Efficient algorithms for optimization problems involving distances in a point set

We present a general technique, based on parametric search with some twist, for solving a variety of optimization problems on a set of points in the plane or in higher dimensions. These problems include (i) the reverse shortest path problem in unit-disk graphs, recently studied by Wang and Zhao, (ii) the same problem for weighted unit-disk graphs, with a decision procedure recently provided by Wang and Xue, (iii) extensions of these problems to three and higher dimensions, (iv) the discrete Fr\'echet distance with one-sided shortcuts in higher dimensions, extending the study by Ben Avraham et al., and (v) the maximum-height independent towers problem, in which we want to erect vertical towers of maximum height over a 1.5-dimensional terrain so that no pair of tower tips are mutually visible. We obtain significantly improved solutions for problems (i) and (ii), and new efficient solutions to problems (iii), (iv) and (v), which do not appear to have been studied earlier.