**NIFTy** [1]_, "\ **N**\umerical **I**\nformation **F**\ield **T**\heor\ **y**\ ", is a versatile library designed to enable the development of signal inference algorithms that operate regardless of the underlying spatial grid and its resolution.
**NIFTy** [1]_, "\ **N**\umerical **I**\nformation **F**\ield **T**\heor\ **y**\ ", is a versatile library designed to enable the development of signal inference algorithms that are independent of the underlying spatial grid and its resolution.
Its object-oriented framework is written in Python, although it accesses libraries written in C++ and C for efficiency.
NIFTy offers a toolkit that abstracts discretized representations of continuous spaces, fields in these spaces, and operators acting on fields into classes.
Thereby, the correct normalization of operations on fields is taken care of automatically without concerning the user.
This allows for an abstract formulation and programming of inference algorithms, including those derived within information field theory.
Thus, NIFTy permits its user to rapidly prototype algorithms in 1D and then apply the developed code in higher-dimensional settings of real world problems.
Thus, NIFTy permits its user to rapidly prototype algorithms in 1D and then apply the developed code in higher-dimensional settings to real world problems.
The set of spaces on which NIFTy operates comprises point sets, *n*-dimensional regular grids, spherical spaces, their harmonic counterparts, and product spaces constructed as combinations of those.
References
----------
.. [1] Selig et al., "NIFTy -- Numerical Information Field Theory -- a versatile Python library for signal inference", `A&A, vol. 554, id. A26 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321236>`_, 2013; `arXiv:1301.4499 <http://www.arxiv.org/abs/1301.4499>`_
Documentation
-------------
Welcome to NIFTy's documentation!
.. [1] Steininger et al., "NIFTy 3 - Numerical Information Field Theory - A Python framework for multicomponent signal inference on HPC clusters", 2017, submitted to PLOS One; `[arXiv:1708.01073] <https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.01073>`_
One of the fundamental building blocks of the NIFTy4 framework is the *domain*.
Its required capabilities are expressed by the abstract :py:class:`Domain` class.
Its required capabilities are expressed by the abstract :class:`Domain` class.
A domain must be able to answer the following queries:
- its total number of data entries (pixels)
- the shape of the array that is supposed to hold them
- equality/inequality to another :py:class:`Domain` instance
- equality/inequality to another :class:`Domain` instance
Unstructured domains
....................
There are domains (e.g. the data domain) which have no geometry associated to the individual data values.
In NIFTy4 they are represented by the :py:class:`UnstructuredDomain` class, which is derived from
:py:class:`Domain`.
In NIFTy4 they are represented by the :class:`UnstructuredDomain` class, which is derived from
:class:`Domain`.
Structured domains
..................
All domains defined on a geometrical manifold are derived from :py:class:`StructuredDomain` (which is in turn derived from :py:class:`Domain`).
All domains defined on a geometrical manifold are derived from :class:`StructuredDomain` (which is in turn derived from :class:`Domain`).
In addition to the capabilities of :py:class:`Domain`, :py:class:`StructuredDomain` offers the following functionality:
In addition to the capabilities of :class:`Domain`, :class:`StructuredDomain` offers the following functionality:
- methods returing the pixel volume(s) and the total volume
- a :py:attr:`harmonic` property
- methods :meth:`~StructuredDomain.scalar_dvol`, :meth:`~StructuredDomain.dvol`, and :meth:`~StructuredDomain.total_volume` returning the pixel volume(s) and the total volume
- a :attr:`~StructuredDomain.harmonic` property
- (iff the domain is harmonic) some methods concerned with Gaussian convolution and the absolute distances of the individual grid cells from the origin
Examples for structured domains are
- :py:class:`RGSpace` (an equidistant Cartesian grid with a user-definable number of dimensions),
- :py:class:`GLSpace` (a Gauss-Legendre grid on the sphere), and
- :py:class:`LMSpace` (a grid storing spherical harmonic coefficients).
- :class:`RGSpace` (an equidistant Cartesian grid with a user-definable number of dimensions),
- :class:`GLSpace` (a Gauss-Legendre grid on the sphere), and
- :class:`LMSpace` (a grid storing spherical harmonic coefficients).
Among these, :py:class:`RGSpace` can be harmonic or not (depending on constructor arguments), :py:class:`GLSpace` is a pure position domain (i.e. nonharmonic), and :py:class:`LMSpace` is always harmonic.
