CGAL users discussion list

[Iosif Pinelis <>]

Hi,

I am a mathematician and a complete novice, and don't know C or C++. My 
_main interest_ at this point is to find out what algorithms are used in 
CGAL to check such polygon properties as the simplicity and convexity, 
as well as the rigorous definitions of these notions as assumed in CGAL. 
I have been able to find online only extremely brief descriptions of the 
corresponding pieces of code. As for the polygon simplicity, it is said 
there that a sweep algorithm is used, but no details are given. As for 
the polygon convexity, nothing at all is said about the algorithm. In no 
case I have been able to find rigorous definitions.

I guess I could try to read the CGAL C++ code for these algorithms, but 
I can't find such code either in the CGAL download. I have tried to 
install CGAL on Windows XP (after installing Visual C++ 2005 Express 
edition and also boost), but the installation fails to complete. A CGAL 
installation manual says that only Visual C++ 2003 (version 7.1) is 
supported by CGAL, but 7.1 does not appear to be available any more, as 
it has been replaced by 8.0 by Microsoft.

Your help concerning the algorithms (and also the installation) would be 
very valuable to me. Thank you.

Iosif Pinelis