. Jessica Sidman is a Professor of Mathematics on the John S. Kennedy Foundation at Mount Holyoke College. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.