Statistical Feature Selection of Narrowband RCS Sequence
Based on Greedy Algorithm
Xuehui Lei, Xiongjun Fu*, Cai Wang, Meiguo Gao
Radar Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
20905139@bit.edu.cn ; fuxiongjun@bit.edu.cn
Abstract
Greedy algorithm is introduced to select the statistical
features of narrowband RCS sequences. A novel cost function
for Greedy algorithm is proposed. The experiment results
demonstrate the rationality of the novel cost function and the
effectiveness of Greedy algorithm.
Keywords: greedy algorithm, cost function, feature selection,
narrowband RCS sequence, target recognition
1. Introduction
The technology of space target recognition is one of the
key technologies in the space target surveillance system,
which is mainly used in detection and tracking space targets
and feature extraction. Space targets including space stationˈ
satellites ˈ debris, rocket body and so on. They can be
recognized and catalogued according to their own features. It
is meaningful to study the space target recognition based on
low resolution radar, since many low resolution radars are
still being used these days. Although only limited information
about the target can be obtained by low resolution radar, the
structure properties and movement information of target are
contained in their echoes. Statistical features extracted from
the Radar Cross Section (RCS) sequence can be used to
distinguish different space targets.
The number of RCS sequence samples is very large and
the samples are imperfect. In order to distinguish different
targets in their feature space, as many features are extracted
as possible. This leads to high dimension of the original
feature space of RCS sequence. For the sake of decreasing the
computation complexity and eliminating redundant features
as well as obtaining good target recognition results, it is
necessary to select RCS features in the high dimensional
feature space. Search method select features that are useful
for target recognition according to a particular criterion. It can
be mainly divided into two categories: globally optimal
search method and locally optimal search method. Exhaustion
method and B&B (Branch and Bound) method [1] are typical
globally optimal search method. Exhaustion method finds the
globally optimal feature combination among the ergodic of
feature combinations. But if the dimension of feature space is
too high, it will be time-consuming and maybe impossible for
Exhaustion method to find globally optimal feature
combination. Although the computation amount of B&B
method is less than Exhaustion method, B&B method
requires the monotonicity of separation criterion. In fact, if
the separation criterion is monotonic in theory, the actual
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separation criterion obtained from limited samples may not be
monotonic. Genetic Algorithm (GA) [2], Simulated
Annealing (SA) algorithm [3] and Greedy algorithm [4] are
all locally optimal search method. GA and SA are highly
dependent on parameters in the algorithm. Greedy algorithm
is more efficient than both GA and SA, and it may find global
optimal feature combination for some problems.
The criterion of search method plays an important part in
deciding the optimal feature combination. For target
recognition, the separation criterion can be used to measure
the performance of selected feature combinations. There are
some separation criterions that are commonly used such as
inter-intra class distance, class probability density function
and entropy function [1] etc. Refer to literature [5], the purity
parameter is introduced to represent the degree of overlapping
among different target feature combinations and it can be a
new class separation criterion. This paper adopts Greedy
algorithm to select the optimized feature combinations of
narrowband RCS sequences, which are used for target
recognition. A new cost function is proposed in this paper: p ,
which stands for purity parameter. This new cost function is
used for statistical feature selection of narrowband RCS
sequence in order to demonstrate its validity. In the 5th section,
the new cost function will be compared with the other cost
function: D / D , where D , and D stand for intra class
intra inter intra inter
distance and inter class distance respectively. The results of
target recognition are given in the end.
2. RCS statistical features
There are many factors that affect the measurement of
RCS, such as target attitude, radar wavelength and
polarization mode of radar wave etc. After a period of
observation time a sequence of RCS will be obtained. The
statistics of RCS sequence contain a certain amount of
information about the target. The statistical features of RCS
sequence commonly used are as follows:
(1) Mean value: the arithmetic mean value of a sequence x ,
i.e.,
N
x ¦x i
(1)
i 1
where N is the total number of the sequence;
(2) Median value: the number in the middle position of a
sorted sequence x ' . That is to say, if the total number of
the sequence N is odd,
x median
(x N/2
x N / 2 1
)/2 (2)
if N is even,
x (x x )/2
N / 2 1
(3)
median N/2
 (3) Truncated mean value: the arithmetic mean value of a
sorted sequence x ' with the first several numbers and
the last several numbers truncated, i.e.,
x tr
where k is the number of data to be truncated.
(4) Minimum value: the minimal value of a sequence, i.e.,
x (5)
min
(5) Maximum value: the maximal value of a sequence, i.e.,
x max
(6) Extreme difference: the difference between
maximum value and the minimum value, i.e.,
'x (7)
(7) Standard deviation: also known as Mean Square Error,
i.e.,
Greedy algorithm is an efficient search method, and it is a
good alternative for feature selection in high dimension
feature space. The basic idea of greedy algorithm for feature
N 1 k selection begins from an original feature combination, then
¦x i (4) generates a new feature combination from the adjacent area of
i k the original solution randomly, calculates the variation of cost
function 'E for these two feature combinations, if 'E  0 , the
new feature combination is accepted, if 'E t 0 , the original
min{ x } feature combination is reserved.
i
The steps of Greedy algorithm are as follows:
1. Determine the range of dimension m to be [1, M] , where
max{ x } i
(6) M is the total dimension of high dimensional feature
the space. Generates m integers within [1, M] which
represent the original feature combination m , calculate 0
xmax  xmin the corresponding value of cost function E ( m ) . 0
2. Regenerate m '(1 d m ' d M) integers within [1, M] to be the
new feature combination m , calculate the corresponding
1
N
1
¦x x (8) value of cost function E ( m ) . The variation between
2
S i
1
N 1 i 1
E ( m ) and E ( m ) is:
1 0
(8) Average absolute deviation:
'E E ( m )  E ( m ) (16)
1 0
1
P abs
N
¦ xi  x (9) 3. If'E t 0 , the original feature combination is reserved, if
'E  0 , the new feature combination is accepted, then set
i

