# How to change the mean of an image without changing the range

I'm working with a dataset of grayscale images (values ranging from [0,1]) and would like the average pixel intensity of each image to be the same (let's say 0.5). However, a simple multiplication would cause the range of pixels in the image to go out of the range [0,1].

If I'm correct, there are many ways to modify the pixels so that the mean is a desired value, but I'm looking for something that subjectively wouldn't change the appearance of the image too much (other than making it slightly lighter/darker). When I think "make sure the values are within a certain range", I think of a sigmoid function, but I'm not quite sure how to apply it to the task at hand.

Any guidance or ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

(not a homework question btw, just a side project)

• Use one linear transformation for values less than the mean to move the mean to $1/2.$ Then another linear transformation for values greater than the mean to keep transformed values within $[0,1].$ (This may give some pretty strange looking transformed images.) // Also, you might be able to find a transformation $y = x^\alpha$ (where $\alpha> 0$ depends on the mean) which of course keeps values within $[0,1],$ and will also move the mean to $1/2.$ – BruceET May 9 at 5:56

If the average pixel intensity is higher (brighter) than the desired mean, just iteratively multiply the image by a value less than $$1$$, say $$0.995$$, until the image drops below my desired value.
The case is a little different for brightening an image, since if you multiply it by a value over $$1$$, then pixel intensities will be above the max value ($$1$$). Instead, you brighten the image like this: im = im*(1-x)+1*x where x is some constant between $$0$$ and $$1$$, and the $$1$$ denotes the max brightness value.
Using this method, I can get the mean of the image to my desired value $$\pm eta$$ within 50 iterations, which runs fast enough on the computer for my task.