Optimizing Edge Detection Efficiency with a Grünwald–Letnikov Fractional Network

Edge detection is an essential image processing act that is crucial for many computer vision applications such as object detection, image segmentation, face recognition, text recognition, medical imaging, and autonomous vehicles. Deep learning is the most advanced and widely used tool of them all. In this paper, we present a novel deep learning model and use image datasets to test it. Our model uses a fractional calculus tool, which could enhance gradient approaches’ performances. Specifically, we approximate the fractional-order derivative-order neural network (GLFNet) using a Grünwald–Letnikov fractional definition. First, the original dataset is subjected to a Grünwald–Letnikov fractional order. After that, the CNN model is updated with the new dataset, concluding the standard CNN procedure. The training rate, the improvement in the F-measure for identifying the effective edge while maintaining the CNN model’s memory consumption, and the values of the loss errors between the prediction and training processes were all tested using the MNIST dataset. Our experiments show that GLFNet considerably enhances edge detection. GLFNet outperformed CNN with an average loss error ratio of 15.40, suggesting fewer loss mistakes. The F1-measure ratio of 0.81 indicates that GLFNet can compete with CNN in terms of precision and recall. The training time for GLFNet was lowered by an average ratio of 1.14 when compared to CNN, while inference time was faster with a ratio of 1.14, indicating increased efficiency. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of introducing Grünwald–Letnikov fractional convolution into deep learning models, resulting in more precise and reliable edge detection while preserving comparable memory utilization.