(9) Standard mean difference:

m m , E (m ) E (m ) .
0 1 0 1
1 N
x x
M x
( ¦ i
 2/S) (10) 4. Repeat step 2, step 3 for a certain times.
N (1  2 / S ) i 1 S

(10) Q-order central moment: 4. Cost function

1 N

¦x  The cost function in Greedy algorithm plays an

q
B q i
x (11)
N i 1
important role in obtaining the optimal feature combination.
(11) Clustering centre: the most frequently value of a Different cost function usually leads to different results. Intra-
sequence x . Divide the sorted sequence x ' into several inter class distance (i.e., D / D ) is commonly used as a
inter intra
intervals, clustering centre is the median value of the separation criterion. Under the same dimension feature space,
interval that the most frequently value exists, i.e., the optimal feature combination can be obtained according to
C x  I (x  x ) / N
x min Loc
/ 2 (12)
max min interval this criterion. But it is not suitable to get the optimal feature
where I is the number of interval that the most
Loc
combination under the feature space with different
frequently value exists, N is the total number of dimensions, for the criterion is monotone increasing as the
interval
feature dimension increases. In view of this, a parameterˈ
intervals.
(12) Coefficient of variation: the ratio of variation index and purity parameter- p ˈ represents the degree of overlapping
average index for a sequence. The coefficient of among different feature combinations, is introduced as the
standard variation is one of the coefficient of variation, new cost function in this paper which is monotone decreasing
i.e., as the feature dimension increases. The value of purity
G S/ x (13) parameter is decided by the feature with the smallest degree
(13) Coefficient of skewness: measurement for asymmetry of of overlapping. Any feature combinations that contains this
sequence probability density function, i.e., feature are with the same degree of overlapping. The optimal
3/ 2
feature combination is the feature combination that makes the
b s
B /B 3 2
(14) value of cost function the smallest. In the experiment section
where B ( q 2, 3) stands for second-order central moment
q
of this paper, we will compare this new cost function with the
when q 2 and third-order central moment when q 3 . other cost function, D / D , by selecting statistical features
intra inter

