Low‐curvature image simplifiers: Global regularity of smooth solutions and Laplacian limiting schemes

We consider a class of fourth‐order nonlinear diffusion equations motivated by Tumblin and Turk's “low‐curvature image simplifiers” for image denoising and segmentation. The PDE for the image intensity u is of the form $u_t = - \nabla \cdot \bigl(\,g\,(\Delta u) \;\nabla \Delta u\,\bigr)\ +\ \lambda\,(f - u)\;,$ where g(s) = k2/(k2 + s2) is a “curvature” threshold and λ denotes a fidelity‐matching parameter. We derive a priori bounds for Δu that allow us to prove global regularity of smooth solutions in one space dimension, and a geometric constraint for finite‐time singularities from smooth initial data in two space dimensions. This is in sharp contrast to the second‐order Perona‐Malik equation (an ill‐posed problem), on which the original LCIS method is modeled. The estimates also allow us to design a finite difference scheme that satisfies discrete versions of the estimates, in particular, a priori bounds on the smoothness estimator in both one and two space dimensions. We present computational results that show the effectiveness of such algorithms. Our results are connected to recent results for fourth‐order lubrication‐type equations and the design of positivity‐preserving schemes for such equations. This connection also has relevance for other related fourth‐order imaging equations. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.