Stable comparison of multidimensional persistent homology groups with torsion

The present lack of a stable method to compare persistent homology groups with torsion is a relevant problem in current research about Persistent Homology and its applications in Pattern Recognition. In this paper we introduce a pseudo-distance d_T that represents a possible solution to this problem. Indeed, d_T is a pseudo-distance between multidimensional persistent homology groups with coefficients in an Abelian group, hence possibly having torsion. Our main theorem proves the stability of the new pseudo-distance with respect to the change of the filtering function, expressed both with respect to the max-norm and to the natural pseudo-distance between topological spaces endowed with vector-valued filtering functions. Furthermore, we prove a result showing the relationship between d_T and the matching distance in the 1-dimensional case, when the homology coefficients are taken in a field and hence the comparison can be made

Stable comparison of multidimensional persistent homology groups with torsion

The present lack of a stable method to compare persistent homology groups with torsion is a relevant problem in current research about Persistent Homology and its applications in Pattern Recognition. In this paper we introduce a pseudo-distance d_T that represents a possible solution to this problem. Indeed, d_T is a pseudo-distance between multidimensional persistent homology groups with coefficients in an Abelian group, hence possibly having torsion. Our main theorem proves the stability of the new pseudo-distance with respect to the change of the filtering function, expressed both with respect to the max-norm and to the natural pseudo-distance between topological spaces endowed with vector-valued filtering functions. Furthermore, we prove a result showing the relationship between d_T and the matching distance in the 1-dimensional case, when the homology coefficients are taken in a field and hence the comparison can be made.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Multidimensional persistent homology is stable

Multidimensional persistence studies topological features of shapes by analyzing the lower level sets of vector-valued functions. The rank invariant completely determines the multidimensional analogue of persistent homology groups. We prove that multidimensional rank invariants are stable with respect to function perturbations. More precisely, we construct a distance between rank invariants such that small changes of the function imply only small changes of the rank invariant. This result can be obtained by assuming the function to be just continuous. Multidimensional stability opens the way to a stable shape comparison methodology based on multidimensional persistence.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

Invariance properties of the multidimensional matching distance in Persistent Topology and Homology

Persistent Topology studies topological features of shapes by analyzing the lower level sets of suitable functions, called filtering functions, and encoding the arising information in a parameterized version of the Betti numbers, i.e. the ranks of persistent homology groups. Initially introduced by considering real-valued filtering functions, Persistent Topology has been subsequently generalized to a multidimensional setting, i.e. to the case of $\R^n$-valued filtering functions, leading to studying the ranks of multidimensional homology groups. In particular, a multidimensional matching distance has been defined, in order to compare these ranks. The definition of the multidimensional matching distance is based on foliating the domain of the ranks of multidimensional homology groups by a collection of half-planes, and hence it formally depends on a subset of $\R^n\times\R^n$ inducing a parameterization of these half-planes. It happens that it is possible to choose this subset in an infinite number of different ways. In this paper we show that the multidimensional matching distance is actually invariant with respect to such a choice.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Persistence of Zero Sets

We study robust properties of zero sets of continuous maps $f:X\to\mathbb{R}^n$. Formally, we analyze the family $Z_r(f)=\{g^{-1}(0):\,\,\|g-f\|<r\}$ of all zero sets of all continuous maps $g$ closer to $f$ than $r$ in the max-norm. The fundamental geometric property of $Z_r(f)$ is that all its zero sets lie outside of $A:=\{x:\,|f(x)|\ge r\}$. We claim that once the space $A$ is fixed, $Z_r(f)$ is \emph{fully} determined by an element of a so-called cohomotopy group which---by a recent result---is computable whenever the dimension of $X$ is at most $2n-3$. More explicitly, the element is a homotopy class of a map from $A$ or $X/A$ into a sphere. By considering all $r>0$ simultaneously, the pointed cohomotopy groups form a persistence module---a structure leading to the persistence diagrams as in the case of \emph{persistent homology} or \emph{well groups}. Eventually, we get a descriptor of persistent robust properties of zero sets that has better descriptive power (Theorem A) and better computability status (Theorem B) than the established well diagrams. Moreover, if we endow every point of each zero set with gradients of the perturbation, the robust description of the zero sets by elements of cohomotopy groups is in some sense the best possible (Theorem C)