Unit-length embedding of cycles and paths on grid graphs

Abstract: Although there are very algorithms for embedding graphs on unbounded grids, only few results on embedding or drawing graphs on restricted grids has been published. In this work, we consider the problem of embedding paths and cycles on grid graphs. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of cycles of given length $k$ and paths of given length $k$ between two given vertices in $n$-vertex rectangular grid graphs and introduce two algorithms with running times O$(k)$ and O$(k^2)$ for finding respectively such cycles and paths. Also, we extend our results to $m\times n\times o$ 3D grids. Our method for finding cycle of length $k$ in rectangular grid graphs also introduces a linear-time algorithm for finding cycles of a given length $k$ in hamiltonian solid grid graphs.