Among these, :class:`RGSpace` can be harmonic or not (depending on constructor arguments), :class:`GLSpace` is a pure position domain (i.e. nonharmonic), and :class:`LMSpace` is always harmonic.
Combinations of domains
.......................
A field can live on a single domain, but it can also live on a product of domains (or no domain at all, in which case it is a scalar).
The tuple of domain on which a field lives is described by the :py:class:`DomainTuple` class.
A :py:class:`DomainTuple` object can be constructed from
The tuple of domain on which a field lives is described by the :class:`DomainTuple` class.
A :class:`DomainTuple` object can be constructed from
- a single instance of anything derived from :py:class:`Domain`
- a single instance of anything derived from :class:`Domain`
- a tuple of such instances (possibly empty)
- another :py:class:`DomainTuple` object
- another :class:`DomainTuple` object
.. _fields:
Fields
......
A :py:class:`Field` object consists of the following components:
A :class:`Field` object consists of the following components:
- a domain in form of a :py:class:`DomainTuple` object
- a domain in form of a :class:`DomainTuple` object
- a data type (e.g. numpy.float64)
- an array containing the actual values
...
...
@@ -107,8 +104,8 @@ Fields support arithmetic operations, contractions, etc.
Linear Operators
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A linear operator (represented by NIFTy4's abstract :py:class:`LinearOperator` class) can be interpreted as an (implicitly defined) matrix.
It can be applied to :py:class:`Field` instances, resulting in other :py:class:`Field` instances that potentially live on other domains.
A linear operator (represented by NIFTy4's abstract :class:`LinearOperator` class) can be interpreted as an (implicitly defined) matrix.
It can be applied to :class:`Field` instances, resulting in other :class:`Field` instances that potentially live on other domains.
There are four basic ways of applying an operator :math:`A` to a field :math:`f`:
...
...
@@ -123,14 +120,14 @@ Operator classes defined in NIFTy may implement an arbitrary subset of these fou
If needed, the set of supported operations can be enhanced by iterative inversion methods;
for example, an operator defining direct and adjoint multiplication, could be enhanced to support the complete set by this method.
There are two domains associated with a :py:class:`LinearOperator`: a *domain* and a *target*.
There are two domains associated with a :class:`LinearOperator`: a *domain* and a *target*.
Direct multiplication and adjoint inverse multiplication transform a field living on the operator's *domain* to one living on the operator's *target*, whereas adjoint multiplication and inverse multiplication transform from *target* to *domain*.
Operators with identical domain and target can be derived from :py:class:`EndomorphicOperator`;
typical examples for this category are the :py:class:`ScalingOperator`, which simply multiplies its input by a scalar value, and :py:class:`DiagonalOperator`, which multiplies every value of its input field with potentially different values.
Operators with identical domain and target can be derived from :class:`EndomorphicOperator`;
typical examples for this category are the :class:`ScalingOperator`, which simply multiplies its input by a scalar value, and :class:`DiagonalOperator`, which multiplies every value of its input field with potentially different values.
Nifty4 allows simple and intuitive construction of combined operators.
As an example, if ``A``, ``B`` and ``C`` are of type :py:class:`LinearOperator` and ``f1`` and ``f2`` are :py:class:`Field` s, writing::
As an example, if ``A``, ``B`` and ``C`` are of type :class:`LinearOperator` and ``f1`` and ``f2`` are :class:`Field` s, writing::
X = A*B.inverse*A.adjoint + C
f2 = X(f1)
...
...
@@ -146,11 +143,11 @@ Minimization
Most problems in IFT are solved by (possibly nested) minimizations of high-dimensional functions, which are often nonlinear.
In NIFTy4 such functions are represented by objects of type :py:class:`Energy`.
In NIFTy4 such functions are represented by objects of type :class:`Energy`.
These hold the prescription how to calculate the function's value, gradient and (optionally) curvature at any given position.
Function values are floating-point scalars, gradients have the form of fields living on the energy's position domain, and curvatures are represented by linear operator objects.
Some examples of concrete energy classes delivered with NIFTy4 are :py:class:`QuadraticEnergy` (with position-independent curvature, mainly used with conjugate gradient minimization) and :py:class:`WienerFilterEnergy`.
Some examples of concrete energy classes delivered with NIFTy4 are :class:`QuadraticEnergy` (with position-independent curvature, mainly used with conjugate gradient minimization) and :class:`WienerFilterEnergy`.
Energies are classes that typically have to be provided by the user when tackling new IFT problems.
The minimization procedure can be carried out by one of several algorithms; NIFTy4 currently ships solvers based on