(14) Coefficient of kurtosis: measurement for peak value of of real RCS sequences.
sequence probability density function, i.e.,
2 4.1. Intra class distance
b k
B /B 4 2
(15)
where Bq ( q 2, 4) stands for second-order central Intra class distance stands for the degree of dispersivity
moment when q 2 and fourth-order central moment of samples of same class. Suppose that N kinds of targets are
when q 4 . to be recognized, and the i th sample of the l th kind of target
is denoted as xli (l 1, 2,! , N ; i 1, 2,! , N l ) , where N l is
3. Greedy algorithm the length of samples. Every sample xli LV D /



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 GLPHQVLRQDOYHFWRULH xli ^ xli (1), xli (2),! , xli ( L)`  Nk

$OOWKHVHVDPSOHVcompose a sample set of the l th kind

¦| k
i 1
i
Z  lZ |
pk ,l (24)
of target :l (l 1, 2, "" , N ) . All N kinds of sample sets Nk
compose the whole sample set :  Where Z represents the feature combination, N k is the
Different features may have different units, so it is RCS sequence number of the k th kind of target, k Zi is the
necessary to normalized the value of every dimension. Take
i th value of feature combination of the k th kind of RCS
use of translation-extreme difference transform to
normalized the samples: sequence, lZ stands for all the values of the l th kind of target
xli (d )  ^ xli (d )`
min feature combination of RCS sequence. If | k Zi  lZ | 1 , it
x 'li (d ) d
1d l d N ,1d i d Nl
max ^ xli (d )`  min ^ xli (d )`
1d l d N ,1d i d N
l 1d l d N ,1d i d N
Where xli (d ) is the d th dimension of the i th sample of the
l th kind target. The normalized sample is denoted as
x 'li (l 1, 2,! , N ; i 1, 2,! , N l )  ZKLFK FRPSRVH D QHZ
VDPSOHVHW : 'l  The mean value of the samples of the l th sequence is:
kind of target is:
1, 2," , L  (17)
means that there is overlapping between the i th value of
l
feature combination of the k th kind of RCS sequence and the
values of feature combination of the l th kind of RCS
sequence. If | k Zi  lZ | 0 , it means there is no overlapping.
The total degree of overlapping of the k th kind of RCS
1 N

1 Nl p ¦ p , (k 1,ĂĂ, N ) (25)
¦
k k ,l
m l
x , ( xi  : l , l 1, 2, "" , N )
i
(18) N 1 l 1, l z k

N l i 1
For feature combination Z , the average degree of overlapping
The dispersivity degree of the samples of the l th kind target among the value of different kinds of RCS sequence features
is : is:
Nl N
1 1
Dl ¦ ( x 'li  ml ) 2 ( x 'li  : 'l , l 1, 2,"" , N ) (19) p
N
¦ p , (k 1,ĂĂ, N ) (26) z k
Nl i 1 k 1

and the total dispersivity degree of the sample set :l' , namely,
5. Experiment and result analysis
the total within-class distance is :
N
In this section, experiment on selecting statistical
D ¦ D , (l 1, 2,"" , N )
intra l
(20) features of real RCS sequence is carried out, and the results
l 1

are also given.

4.2. Inter class distance There are total 238 narrowband RCS sequences of 13
space targets, and the 14 statistical features, mentioned in
Inter class distance stands for the dispersivity degree of section 2, of all 238 RCS sequences have been extracted and
different class samples. The inter class distance between saved. Every RCS sequence corresponding to a 14-
sample set : 'l and : 'k is defined as: dimensional feature vector, and there are total 238 feature
vectors. 161 of them are used as feature templates, 77 of them
Dlk (ml  mk ) 2 ˈ (l , k 1, 2,! , N , l z k ) (21) are used for test. Greedy algorithm with different cost

RU function: D / D and p , is used to select optimal feature intra inter

1 1 Nl Nk combination that is propitious to distinguish targets. We do

¦¦  x 'li  x 'kj   x 'li  x 'kj  
T
 Dlk the experiment 5 times for each different cost function.
2 N lN k i 1 j 1
 (l , k 1, 2,! , N , l z k )  5.1. Experiment flow
The steps of experiment for a single time are as follows:
(22) (1) Initialize the index of dimension: m 1 ;
The total inter class distance is: (2) Generate m integers within the range of [1,14]
N

