A genetic Lloyd-Max image quantization algorithm

This paper is devoted to the study of optimal image quantization and its sensitivity to initial conditions. The optimal mean squared algorithm is elaborated, for gray-level as well as for color images. A genetic quantization algorithm is developed, which is a hybrid technique combining optimal quantization with a genetic algorithm. It is shown that the latter technique is almost insensitive to initial conditions and performs better than the former. In the case of color images, the difference between both techniques clearly affects the visual quality.