The study of Markov random fields has brought exciting new problems to probability theory which are being developed in parallel with basic investigation in other disciplines, most notably physics. The mathematical and physical literature is often quite technical. This book aims at a more gentle introduction to these new areas of research.

Gaussian Markov Random Field (GMRF) models are most widely used in spatial statistics - a very active area of research in which few up-to-date reference works are available. This is the first book on the subject that provides a unified framework of GMRFs with particular emphasis on the computational aspects. This book includes extensive case-studie

State-of-the-art research on MRFs, successful MRF applications, and advanced topics for future study. This volume demonstrates the power of the Markov random field (MRF) in vision, treating the MRF both as a tool for modeling image data and, utilizing recently developed algorithms, as a means of making inferences about images. These inferences concern underlying image and scene structure as well as solutions to such problems as image reconstruction, image segmentation, 3D vision, and object labeling. It offers key findings and state-of-the-art research on both algorithms and applications. After an introduction to the fundamental concepts used in MRFs, the book reviews some of the main algorithms for performing inference with MRFs; presents successful applications of MRFs, including segmentation, super-resolution, and image restoration, along with a comparison of various optimization methods; discusses advanced algorithmic topics; addresses limitations of the strong locality assumptions in the MRFs discussed in earlier chapters; and showcases applications that use MRFs in more complex ways, as components in bigger systems or with multiterm energy functions. The book will be an essential guide to current research on these powerful mathematical tools.

In this book we study Markov random functions of several variables. What is traditionally meant by the Markov property for a random process (a random function of one time variable) is connected to the concept of the phase state of the process and refers to the independence of the behavior of the process in the future from its behavior in the past, given knowledge of its state at the present moment. Extension to a generalized random process immediately raises nontrivial questions about the definition of a suitable" phase state," so that given the state, future behavior does not depend on past behavior. Attempts to translate the Markov property to random functions of multi-dimensional "time," where the role of "past" and "future" are taken by arbitrary complementary regions in an appro priate multi-dimensional time domain have, until comparatively recently, been carried out only in the framework of isolated examples. How the Markov property should be formulated for generalized random functions of several variables is the principal question in this book. We think that it has been substantially answered by recent results establishing the Markov property for a whole collection of different classes of random functions. These results are interesting for their applications as well as for the theory. In establishing them, we found it useful to introduce a general probability model which we have called a random field. In this book we investigate random fields on continuous time domains. Contents CHAPTER 1 General Facts About Probability Distributions §1.

Introduces the theory and application of Markov random fields in image processing/computer vision. Modelling images through the local interaction of Markov models produces algorithms for use in texture analysis, image synthesis, restoration, segmentation and surface reconstruction.

Markov random field (MRF) theory provides a basis for modeling contextual constraints in visual processing and interpretation. It enables us to develop optimal vision algorithms systematically when used with optimization principles. This book presents a comprehensive study on the use of MRFs for solving computer vision problems. Various vision models are presented in a unified framework, including image restoration and reconstruction, edge and region segmentation, texture, stereo and motion, object matching and recognition, and pose estimation. This third edition includes the most recent advances and has new and expanded sections on topics such as: Bayesian Network; Discriminative Random Fields; Strong Random Fields; Spatial-Temporal Models; Learning MRF for Classification. This book is an excellent reference for researchers working in computer vision, image processing, statistical pattern recognition and applications of MRFs. It is also suitable as a text for advanced courses in these areas.

Markov random field (MRF) modeling provides a basis for the characterization of contextual constraints on visual interpretation and enables us to develop optimal vision algorithms systematically based on sound principles. This book presents a comprehensive study on using MRFs to solve computer vision problems, covering the following parts essential to the subject: introduction to fundamental theories, formulations of various vision models in the MRF framework, MRF parameter estimation, and optimization algorithms. Various MRF vision models are presented in a unified form, including image restoration and reconstruction, edge and region segmentation, texture, stereo and motion, object matching and recognition, and pose estimation. This book is an excellent reference for researchers working in computer vision, image processing, pattern recognition and applications of MRFs. It is also suitable as a text for advanced courses in the subject.