An exact rectilinear Steiner tree algorithm

Given a set of terminals in the plane, a rectilinear Steiner minimal tree is a shortest interconnection among these terminals using only horizontal and vertical edges. We present an algorithm that constructs a rectilinear Steiner minimal tree for an input terminal set. On a workstation, problems involving 20 input terminals can be solved in a few seconds, and problems involving 30 input terminals can be solved, on average, in 30 minutes. Previous algorithms could only solve 16 or 17-point problems within the 30-minute time bound.<
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