Dinter ¦ Dlk
l , k 1, l z k
3.1.3. Purity parameter---- p
Purity parameter represents the degree of overlapping
among different target features. Its value is within 0 ~ 1 , the
smaller the purity parameter the smaller the degree of
overlapping among different target features.
Suppose the RCS sequences of N kinds of targets have
been obtained, and the statistical features of RCS sequences
also have been extracted. The degree of overlapping between
the k th kind of feature combination samples and the l th kind
of feature combination samples is:
. (23) randomly, and save these integers into a matrix as a
feature combination. Repeat this process for
N c ( N c C14m ) times, then eliminate the repeated feature
combinations;
(3) Set m m  1 ;
(4) Repeat step (2) and step (3) until m 14 . The matrix
with feature combination selected randomly is complete.
(5) Calculate the value of cost function of all the feature
combinations in the matrix; choose the corresponding
feature combination of the smallest value of cost
function.
The flow chart of a single time experiment is as follows:



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 suboptimal feature combination through Greedy algorithm,
START
for the highest recognition rate is 72.72% which is obtained
through Exhaustion method.
initialize the index of
dimension˖m 1
5. Conclusions
In this paper, we aim to find a proper cost function to
generate m integers select optimal/suboptimal feature combination in high
dimension feature space. The efficient search method, Greedy
save them into a matrix algorithm, is adopted in selecting optimal/suboptimal
statistical feature combination of narrowband RCS sequence,
and the selected statistical feature combination is used for
no reach N c
space target recognition. Although there is limited
times? information about the space target contained in narrowband
RCS sequence, the greedy algorithm with the cost function
yes p can select the suboptimal feature combination to
m m 1 distinguish different space targets and obtain good target
recognition results. In fact, this new cost function can also be
no used to select features in other applications.
m 14?

yes
References
calculate the value of cost function [1] Zhaoqi Bian, Xuegong Zhang, Pattern Recognition (2nd
of all the feature combinations
Edition), Press of Tsinghua University: Beijing, 2000
[2] KuanChieh Huang, YauHwang Kuo, ICheng Yeh, “A
Novel Fitness Function in Genetic Algorithms to
choose the corresponding feature combination
of the smallest value of cost function Optimize Neural Networks for Imbalanced Data Sets”,
8th International Conference on Intelligent Systems
Design and Applications, 2008, pp.647-650.
END [3] Hai Deng, Polyphase code design for Orthogonal Netted
Radar systems, IEEE transactions on signal processing,
Fig.1. Flow chart of a single time experiment Vol.52, No.11, November.2004.
[4] Joonmin Gil, Chanmyung Kim, Younhee Han, “A
5.2. Results and analysis Greedy Algorithm to Extend the Lifetime of Randomly
Deployed Directional Sensor Networks”, 2010
With the selected optimal feature combination, the
Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on
nearest-neighbour fuzzy classifier [6] works on the 77
Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Applications
narrowband RCS sequences for test. The target recognition
(CUTE 2010), pp.1-5.
results are showed with the corresponding feature
[5] Jiawei Gao, Researeh and APPlications of Classifieation
combination in table 1 and table 2.
Algorithms in Imbalanced Data Sets, Shanxi Universit:
Shanxi, 2008.
Table 1. Optimal Feature Combination of the 1st Cost
[6] Xiankang Liu, Meiguo Gao, Xiongjun Fu, “A Nearest
Function and Results of Target Recognition
Neighbour Fuzzy Classifier for Radar Target
Feature Combination Recognition Rate
Recognition Using Combined Features”, 8th
12 27.27%
International Conference on Signal Processing, vol
1 12 49.35% 3,2006 .
1 28.57%
12 27.27%
1 12 49.35%

Table 2. Optimal Feature Combination of the 2nd Cost

Function and Results of Target Recognition
Feature Combination Recognition Rate
1 2 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 62.34%
1 2 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 58.44%
2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 62.34%
2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 58.44%
1 2 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 62.34%

Compare the results of target recognition in table 1 with

table 2, we can see obviously that the first cost function
outperform the second cost function. We obtain the



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