This book contains recent theoretical innovations and a comprehensive collection of industrial applications in the emerging field of Soft Computing. Soft computing is a new form of artificial intelligence and it consists of four core methodologies: Fuzzy Computing, Neuro Computing, Evolutionary Computation, and Probabilistic Computing. These individual techniques are clearly complementary or synergistic rather than competitive. Therefore, it is a common practice to combine two or three methodologies when solving complex problems. Also the systematic fusion of soft computing and hard computing is a highly potential alternative to be considered. Soft computing methodologies are suitable for various real-world applications, because the available information and system knowledge are often imprecise, un certain, or partially even incorrect. To handle such demanding conditions and obtain the required robustness with pure hard computing would typically be either very difficult or expensive. This book is a unique collection of technical articles providing a thorough overview of the state-of-the-art theory and industrial applications. The core articles on evolutionary computation, fuzzy computing, and neuro computing are of particular interest to researchers and practicing engineers.
