Image analysis: The initial goal is to count, as accurately as possible, the number of times an object crosses over itself (think knots or road systems). This count is a basic measure of the complexity of the object. Objects that don't cross themselves are "simple," while objects that cross themselves many times are "complicated".

Once we have this count in place, we'll try to reduce the complexity of our objects without changing their underlying structure. In the case of roads, this would result in a road system that accomplishes similar goals while being more easily navigated and less resource-intensive to build.