... sticking my head out again ... Thin-plate splines is a special case of RBF, in the sense that there is an RBF kernel function (r^2 log r, or something like that) which will give you the TPS solution.
In one sense, the TPS minimizes second-order differentials. It might be argued that this is the simplest curvature measure. Certainly, you could use other kernel functions to minimize third-order differentials or anything else, and this certainly has many applications, but this whole concept of minimizing curvature has no intrinsic biological meaning, and we just need something relatively simple that we can discuss and understand easily. Another thing is that morphometricians have developed a large toolbox of useful analysis methods based on the TPS (bending energies, partial and relative warps, etc.). No similar theory and methods have been developed for other kernel functions. Oyvind Hammer Geological Museum University of Oslo On Thu, 2 Dec 2004, morphmet wrote: > Hi everyone, > > I'm a computer science student and I'm trying to solve a warping problem as > part of my dissertation. Fortunately, I recently (2 days ago) came across the > field of morhometrics and specifically, the Thin-plate Spline (TPS) method, > and it seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered. I think the TPS will do > nicely, but it makes sense to justify my use of it. Specifically, I'm > wondering why (it seems as though) all the morphometric analysis I've come > across in anthoplogy-related literature use this method. I wonder, why not > radial-basis functions for example? > > Anyone? Please? > > Thanks, > > Olumide > __________________________________________________________ > Mit WEB.DE FreePhone mit hoechster Qualitaet ab 0 Ct./Min. > weltweit telefonieren! http://freephone.web.de/?mc=021201 > -- > Replies will be sent to the list. > For more information visit http://www.morphometrics.org > > -- Replies will be sent to the list. For more information visit http://www.morphometrics.org
