Information Theory Tools for Computer Graphics (Synthesis Lectures on Computer Graphics and Animation)

Information theory (IT) tools, widely used in scientific fields such as engineering, physics, genetics, neuroscience, and many others, are also emerging as useful transversal tools in computer graphics. In this book, we present the basic concepts of IT and how they have been applied to the graphics areas of radiosity, adaptive ray-tracing, shape descriptors, viewpoint selection and saliency, scientific visualization, and geometry simplification. Some of the approaches presented, such as the viewpoint techniques, are now the state of the art in visualization. Almost all of the techniques presented in this book have been previously published in peer-reviewed conference proceedings or international journals. Here, we have stressed their common aspects and presented them in an unified way, so the reader can clearly see which problems IT tools can help solve, which specific tools to use, and how to apply them. A basic level of knowledge in computer graphics is required but basic concepts inIT are presented. The intended audiences are both students and practitioners of the fields above and related areas in computer graphics. In addition, IT practitioners will learn about these applications. Table of Contents: Information Theory Basics / Scene Complexity and Refinement Criteria for Radiosity / Shape Descriptors / Refinement Criteria for Ray-Tracing / Viewpoint Selection and Mesh Saliency / View Selection in Scientific Visualization / Viewpoint-based Geometry Simplification

Mateu Sbert is a professor in Computer Science at the University of Girona, Spain. He received an M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics (1977) at the University of Valencia, an M.Sc.in Mathematics (Statistics and Operations Research, 1983) at U.N.E.D. University (Madrid), and a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the U.P.C. (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 1997, Best Ph.D. Award). Mateu Sbert’s research interests include the application of Monte Carlo and Information Theory techniques to Computer Graphics and Image Processing. He has authored or co-authored more than one hundred and fifty papers in his areas of research, served as a member of program committee in Spanish and international conferences,and participated in several European and Spanish research projects, leading the VIth European Framework Gametools project. Mateu Sbert coorganized the Dagsthul Seminars "Stochastic Methods in Rendering" and "Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization and Imaging." Miquel Feixas is an associate professor in Computer Science at the University of Girona, Spain. He received an M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics (1979) at the UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) and a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2002). His research is focused on the application of Information Theory techniques to Radiosity, Global Illumination, Viewpoint Selection, Scientific Visualization, Image Processing, Medical Imaging, and Computational Aesthetics. He has authored or co-authored more than fifty papers in his areas of research. He acted as a reviewer for conferences in the field of computer graphics and image processing. He has participated in several European and Spanish research projects. Jaume Rigau is an associate professor in Computer Science at the University of Girona (UdG,Spain). He received an M.Sc. in Computer Science and a Ph.D. at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC, Spain). His research is focused on the application of Information Theory toComputer Graphics and Image Processing. He has co-authored several papers in these areas of research and participated in European research projects and joint actions. Miguel Chover is an Associate Professor at the Universitat Jaume I de Castellón, Spain. His research focuses on interactive computer graphics, computer games, and Web3D. His current work includes level of detail modelling, simplification algorithms, rendering natural phenomena, and texturing techniques. He received his M.Sc. degree in Computer Science in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1996 from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain. He is member of Eurographics. Ivan Viola is an Associate Professor at University of Bergen, and a scientific adviser at Christian Michelsen Research (CMR), Bergen, Norway. He received an M.Sc. in 2002 and Ph.D. in 2005 from Vienna University of Technology, Austria. His research is focused on application of illustrative visualization for communication of complex scientific data.Viola co-authored several scientific works published in international journals and conferences such as IEEE TVCG, IEEE Visualization, and EuroVis and acted as a reviewer and IPC member for conferences in the field of computer graphics and visualization (e.g., IPC IEEE Visualization 2009, EuroVis 2009). He is member of Eurographics, NorSIGD, IEEE Computer Society, VGTC.