Drawings of Planar Graphs with Few Slopes and Segments

Abstract

We study straight-line drawings of planar graphs with few segments and few slopes. Optimal results are obtained for all trees. Tight bounds are obtained for outerplanar graphs, 2-trees, and planar 3-trees. We prove that every 3-connected plane graph on $n$ vertices has a plane drawing with at most ${5/2}n$ segments and at most $2n$ slopes. We prove that every cubic 3-connected plane graph has a plane drawing with three slopes (and three bends on the outerface). In a companion paper, drawings of non-planar graphs with few slopes are also considered.