Homological shape analysis through discrete morse theory

Abstract

Homology and persistent homology are fundamental tools for shape analysis and understanding that recently gathered a lot of interest, in particular for analyzing multidimensional data. In this context, discrete Morse theory, a combinatorial counterpart of smooth Morse theory, provides an excellent basis for reducing computational complexity in homology detection. A discrete Morse complex, computed over a given complex discretizing a shape, drastically reduces the number of cells of the latter while maintaining the same homology. Here, we consider the problem of shape analysis through discrete Morse theory, and we review and analyze algorithms for computing homology and persistent homology based on such theory.