How good is the Chord algorithm?

Abstract

The Chord algorithm is a popular, simple method for the succinct approximation of curves, which is widely used, under different names, in a variety of areas, such as, multiobjective and parametric optimization, computational geometry, and graphics. We analyze the performance of the Chord algorithm, as compared to the optimal approximation that achieves a desired accuracy with the minimum number of points. We prove sharp upper and lower bounds, both in the worst case and average case setting.

arXiv comment47 pages, full version of SODA 2010 paper