Abstract

Higher-order correlations are well known for their use in noise removal, image enhancement, and signal identification. They are generalizations of the well-known second-order correlation. The fractionalization of the second-order correlation provides some interesting features that are related to the shift-variance property of the fractional-Fourier-transform operation. This project proposes the fractionalization of the triple-correlation operation (as well as other higher-order correlations). A suggested definition as well as some applications are given. Computer simulations demonstrate some of the features this operation offers.

© 1998 Optical Society of America

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