Primoz Skraba

Persistence-based clustering in riemannian manifolds

We present a clustering scheme that combines a mode-seeking phase with a cluster merging phase in the corresponding density map. While mode detection is done by a standard graph-based hill-climbing scheme, the novelty of our approach resides in its use of topological persistence to guide the merging of clusters. Our algorithm provides additional feedback in the form of a set of points in the plane, called a persistence diagram (PD), which provably reflects the prominences of the modes of the density. In practice, this feedback enables the user to choose relevant parameter values, so that under mild sampling conditions the algorithm will output the correct number of clusters, a notion that can be made formally sound within persistence theory. The algorithm only requires rough estimates of the density at the data points, and knowledge of (approximate) pairwise distances between them. It is therefore applicable in any metric space. Meanwhile, its complexity remains practical: although the size of the input distance matrix may be up to quadratic in the number of data points, a careful implementation only uses a linear amount of memory and takes barely more time to run than to read through the input. In this conference version of the paper we emphasize the experimental aspects of our work, describing the approach, giving an intuitive overview of its theoretical guarantees, discussing the choice of its parameters in practice, and demonstrating its potential in terms of applications through a series of experimental results obtained on synthetic and real-life data sets. Precise statements and proofs of our theoretical claims can be found in the full version of the paper [7].

Persistence-based segmentation of deformable shapes

In this paper, we combine two ideas: persistence-based clustering and the Heat Kernel Signature (HKS) function to obtain a multi-scale isometry invariant mesh segmentation algorithm. The key advantages of this approach is that it is tunable through a few intuitive parameters and is stable under near-isometric deformations. Indeed the method comes with feedback on the stability of the number of segments in the form of a persistence diagram. There are also spatial guarantees on part of the segments. Finally, we present an extension to the method which first detects regions which are inherently unstable and segments them separately. Both approaches are reasonably scalable and come with strong guarantees. We show numerous examples and a comparison with the segmentation benchmark and the curvature function.

Zigzag persistent homology in matrix multiplication time

We present a new algorithm for computing zigzag persistent homology, an algebraic structure which encodes changes to homology groups of a simplicial complex over a sequence of simplex additions and deletions. Provided that there is an algorithm that multiplies two n×n matrices in M(n) time, our algorithm runs in O(M(n) + n2 log2 n) time for a sequence of n additions and deletions. In particular, the running time is O(n2.376), by result of Coppersmith and Winograd. The fastest previously known algorithm for this problem takes O(n3) time in the worst case.

Sweeps over wireless sensor networks

We present a robust approach to data collection, aggregation, and dissemination problems in sensor networks. Our method is based on the idea of a sweep over the network: a wavefront that traverses the network, passes over each node exactly once, and performs the desired operation(s). We do not require global information about the sensor field such as node locations. Instead, in a preprocessing phase, we compute a potential function over the network whose gradients guide the sweep process. The sweep itself operates asynchronously, using only local operations to advance the wave-front. The gradient information provides a local ordering of the nodes that helps reduce the number of MAC-layer collisions as the wavefront advances, while also globally shaping the wavefront so as to conform to the sensor field layout. The approach is robust to both link volatility and node failures that may be present in real network conditions. The potential is computed by a stable diffusion process in which each node repeatedly set its potential to the average of the potentials of its neighbors. Aggregation paths are decided on-line as the sweep proceeds and no fixed tree structure is needed over the course of the computation. We present simulation results illustrating the correctness of the algorithm and comparing the performance of the sweep to aggregation trees under various network conditions

Persistence-Based Clustering in Riemannian Manifolds

We present a clustering scheme that combines a mode-seeking phase with a cluster merging phase in the corresponding density map. While mode detection is done by a standard graph-based hill-climbing scheme, the novelty of our approach resides in its use of topological persistence to guide the merging of clusters. Our algorithm provides additional feedback in the form of a set of points in the plane, called a persistence diagram (PD), which provably reflects the prominences of the modes of the density. In practice, this feedback enables the user to choose relevant parameter values, so that under mild sampling conditions the algorithm will output the correct number of clusters, a notion that can be made formally sound within persistence theory. In addition, the output clusters have the property that their spatial locations are bound to the ones of the basins of attraction of the peaks of the density. The algorithm only requires rough estimates of the density at the data points, and knowledge of (approximate) pairwise distances between them. It is therefore applicable in any metric space. Meanwhile, its complexity remains practical: although the size of the input distance matrix may be up to quadratic in the number of data points, a careful implementation only uses a linear amount of memory and takes barely more time to run than to read through the input.

Cross-Layer Optimization for High Density Sensor Networks: Distributed Passive Routing Decisions

The resource limited nature of WSNs requires that protocols implemented on these networks be energy-efficient, scalable and distributed. This paper presents an analysis of a novel combined routing and MAC protocol. The protocol achieves energy-efficiency by minimizing signaling overhead through state-less routing decisions that are made at the receiver rather than at the sender. The protocol depends on a source node advertising its location and the packet destination to its neighbors, which then contend to become the receiver by measuring their local optimality for the packet and map this into a time-to-respond value. More optimal nodes have smaller time-to-respond values and so respond before less optimal nodes.

Lightweight Coloring and Desynchronization for Networks

We study the distributed desynchronization problem for graphs with arbitrary topology. Motivated by the severe computational limitations of sensor networks, we present a randomized algorithm for network desynchronization that uses an extremely lightweight model of computation, while being robust to link volatility and node failure. These techniques also provide novel, ultra-lightweight randomized algorithms for quickly computing distributed vertex colorings using an asymp- totically optimal number of colors. I. INTRODUCTION As inherently distributed computational systems, sensor networks rely critically on coordination between nodes to effectively sense, communicate and interpret environmental data. Individual nodes face severe battery and computational limitations, so a notion of coordinated task-sharing and duty- cycling is critical to maintaining the longevity and efficient operation of the network. In this sense, desynchronizing the actions of nodes is desirable. Efficient desynchronization pro- tocols can be applied to a variety of sensor network applica- tions, including periodic resource sharing, coordinated sleep schedules, and evenly shared sensing burden across nearby nodes (3).

2D Vector Field Simplification Based on Robustness

Vector field simplification aims to reduce the complexity of the flow by removing features in order of their relevance and importance, to reveal prominent behavior and obtain a compact representation for interpretation. Most existing simplification techniques based on the topological skeleton successively remove pairs of critical points connected by separatrices, using distance or area-based relevance measures. These methods rely on the stable extraction of the topological skeleton, which can be difficult due to instability in numerical integration, especially when processing highly rotational flows. These geometric metrics do not consider the flow magnitude, an important physical property of the flow. In this paper, we propose a novel simplification scheme derived from the recently introduced topological notion of robustness, which provides a complementary view on flow structure compared to the traditional topological-skeleton-based approaches. Robustness enables the pruning of sets of critical points according to a quantitative measure of their stability, that is, the minimum amount of vector field perturbation required to remove them. This leads to a hierarchical simplification scheme that encodes flow magnitude in its perturbation metric. Our novel simplification algorithm is based on degree theory, has fewer boundary restrictions, and so can handle more general cases. Finally, we provide an implementation under the piecewise-linear setting and apply it to both synthetic and real-world datasets.

Scalar Field Analysis over Point Cloud Data

Given a real-valued function f defined over some metric space

Energy efficient intrusion detection in camera sensor networks

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