An Improved Algorithm to Select Homotopy Candidates for the Constrained Optimization of Minimum-Power Networks

We present a strategy to extract an optimal subset—i.e., a subset that contains the homotopy of the optimal solution— from the complete set of homotopies of a minimum-power network in the presence of obstacles. The strategy only requires knowing the optimal solution in the absence of obstacles (the "free" solution) and the details of the obstacle distribution. The homotopy candidates are obtained by overlaying the free solution on the obstacle distribution and analyzing the generated intersections.