Sliding Squares in Parallel

Abstract: We consider algorithmic problems motivated by modular robotic reconfiguration, for which we are given $n$ square-shaped modules (or robots) in a (labeled or unlabeled) start configuration and need to find a schedule of sliding moves to transform it into a desired goal configuration, maintaining connectivity of the configuration at all times. Recent work from Computational Geometry has aimed at minimizing the total number of moves, resulting in schedules that can perform reconfigurations in $\mathcal{O}(n^2)$ moves, or $\mathcal{O}(nP)$ for an arrangement of bounding box perimeter size $P$, but are fully sequential. Here we provide first results in the sliding square model that exploit parallel robot motion, resulting in an optimal speedup to achieve reconfiguration in worst-case optimal makespan of $\mathcal{O}(P)$. We also provide tight bounds on the complexity of the problem by showing that even deciding the possibility of reconfiguration within makespan $1$ is NP-complete in the unlabeled case; for the labeled case, deciding reconfiguration within makespan $2$ is NP-complete, while makespan $1$ can be decided in polynomial time.