In this paper, we propose a novel iterative convolution-thresholding method (ICTM) that is applicable to a range of variational models for image segmentation. A variational model usually minimizes an energy functional consisting of a fidelity term and a regularization term. In the ICTM, the interface between two different segment domains is implicitly represented by their characteristic functions. The fidelity term is usually written as a linear functional of the characteristic functions and the regularized term is approximated by a functional of characteristic functions in terms of heat kernel convolution. This allows us to design an iterative convolution-thresholding method to minimize the approximate energy. The method is simple, efficient and enjoys the energy-decaying property. Numerical experiments show that the method is easy to implement, robust and applicable to various image segmentation models.

No abstract uploaded!

No abstract uploaded!

Recently, Tsai-Tseng-Yau constructed new invariants of symplectic manifolds: a sequence of A-infinity algebras built of differential forms on the symplectic manifold. We show that these symplectic A-infinity algebras have a simple topological interpretation. Namely, when the cohomology class of the symplectic form is integral, these A-infinity algebras are equivalent to the standard de Rham differential graded algebra on certain odd dimensional sphere bundles over the symplectic manifold. From this equivalence, we deduce for a closed symplectic manifold that Tsai-Tseng-Yau's symplectic A-infinity algebras satisfy the Calabi-Yau property, and importantly, that they can be used to define an intersection theory for coisotropic/isotropic chains. We further demonstrate that these symplectic A-infinity algebras satisfy several functorial properties and lay the groundwork for addressing Weinstein functoriality and invariance in the smooth category.

No abstract uploaded!