Hierarchical polarimetric SAR image classification based on feature selection and Genetic algorithm

In order to obtain the higher classification accuracy in specific categories for the different feature subset, a hierarchical classification algorithm based on Feature Selection is proposed, and is used for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image classification, and feature selection is achieved by Genetic algorithm. The algorithm has two main characteristics: one is hierarchical classification which consists of many two-class classifier, and the two-class classifier is trained by the optimal feature subset which is selected according to different categories; the second is the classifier of support vector machine SVM (Support Vector Machine); the two is Genetic algorithm which can search out the optimal feature subset and parameters of support vector machine that is most suitable for the category, by unified coding the feature set and the parameters of SVM to constitute the Chromosome. The experiment on the first polarimetric SAR data show that the algorithm can obtain higher classification accuracy rate.