Solving Convex Partition Visual Jigsaw Puzzles

Abstract

Jigsaw puzzle solving requires the rearrangement of unordered pieces into their original pose in order to reconstruct a coherent whole, often an image, and is known to be an intractable problem. While the possible impact of automatic puzzle solvers can be disruptive in various application domains, most of the literature has focused on developing solvers for square jigsaw puzzles, severely limiting their practical use. In this work, we significantly expand the types of puzzles handled computationally, focusing on what is known as Convex Partitions, a major subset of polygonal puzzles whose pieces are convex. We utilize both geometrical and pictorial compatibilities, introduce a greedy solver, and report several performance measures next to the first benchmark dataset of such puzzles.