Boundary-based and region-growing algorithms

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2014. This chapter describes two approaches to morphology computation, which are dimension-specific: the boundary-based and the region-growing approach. Such approaches have been developed in the context of Geographic Information Systems (GISs), initially for terrains, and later for three-dimensional scalar fields for applications to volume data visualization. First, we review boundary-based methods, which are based on the idea of building the boundary lines (in 2D) or boundary surfaces (in 3D) of the Morse cells (Sect. 3.1); Then, we review region-growing algorithms, which are based on the idea of growing a cell of the descending or ascending Morse complex associated with a minimum or maximum by starting from such a point as a seed (Sect. 3.2).