Homology and robustness of level and interlevel sets (Q1945808)

Given a continuous function \(f : X \rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) on a topological space the pre-images of intervals and their homology groups define the persistent homology of the space \(X\) and the map \(f\). In applications such as medical imaging it is important to know that the persistent homology is stable and can be computed efficiently. In this paper the authors describe how, by using both the upward filtration and the downward one induced by the function one can define an array of zig-zag modules that naturally can be structured into a pyramid and which allow the computation of the persistent homology. Furthermore by introducing the notion of a well group, that measures the stability of the persistent homology, the authors show how the robustness, (i.e. the stability of the persistent homology under perturbations of the function \(f\)) can be measured.