The point-set embeddability problem for plane graphs

Abstract

In this paper, we study the point-set embeddability-problem, i.e., given a planar graph and a set of points, is there a mapping of the vertices to the points such that the resulting straight-line drawing is planar? This problem is NP-hard if the embedding can be chosen, but becomes polynomial for triangulated graphs of treewidth 3. We show here that in fact it can be answered for all planar graphs with a fixed embedding that have constant treewidth and constant face-degree. We also prove that as soon as one of the conditions is dropped (i.e., either the treewidth is unbounded or some faces have large degrees), Point-set embeddability with a fixed embedding becomes NP-hard. The NP-hardness holds even for a 3-connected planar graph with constant treewidth, triangulated planar graphs, or 2-connected outer-planar graphs.