Efficient Encoding of n-D Combinatorial Pyramids

Combinatorial maps define a general framework which allows to encode any subdivision of an n-D orientable quasi-manifold with or without boundaries. Combinatorial pyramids are defined as stacks of successively reduced combinatorial maps. Such pyramids provide a rich framework which allows to encode fine properties of objects (either shapes or partitions). Combinatorial pyramids have first been defined in 2D, then extended using n-D generalized combinatorial maps. We motivate and present here an implicit and efficient way to encode pyramids of n-D combinatorial maps.