Improved bounds on planar k-sets and k-levels

We prove an O(nk/sup 1/3/) upper bound for planar k-sets. This is the first considerable improvement on this bound after its early solutions approximately twenty seven years ago. Our proof technique also applies to improve the current bounds on the combinatorial complexities of k-levels in arrangements of line segments, k convex polygons in the union of n lines, parametric minimum spanning trees and parametric matroids in general.