An inexact Newton-Krylov algorithm for constrained diffeomorphic image registration

We propose numerical algorithms for solving large deformation diffeomorphic image registration problems. We formulate the nonrigid image registration problem as a problem of optimal control. This leads to an infinite-dimensional partial differential equation (PDE) constrained optimization problem. The PDE constraint consists, in its simplest form, of a hyperbolic transport equation for the evolution of the image intensity. The control variable is the velocity field. Tikhonov regularization on the control ensures well-posedness. We consider standard smoothness regularization based on $H^1$- or $H^2$-seminorms. We augment this regularization scheme with a constraint on the divergence of the velocity field rendering the deformation incompressible and thus ensuring that the determinant of the deformation gradient is equal to one, up to the numerical error. We use a Fourier pseudospectral discretization in space and a Chebyshev pseudospectral discretization in time. We use a preconditioned, globalized, matrix-free, inexact Newton-Krylov method for numerical optimization. A parameter continuation is designed to estimate an optimal regularization parameter. Regularity is ensured by controlling the geometric properties of the deformation field. Overall, we arrive at a black-box solver. We study spectral properties of the Hessian, grid convergence, numerical accuracy, computational efficiency, and deformation regularity of our scheme. We compare the designed Newton-Krylov methods with a globalized preconditioned gradient descent. We study the influence of a varying number of unknowns in time. The reported results demonstrate excellent numerical accuracy, guaranteed local deformation regularity, and computational efficiency with an optional control on local mass conservation. The Newton-Krylov methods clearly outperform the Picard method if high accuracy of the inversion is required.Comment: 32 pages; 10 figures; 9 table

On a continuation approach in Tikhonov regularization and its application in piecewise-constant parameter identification

We present a new approach to convexification of the Tikhonov regularization using a continuation method strategy. We embed the original minimization problem into a one-parameter family of minimization problems. Both the penalty term and the minimizer of the Tikhonov functional become dependent on a continuation parameter. In this way we can independently treat two main roles of the regularization term, which are stabilization of the ill-posed problem and introduction of the a priori knowledge. For zero continuation parameter we solve a relaxed regularization problem, which stabilizes the ill-posed problem in a weaker sense. The problem is recast to the original minimization by the continuation method and so the a priori knowledge is enforced. We apply this approach in the context of topology-to-shape geometry identification, where it allows to avoid the convergence of gradient-based methods to a local minima. We present illustrative results for magnetic induction tomography which is an example of PDE constrained inverse problem

Uniform Penalty inversion of two-dimensional NMR Relaxation data

The inversion of two-dimensional NMR data is an ill-posed problem related to the numerical computation of the inverse Laplace transform. In this paper we present the 2DUPEN algorithm that extends the Uniform Penalty (UPEN) algorithm [Borgia, Brown, Fantazzini, {\em Journal of Magnetic Resonance}, 1998] to two-dimensional data. The UPEN algorithm, defined for the inversion of one-dimensional NMR relaxation data, uses Tikhonov-like regularization and optionally non-negativity constraints in order to implement locally adapted regularization. In this paper, we analyze the regularization properties of this approach. Moreover, we extend the one-dimensional UPEN algorithm to the two-dimensional case and present an efficient implementation based on the Newton Projection method. Without any a-priori information on the noise norm, 2DUPEN automatically computes the locally adapted regularization parameters and the distribution of the unknown NMR parameters by using variable smoothing. Results of numerical experiments on simulated and real data are presented in order to illustrate the potential of the proposed method in reconstructing peaks and flat regions with the same accuracy