Time Complexity For Serial And Parallel Propagation In Images.
P.-E. Danielsson, S. L. Tanimoto · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1984
Several useful algorithms in image processing involve the spreading of a certain pixel state over large areas and distances. Very often this is a kind of growth from a "seed" conditioned by a binary mask image so that the final states of labels form connected regions. This labeling operation may well be considered to be the archetype of the propagating operations we have in mind but there are several others, e.g. distance mapping in a plane with obstacles.1,2.