Segmentation of handwritten numerals by graph representation

A new algorithm is proposed for segmenting simply and multiply connected digits. It also removes ligatures. After thinning the pattern, the edges and vertices are extracted and the pattern is represented as a connected graph. Then the matrices relating to the graph are calculated. To determine the segmentation path, both graph theory techniques and heuristic rules are used. The boundaries of digits are calculated to make the width of touching strokes uniform. The separated digits thus have a more natural shape than can be achieved using algorithms that split patterns using straight lines or line segments.