Abstract
What happens to the medial axis of a curve that evolves through MCM (Mean Curvature Motion)? We explore some theoretical results regarding properties of both medial axes and curvature motions. Specifically, using singularity theory, we present all possible topological transitions of a symmetry set (of which the medial axis is a subset) whose originating curve undergoes MCM. All calculations are presented in a clear and organized fashion and are easily generalized for other front motions. A companion article deals with non-singular points of the medial axis through direct calculations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. August, A. Tannebaum, and S.W. Zucker, “On the evolution of the skeleton,” Technical Report DCS/TR 1179, Yale University, Department of Computer Science.
H. Blum, “A transformation for extracting new descriptors of shape,” in Models for the Perception of Speech and Visual Form, W. Wathen-Dunn (Ed.), Data Sciences Laboratory of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, The M.I.T. Press, Boston, Nov. 1964, pp. 362–380.
T. Bröcker, Differential Germs and Catastrophes, Vol. 17 of London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Great Britain, 1975. Translated by L. Lander.
J.W. Bruce and P.J. Giblin, “Growth, motion and 1-parameter families of symmetry sets,” Proceeding of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. 104, 1986.
J.W. Bruce, P.J. Giblin, and C.G. Gibson, “Symmetry sets,” Proceeding of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. 101, 1985.
Y.-G. Chen, Y. Giga, and S. Goto, “Uniqueness amd existence of viscosity solutions of generalized mean curvature flow equations,” Journal of Differential Geometry, Vol. 33, pp. 749–786, 1991.
L.C. Evans and J. Spruck, “Motion of level sets by mean curvature. i,” Journal of Differential Geometry, Vol. 33, pp. 635–681, 1991.
M.E. Gage, “Curve shortening makes convex curves circular,” Inventiones Mathematicae, Vol. 76, pp. 357–364, 1984.
M. Gage and R.S. Hamilton, “The heat equation shrinking convex plane curves,” Journal of Differential Geometry, Vol. 23, pp. 69–96, 1986.
P.J. Giblin and S.A. Brassett, “Local symmetry of plane curves,” The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 92, pp. 689–707, 1985.
P.J. Giblin and D.B. O’Shea, “The bitangent sphere problem,” The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 97, No. 1, pp. 5–23, 1990.
M.A. Grayson, “The heat equation shrinks embedded plane curves to round points,” Journal of Differential Geometry, Vol. 26, pp. 285–314, 1987.
B.B. Kimia, A.R. Tannenbaum, and S.W. Zucker, “Towards a computational theory of shape: An overview,” Technical Report CIM-89-13, McGill University, Department of Eletrical Engineering, Montreal, Canada, June 1989.
B.B. Kimia, A.R. Tannenbaum, and S.W. Zucker, “On the evolution of curves via a function of curvature, i: The classical case,” Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, Vol. 163, pp. 438–458, 1992.
B.B. Kimia, A.R. Tannenbaum, and S.W. Zucker, “Shapes, shocks and deformations i: the components of shape and the reaction-diffusion space,” Technical Report LEMS-105, Brown University, Division of Engineering, 1992.
E.J.N. Looijenga, “Structural stability of smooth families of c-infinity functions,” PhD dissertation, University of Amsterdam, 1974.
T. Motzkin, “Sur quelques propriétés caractéristiques des ensembles convexes,” Atti della Reale Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Vol. 21, No. 7, pp. 562–567, 1935.
J. Serra (Ed.), Image Analysis and Mathematical Morphology. No. 2. Academic Press: San Diego, 1988.
R.C. Teixeira, “Curvature motions, medial axes and distance transforms. PhD dissertation, Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1998.
R.C. Teixeira, “Medial axes and mean curvature motion i: Regular points,” Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation, Vol. 13, pp. 135–155, 2002.
Z. Yu, C. Conrad, and U. Eckhardt, “Regularization of the medial axis transform,” in Theoretical Foundations of Computer Vision, R. Klette and W.G. Kropatsch (Eds.), no. 69 in Mathematical Research. Akademie Verlag: Berlin, 1992, pp. 13–24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Teixeira, R.C. Medial Axes and Mean Curvature Motion II: Singularities. J Math Imaging Vis 23, 87–105 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10851-005-4969-0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10851-005-4969-0