A Connected Component Labeling Algorithm for Implicitly-Defined Domains

Abstract

A connected component labeling algorithm is developed for implicitly-defined domains specified by multivariate polynomials. The algorithm operates by recursively subdividing the constraint domain into hyperrectangular subcells until the topology thereon is sufficiently simple; in particular, we devise a topology test using properties of Bernstein polynomials. In many cases the algorithm produces a certificate guaranteeing its correctness, i.e., two points yield the same label if and only if they are path-connected. To robustly handle various kinds of edge cases, the algorithm may assign identical labels to distinct components, but only when they are exactly or nearly touching, relative to a user-controlled length scale. A variety of numerical experiments assess the effectiveness of the overall approach, including statistical analyses on randomly generated multi-component geometry in 2D and 3D, as well as specific examples involving cusps, self-intersections, junctions, and other kinds of singularities.