Solving Minimal Problems Without Matrix Inversion Using FFT-Based Interpolation
It offers a practical alternative to traditional Gröbner-basis and resultant-based solvers for researchers in computer vision needing robust camera geometry estimation.
The paper proposes a matrix inversion-free method for solving minimal problems in camera geometry using FFT-based interpolation of sparse hidden-variable resultants, achieving strong numerical stability and competitive runtime for small-scale problems.
Estimating camera geometry typically involves solving minimal problems formulated as systems of multivariate polynomial equations, which often pose computational challenges when using existing Gröbner-basis or resultant-based methods due to matrix inversion needed in the online solver. Here we propose a sampling-based, matrix inversion-free method that constructs the solvers using sparse hidden-variable resultants. The determinant polynomial in the hidden variable is efficiently reconstructed via inverse fast Fourier transform interpolation from sampled evaluations, avoiding symbolic expansion. Solving this polynomial yields the hidden variable, and the remaining unknowns are recovered by identifying rank-1 deficient submatrices and applying Cramer's rule. A greatest common divisor-based criterion ensures robust submatrix identification under noise. Experiments on diverse minimal problems demonstrate that the proposed solver achieves strong numerical stability and competitive runtime, particularly for small-scale problems, providing a practical alternative to traditional Gröbner-basis and resultant-based solvers.