Multi-scale analysis of minimizers for a second order regularization of the Perona–Malik functional

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of minimizers for the singularly perturbed Perona–Malik functional in one dimension. In a previous study, we have shown that blow-ups of these minimizers at a suitable scale converge to staircase-like piecewise constant functions. Building upon these findings, we delve into finer scales, revealing that both the vertical and horizontal regions of the staircase steps display cubic polynomial behavior after appropriate rescaling. Our analysis hinges on identifying the dominant terms of the functional within each regime, elucidating the mechanisms driving the observed asymptotic behavior.