Symmetry analysis by computer

Approximate locations of axes of symmetry of a 2-dimensional region are detected on the basis of its border. The border, described in terms of certain directional codes, is treated as a regular polygon in a hierarchical manner where a lower level means a greater number of sides. At each level of the hierarchy, the best axis of symmetry is found which for a lower level gives a more accurate position of the unknown axis of symmetry than for a higher level. Along with an axis of symmetry, a certain error is found on the basis of which the degree of symmetry of a 2-dimensional region is defined. Programs are written in FORTRAN IV and are implemented on an EC-1033 computer.