Connexions module: m11150 1

Example Wavelets ∗

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

Abstract
Many considerations go into the design of a wavelet system including properties such as orthogonality,

compact support, symmetry, and smoothness. Here we will examine several popularly-used wavelet

systems and their respective properties.

1 Design Considerations:
There are several design properties for the construction of a wavelet basis that one would want to be fullled.

1. symmetry: If the wavelets are not symmetric, then the wavelet transform of the mirror of an image
is not the mirror of the wavelet transform.
2. smoothness: This property is determined by the number of vanishing moments. Recall that the primal
vanishing moments determine the smoothness of the reconstruction. The dual vanishing moments
determine the convergence rate of the multiresolution projections and are necessary for detecting
singularities.
3. orthogonality: This property can be too restrictive at times. Thus the need for biorthgonal wavelet
systems.
4. compact support: This property is a function of the lter length.

2 Haar Wavelet
The Haar wavelet is the most fundamental of the wavelet systems and is also known as the length-2
Daubechies lter (See Figure 1).

Figure 1: Haar Scaling and Wavelet Functions

The Haar wavelet system properties are:

∗ Version 2.3: Jun 8, 2005 10:33 am GMT-5
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Connexions module: m11150 2

1. Symmetric scaling function

2. Anti-symmetric wavelet function
3. One vanishing moment (a minimum)
4. Orthogonal
5. Compact support
It is important to note that the Haar wavelet system is the only one that is orthogonal, symmetric, and has
compact support.  
1 1
h (n) = √ , √ (1)
2 2
 
1 −1
g (n) = √ , √ (2)
2 2

3 Sinc Wavelet
The Sinc wavelet is the second fundamental of the wavelet systems (see Figure 2). Recall that the Fourier
transform of the sinc is the brick-wall lter (or ideal low-pass lter).

Figure 2: Sinc Scaling and Wavelet Functions

The Sinc wavelet system properties are:

1. Orthogonal
2. Innite number of vanishing moments
3. Innite support (IIR and non-causal)
Given our scaling function to be the sinc function

φ (t) = sinc (t)

sin(πt)
(3)
= πt

we have the following wavelet expression

ψ (t) = 2φ (2t) − φ (t) (4)
The lter coecients can then be found as
 πn 
h (n) = sinc (5)
2

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4 Daubechies Wavelet
The Daubechies coecients for the scaling and wavelet lters are unique in that they have a high degree of
smoothness. All N2 − 1 degrees of freedom are used to maximize the number of vanishing moments:
 
N
: H i (π) = 0 (6)


∀i, i ∈ 0, . . . , −1
2

The Daubechies wavelet system properties are (see Figure 3:

1. If length of lter N = 2, Daubechies = Haar
2. Anti-symmetric if length of lter N > 2
3. Compact support
4. Orthogonal
5. N
2 − 1 vanishing moments
6. Increasing smoothness as N increases

Figure 3: Length-4 Daubechies Scaling and Wavelet Functions

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