Connexions module: m10764

Haar Wavelet Basis

Roy Ha Justin Romberg

This work is produced by The Connexions Project and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License

Abstract This module gives an overview of wavelets and their usefulness as a basis in image processing. In particular we look at the properties of the Haar wavelet basis.

1 Introduction
Fourier series1 is a useful orthonormal representation2 on L2 ([0, T ]) especiallly for inputs into LTI systems. However, it is ill suited for some applications, i.e. image processing (recall Gibb's phenomena3 ). , discovered in the last 15 years, are another kind of basis for L2 ([0, T ]) and have many nice properties.

Wavelets

2 Basis Comparisons
Fourier series - cn give frequency information. Basis functions last the entire interval.
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2.9: Sep 2, 2011 10:09 am GMT-5

1 "Fourier Series: Eigenfunction Approach" <http://cnx.org/content/m10496/latest/> 2 "Orthonormal Basis Expansions" <http://cnx.org/content/m10760/latest/> 3 "Gibbs Phenomena" <http://cnx.org/content/m10092/latest/>

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Figure 1: Fourier basis functions

Wavelets - basis functions give frequency info but are

local in time.

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Connexions module: m10764

Figure 2: Wavelet basis functions

In Fourier basis, the basis functions are

harmonic multiples of ei t
0

Figure 3: basis =

1 T

ei0 nt

In Haar wavelet basis4 , the basis functions are

scaled and translated versions of a "mother wavelet"

4 "The Haar System as an Example of DWT" <http://cnx.org/content/m10437/latest/>

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(t).

Figure 4

Basis functions {j,k (t)} are indexed by a Let 0 t < T : ( (t) = 1) Then
j 2

scale j and a shift k.

j

(t) , 2 2j t k , (t) , 2 2 2j t k | j Z

k = 0, 1, 2, . . . , 2j 1

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Figure 5

1 if 0 t < T 2 (1) (t) = 1 if 0 T < T 2

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Figure 6

Let j,k (t) = 2 2 2j t k

Figure 7

Larger j "skinnier" basis function, j = {0, 1, 2, . . . }, 2j shifts at each scale: k = 0, 1, . . . , 2j 1 Check: each j,k (t) has unit energy

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Connexions module: m10764

Figure 8

j,k 2 (t) dt = 1
Any two basis functions are orthogonal.

j,k (t)

=1

(2)

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Connexions module: m10764

(a)

(b)

Figure 9: Integral of product = 0 (a) Same scale (b) Dierent scale

Also, {j,k , } span L2 ([0, T ])

3 Haar Wavelet Transform

Using what we know about Hilbert spaces5 : For any f (t) L2 ([0, T ]), we can write

Synthesis Analysis

f (t) =
j k

wj,k j,k (t) + c0 (t)

(3)

wj,k =
0 T

f (t) j,k (t) dt

(4) (5)

c0 =
0

f (t) (t) dt

real The Haar transform is super useful especially in image compression

note:

the wj,k are

5 "Inner Products" <http://cnx.org/content/m10755/latest/>

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4 Haar Wavelet Demonstration

Figure 10: Interact (when online) with a Mathematica CDF demonstrating the Haar Wavelet as an Orthonormal Basis.

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