Euler Number Computation

By
Kishore Kulkarni
(Under the Guidance of Dr. Longin Jan Latecki)
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Outline
Connected Components & Holes
Euler Number & its significance
For Binary Images
For Graphs
Analogy between Euler number for graphs & binary
images
Concavities and Convexities
Relation between Euler Number, Concavities & Convexities
Euler Number computation for test images.
Justification of correctness of algorithm used for computing
Euler Number

Connected Components & Holes

Connected Components 4, 6 and 8 Connectivity.
Holes

Euler Number
The Euler Number (also called as the connectivity
factor) is defined as the difference between
connected components and holes.
Formally, Euler Number is given by
ncomp

E = ncomp - nihole

where

i=1

ncomp=> number of foreground connected components

nihole => number of holes for ith connected component
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Euler Number
E = 11 4 = 7

E = 5 11 = -6

Significance of Euler Number

Euler Number is a topological parameter, which
describes the structure of an object, regardless of its
specific geometric shape.
Euler number (for discrete case) is a local measure
and is obtained as the sum of measures in the local
neighbourhoods.
Although it is a local measure , it can be used to
obtain global properties.
For objects with no holes, it can be used to calculate
the number of connected components.
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Euler Number for Graphs

If V, E, and F represent the set of vertices, edges and faces
respectively then for any graph we have
|V| + |F| = |E|+ R
where R is the Euler Number for graphs
|V| = 7, |F| = 3(or 4), |E| = 9
Euler Number ,
R = 7 + 3(or 4) 9 = 1(or 2)
depending upon whether or
not we treat the area outside the
graph as a face.
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Equivalence of Euler Number for

graphs and Binary images
Any binary image can be represented as a
graphs where

Every black pixel (1) is represents the vertex of

the graph
Two neighbouring black pixels (vertices of the
graphs) are joined to form an edge

The Euler Number for the binary image and

its corresponding graph is the same.
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Euler Number Contd

Consider the following image.
Euler Number E = 2 0 = 2.
For the corresponding graph,
we have
|V| = 28, |E| = 30, |F| = 4
R = 28 30 + 4 = 2

Convexities & Concavities

A region R is said to be convex iff, for every
x1, x2 in R, [x1, x2] belongs to R.
A convex hull for a region R is defined as the
convex closure of region R.
Convexity (or the convex number) N2+(X, )
is defined as the number of first entries in the
object in a given direction .
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Convexity & concavity.

Concavity (or the concave number) N2-(X, ) is
defined as the number of exits in a given direction
.
In the following figure,
N2+(X, 90) = 3

N2-(X, 90) = 2

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Convexities and Concavities

For a binary image with 4-connectivity the convexities and
concavities can be represented by the following 2*2 masks.
Convexities Three 0s and one 1.
Concavities Three 1s and one 0.

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Euler Number in terms of

convexity and concavity
The relationship between Euler Number,
Convexities and concavities is given by
N2(X) = N2+(X) - N2-(X)
So now we have the following relation
E = c h = v e + f = N2+(X) - N2-(X)
The upstream convexity [ ] -------- (1)
The upstream concavity [ ] ----------(2)
0 0
0 1

0 1
1 1

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Algorithm for computing Euler Number

(for 4-connectivity)
For every pixel (x, y) of the image,
Do
if p(x,y) = 1 and p(x-1, y) = p(x , y-1) = p(x-1 , y-1) = 0
convexities ++
if p(x,y) = 0 & p(x+1, y) = p(x , y+1) = p(x+1 , y+1) =1
concavities ++
end
Euler number = convexities - concavities
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Euler Number for test images

Image 1:
Number of Convexities
= 74
Number of Concavities
= 74
Euler Number = 0

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Euler Number for test images

Image 2:
Number of Convexities
= 86
Number of Concavities
= 85
Euler Number = 1

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Euler Number for test images

Image 3:
Number of Convexities
= 135
Number of Concavities
=?
Euler Number = ?

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Euler Number for test images

Image 4:
Number of Convexities
= 74
Number of Concavities
= 73
Euler Number = 1

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Euler Number for test images

Image 5:
Number of Convexities
= 27
Number of Concavities
= 16
Euler Number = 11
= Number of Objects
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Euler Number for test images

Image 6:
Number of Convexities
= 51
Number of Concavities
= 61
Euler Number = -10
Number of Holes
= 1-(-10) = 11
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Why does this approach always

returns Euler Number ?
To prove:
Euler Number for an image = Number of upstream
convexities - Number of upstream concavities
Proof:
First we prove that Euler Number for the whole
image is the sum of Euler numbers for every
component. Then we prove the above equality for
one component to complete the proof.
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Proof - Contd.
Euler number for component is given by
Ei = 1 nihole
where nihole is the number of holes in component i
Consider
ncomp ncomp
Ei = (1 - nihole)
i=1

i=1
ncomp

= ncomp - nihole
i=1

= Eimage

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Proof - Contd.
0 0
0 1

The upstream convexity [ ] -------- (1)

The upstream concavity [ 10 11 ] ----------(2)
The first pixel with value 1 in the image
should be of type (1). Hence this convexity
refers to the connected component. Now any
0 1
pixel with the mask [1 1 ] can
(1) be a Hole
(2) be a Background
If (1) then we are done..

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Proof - Contd.
If it is a background pixel then we have an extra concavity
count. Hence we need to prove that there exists an
equivalent convexity to balanced the same. Now if it a
background pixel, then the two edges in the 2*2 mask
(referring to graphical representation of a binary image)
should not form a cycle with any of the previously visited
black pixels (otherwise we get a hole). If0 this
is the case
0
there should be a pixel with the mask [ 0 1 ]. Hence we can
prove that number of concavities exceeding number of holes
and convexities exceeding 1 are equal by similar argument.
Thus they cancel out. Hence the result.
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