On computation of test dipoles for factorization method (Q1014896)

The paper addresses the problem of efficient computation of Dirichlet boundary values of potentials created by dipole sources located inside an object examined by the electric impedance tomography (EIT) method, in the case where the main goal is to locate small inclusions (inhomogeneities) inside the otherwise homogeneous (with respect to the conductivity) object. Such a problem turns out to be crucial in the implementation of the factorization algorithm originally introduced by Kirsch for inverse obstacle scattering. The authors introduce (and test numerically in two space dimensions) a fast scheme for approximating the test potentials in the framework of the complete electrode model (CEM) of EIT under the assumption that the known background conductivity is constant. The technique is based on the known functional form of the free-space dipole potential and an approximation link between the CEM and the idealized continuum model, which assumes that the measurements can be conducted everywhere on the object boundary. In particular, the proposed algorithm does not include solving any extra forward (elliptic boundary value) problem.