MPOOL is an object-oriented extension to the MPI library, based on three categories of objects, called units, groups and schemes. Units are active objects composed of data (state) and procedures (like traditional passive objects), but with the additional ability to store incoming messages in a queue while they are active and to send messages in parallel to other units; moreover, different units may be active simultaneously. Groups and schemes are passive objects used for the composition of units and the co-ordination of their actions. Groups manage collective communications and synchronization operations such as barriers. Schemes compose units' actions through the use of a set of constructs derived by path expressions. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A number of different algorithms have been described in the literature for the decomposition of both convex binary morphological structuring elements and a specific subset of nonconvex ones. Nevertheless, up to now no deterministic solutions have been found to the problem of decomposing arbitrarily shaped structuring elements. This work presents a new stochastic approach based on genetic algorithms, in which no constraints are imposed on the shape of the initial structuring element nor assumptions are made on the elementary factors, which are selected within a given set.