We consider the task of filtering the noise from images and other types of inputs which are assumed to be piecewise continuous and piecewise monotone. We show that nonlinear diffusion of the data, a powerful filtering method, is too restrictive for such a case, leading to piecewise constant functions. We claim that the piecewise monotonicity can be enhanced by nonlinear diffusion of first parti...

This article describes an application of competitive associative net called CAN2 to plane extraction from 3D range images measured by a laser range finer (LRF). The CAN2 basically is a neural net which learns efficient piecewise linear approximation of nonlinear functions, and in this application it is utilized for learning piecewise planner (linear) surfaces from the range data. As a result of...

This paper introduces a novel algorithm to compute equivalent latitude by applying regions of interest (ROI). The technique is illustrated using code written in Interactive Data Language (IDL). The ROI method is compared with the "piecewise-constant" method, the approach commonly used in atmospheric sciences, using global fields of atmospheric potential vorticity. The ROI method is considerably...

We present an extension of the Simplex method for solving problems with piecewise-linear functions of individual variables within the constrains of otherwise linear problems. This work generalizes a previous work of Fourer that accommodate piecewise-linear terms in objective functions. The notion of nonbasic variable is extended to a variable fixed at a breakpoint. This new algorithm was implem...

This paper considers the shape and topology optimization of the elastic contact problems using the level set approach. A piecewise constant level set method is used to represent interfaces rather than the standard method. The piecewise constant level set function takes distinct constant values in each subdomain of a whole design domain. Using a two-phase approximation the original structural op...