Persistent Homology and its interaction with Discrete Morse Theory
In this dissertation, we present an introduction to Persistent Homology and its relationship with Discrete Morse Theory. Using this relationship, we present a strategy to simplify the calculation of Homology Groups.
In recent years, technological advancements have led to the production and accumulation of a substantial amount of data. As a result, Topological Data Analysis, an emerging field, utilizes the topological structure of this data to extract information. It proves to be particularly useful in situations where traditional methods may fail due to data complexity, multidimensionality, or the presence of outliers.
Among the techniques of Topological Data Analysis, we can highlight Persistent Homology, characterized by the use of tools from Algebraic Topology, particularly homology groups. In this text, we present the basic theory of Persistent Homology and prove one of its fundamental results: the Stability Theorem.
Finally, using Discrete Morse Theory, we introduce a strategy to simplify the calculation of homology groups. In the process of searching for a suitable Morse function, the possibility of using the Discrete Fourier Transform in the context of abelian groups arises. Thus, we present the construction of Morse-Fourier functions.