| Pattern recognition currently comprises a vast body of methods supporting the development of numerous applications in many different areas of activity. The generally recognized relevance of pattern recognition methods and techniques lies, for the most part, in the general trend or "intelligent" task emulation, which has definitely pervaded our daily life. Robot assisted manufacture, medical diagnostic systems, forecast of economic variables, exploration of Earth's resources, and analysis of satellite data are just a few examples of activity fields where this trend applies. The pervasiveness of pattern recognition has boosted the number of taskspecific methodologies and enriched the number of links with other disciplines. As counterbalance to this dispersive tendency there have been, more recently, new theoretical developments that are bridging together many of the classical pattern recognition methods and presenting a new perspective of their links and inner workings.
This book has its origin in an introductory course on pattern recognition taught at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Oporto University. From the initial core of this course, the book grew with the intent of presenting a comprehensive and articulated view of pattern recognition methods combined with the intent of clarifying practical issucs with the aid ofexarnples and applications to real-life data. The book is primarily addressed to undergraduate and graduate students attending pattern recognition courses of engineering and computer science curricula. In addition to engineers or applied mathematicians, it is also common for professionals and researchers from other areas of activity to apply pattern recognition methods, e.g. physicians, biologists, geologists and economists. The book includes real-life applications and presents matters in a way that reflects a concern for making them interesting to a large audience, namely to non-engineers who need to apply pattern recognition techniques in their own work, or who happen to be involved in interdisciplinary projects employing such techniques.
The book provides a comprehensive view of Pattern Recognition concepts and methods, illustrated with real-life applications in several areas. It is appropriate as a textbook of Pattern Recognition courses and also for professionals and researchers who need to apply Pattern Recognition techniques. These are explained in a unified an innovative way, with multiple examples enhacing the clarification of concepts and the application of methods. Recent methods and results in Pattern Recognition are also presented in a clear way. A CD-ROM offered with the book includes datasets and software tools, making it easier for the reader to follow the taught matters in a hands-on fashion right from the start. |