Collaborative Research Center

SFB-TRR 161

Quantitative Methods for Visual Computing

We are living in a data society in which data is generated at amazing speed; individuals, companies, organizations, and governments are on the brink of being drawn into a massive deluge of data. The great challenge is to extract the relevant information from vast amounts of data and communicate it effectively.

Typical scenarios include decision and policy making for urban and environmental planning or understanding relationships and dependencies in complex networks, e.g., social networks or networks from the field of bioinformatics. These scenarios are not only of interest to specialized experts; in fact, there is a trend toward including the broad public, which requires the information to be presented in a reliable, faithful, and easy-to-understand fashion.

Visual computing can play a key role in extracting and presenting the relevant information.

In visual computing research the aspect of quantification is often neglected. The SFB-TRR 161 seeks to close this gap.

The long-term goal is to strengthen the research field by establishing the paradigm of quantitative science in visual computing.

About the SFB-TRR 161

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SFB-TRR 161 Events

Upcoming Events

Apr 25, 2024, 8.30 am - 3 pm
University of Konstanz

Angebot zum Girls' Day 2024
Zu Gast bei den Informatiker*innen: Wir programmieren mit Processing

Wir  zeigen Euch, dass Programmieren Spaß macht, nicht schwierig sein muss und man schnell beeindruckende Ergebnisse erzielen kann. Bei unserem Angebot zum Girls' Day lernt ihr, wie man mit der Programmiersprache Processing einfache Programme schreiben kann. Dabei schauen wir uns an, wie ein Computer die Aktionen der Nutzerin/des Nutzers verstehen kann und wie sich dadurch die Anzeige auf dem Bildschirm verändert. Wir erstellen Schritt für Schritt ein einfaches Geschicklichkeitsspiel, das Ihr dann nach Euren eigenen Vorstellungen weiterentwickeln könnt.

Programmierkenntnisse sind nicht erforderlich.

Mehr Informationen und Link zur Anmeldung: https://www.girls-day.de/.oO/Show/universitaet-konstanz/zu-gast-bei-den-informatiker-innen-wir-programmieren-mit-processing 

May 2nd, 2024, 9.30 am - 4 pm
University of Konstanz, ZT1204 (Data Theatre)

Workshop | Graph Drawing - Theory and Applications

Held by:

Franz Brandenburg, University of Passau

Giuseppe Liotta, University of Perugia, IT

Ulrik Brandes, ETH Zurich, CH

Schedule:

09:30 Morning Coffee
10:00 Opening
10:10 Keynote I, Franz Brandenburg: Book Embeddings of Planar, 1-Planar and Fan-Planar Graphs
10:55 Presentation I, Niklas Gröne: CelticGraph: Drawing Graphs as Celtic Knots and Links
11:25 Coffee break
11:45 Keynote II, Ulrik Brandes: Proximity Networks and Football Teams’ Spatial Expressions
12:30 Presentation II, Stefan Feyer: 2D, 2.5D, or 3D? An Exploratory Study on Multilayer Network Visualisations in Virtual Reality
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Keynote III, Giuseppe Liotta: The Bend-Minimization Problem in Orthogonal Graph Drawing
14:45 Presentation III, Wilhelm Kerle-Malcharek: GAV-VR: An Extensible Framework for Graph Analysis and Visualisation in Virtual Reality
15:15 Discussion & Closing

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Keynote I Franz Brandenburg: Book Embeddings of Planar, 1-Planar and Fan-Planar Graphs

Abstract:
A k-page book embedding of a graph consists of a linear ordering of the vertices, which is defined by placing them from left to right, and an embedding of the edges in k pages, such that there is no conflict in any page, that is edges in a page do not cross. It is known that every planar graph has a 4-page book embedding and this bound is tight. We generalize Yannakakis algorithm for a 5-page book embedding of planar graphs to 1-planar, fan-planar graphs and k-framed multigraphs and improve the known bounds. A graph is 1-planar if each edge can be crossed at most once, fan-planar if an edge can only be crossed by adjacent edges, and a k-framed multigraph if it consists of a planar multigraph with faces of degree at most k that contain crossed edges.

Bio:
Prof. (Emeritus) Dr. Franz J. Brandenburg studied Mathematics and Informatics at the University of Bonn where he obtained his Ph.D. and  Habilitation. In 1983 he took over the chair of Theoretical Computer Science at the University of Passau, which he held until his retirement in 2015. He had over 20 Ph.D students, two of them are professors in Computer Science today. He has contributed to various scientific fields, such as formal languages, complexity theory, graph grammars, graph drawing, and combinatorics. His primary focus remains in the field of graph drawing, where he continues to be actively engaged.

Keynote II Ulrik Brandes: Proximity Networks and Football Teams’ Spatial Expressions

Abstract:
We propose a class of proximity graphs for the instantaneous representation of spatial arrangements in association football (soccer). They are inspired by related applications in fingerprinting and facial expression detection, and intended to serve as a fundamental data structure with which various downstream tasks can be tackled flexibly, explainably, and in real time. As example use cases, we introduce position plots to capture the characteristic fluidity of player positions during a game and track corresponding changes in team formations.
Acknowledgments: Hadi Sotudeh, Dogan Parlak, Paolo Laffranchi, Mert Erkul, and Sammy Jäger.

Bio:
Ulrik Brandes is professor for social networks at ETH Zürich. He is co-editor of Social Networks and recipient of the 2024 Simmel Award, the distinguished career award of the International Networks for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). His work revolves around method development for network analysis and visualization, and is increasingly utilizting the game of football as a model system.

Keynote III Giuseppe Liotta: The Bend-Minimization Problem in Orthogonal Graph Drawing

Abstract:  
In the field of Graph Drawing, a classic and well-studied problem is computing orthogonal drawings of planar graphs with the minimum number of bends. This problem has been approached in two ways:
- Fixed embedding setting: The input specifies a particular planar embedding of the graph, and the algorithm must find an orthogonal drawing that minimizes bends while respecting this embedding.
- Variable embedding setting: The algorithm has the freedom to choose among all possible planar embeddings of the graph, aiming to find an embedding that allows for an orthogonal drawing with the minimum number of bends.
In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of the most important findings for both approaches and discuss some key directions for future research.

Bio:
Giuseppe Liotta is a professor of computer science at the Department of Engineering of the University of Perugia, Italy. His research interests are mainly directed at the analysis and design of algorithms and systems that have applications in the fields of network science, information visualization, and graph drawing. On these topics he edited special issues, wrote surveys papers, book chapters, published more than 300 research papers, and gave lectures worldwide. He regularly serves in international scientific boards and in program committees of international conferences either as a member or as a chairperson. He is the co-editor in chief of the journal Computer Science Review (Impact Factor: 12.9). Over the years, Giuseppe’s research has been supported by several grants issued by both public and private sponsors. Concerning technology transfer, he consulted for several private companies and public bodies and was the co-founder of a spin-off company of the University of Perugia.

Jun 3rd - 4th, 2024, full days

Tagungszentrum Blaubeuren

Internal Status Seminar of the SFB-TRR 161

Past Events