On the total length of the random minimal directed spanning tree

Mathew D. Penrose and Andrew R. Wade

Advances in Applied Probability, 38, no. 2, June 2006, 336–372. DOI: 10.1239/aap/1151337075. Extended version:

Abstract

In Bhatt and Roy's minimal directed spanning tree (MDST) construction for a random partially ordered set of points in the unit square, all edges must respect the "coordinatewise" partial order and there must be a directed path from each vertex to a minimal element. We study the asymptotic behaviour of the total length of this graph with power weighted edges. The limiting distribution is given by the sum of a normal component away from the boundary and a contribution introduced by the boundary effects, which can be characterized by a fixed point equation, and is reminiscent of limits arising in the probabilistic analysis of certain algorithms. As the exponent of the power weighting increases, the distribution undergoes a phase transition from the normal contribution being dominant to the boundary effects dominating. In the critical case where the weight is simple Euclidean length, both effects contribute significantly to the limit law.