Overview andGoals Pattern recognition has evolved as a mature field of data analysis and its practice involves decision making using a wide variety of machine learning tools. Over the last three decades, substantial advances have been made in the areas of classification, prediction, optimisation and planning algorithms. Inparticular, the advances made in the areas of non-linear classification, statistical pattern recognition, multi-objective optimisation, string matching and uncertainty management are notable. These advances have been triggered by the availability of cheap computing power which allows large quantities of data to be processed in a very short period of time, and therefore developed algorithms can be tested easily on real problems. The current focus of pattern recognition research and development is to take laboratory solutions to commercial applications. The main goal of this book is to provide researchers with some of the latest novel techniques in the area of pattern recognition, and to show the potential of such techniques on real problems. The book will provide an excellent background to pattern recognition students and researchers into latest algorithms for pattern matching, and classification and their practical applications for imaging and non-imaging applications. Organization and Features The book is organised in two parts. The first nine chapters of the book describe novel advances in the areas of graph matching, information fusion, data clustering and classification, feature extraction and decision making under uncertainty.
