Think of the slicer as a toolpath generator. Essentially, you compile your STL set into a G code that tells the tool where to go. This is a much better documented problem in CNC machines than in 3D printers.
If you introduced “clipping algorithms” in google, you would not get much. Now enter “tool path generation algorithms” and you will get much more. Much of what happens in 3D printing is a problem with CNC milling technology.
Although this document does not apply directly to Slicing for 3D printers, it can give you an idea of what thinking relates to the toolpaths for CNC: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001044859900024X
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1538004 is another great article.
The source code for Slic3r is not too hard to understand, so you can start by creating a clone if you want to learn this process.
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