Author: Sang-Yong Rhee
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331905533X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
As users or consumers are now demanding smarter devices, intelligent systems are revolutionizing by utilizing machine learning. Machine learning as part of intelligent systems is already one of the most critical components in everyday tools ranging from search engines and credit card fraud detection to stock market analysis. You can train machines to perform some things, so that they can automatically detect, diagnose, and solve a variety of problems. The intelligent systems have made rapid progress in developing the state of the art in machine learning based on smart and deep perception. Using machine learning, the intelligent systems make widely applications in automated speech recognition, natural language processing, medical diagnosis, bioinformatics, and robot locomotion. This book aims at introducing how to treat a substantial amount of data, to teach machines and to improve decision making models. And this book specializes in the developments of advanced intelligent systems through machine learning. It consists of 11 contributions that features illumination change detection, generator of electronic educational publications, intelligent call triage system, recognition of rocks at uranium deposits, graphics processing units, mathematical model of hit phenomena, selection and mutation in genetic algorithm, hands and arms motion estimation, application of wavelet network, Kanizsa triangle illusion, and support vector machine regression. Also, it describes how to apply the machine learning for the intelligent systems. This edition is published in original, peer reviewed contributions covering from initial design to final prototypes and verifications.
Soft Computing in Machine Learning
Author: Sang-Yong Rhee
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331905533X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
As users or consumers are now demanding smarter devices, intelligent systems are revolutionizing by utilizing machine learning. Machine learning as part of intelligent systems is already one of the most critical components in everyday tools ranging from search engines and credit card fraud detection to stock market analysis. You can train machines to perform some things, so that they can automatically detect, diagnose, and solve a variety of problems. The intelligent systems have made rapid progress in developing the state of the art in machine learning based on smart and deep perception. Using machine learning, the intelligent systems make widely applications in automated speech recognition, natural language processing, medical diagnosis, bioinformatics, and robot locomotion. This book aims at introducing how to treat a substantial amount of data, to teach machines and to improve decision making models. And this book specializes in the developments of advanced intelligent systems through machine learning. It consists of 11 contributions that features illumination change detection, generator of electronic educational publications, intelligent call triage system, recognition of rocks at uranium deposits, graphics processing units, mathematical model of hit phenomena, selection and mutation in genetic algorithm, hands and arms motion estimation, application of wavelet network, Kanizsa triangle illusion, and support vector machine regression. Also, it describes how to apply the machine learning for the intelligent systems. This edition is published in original, peer reviewed contributions covering from initial design to final prototypes and verifications.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331905533X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
As users or consumers are now demanding smarter devices, intelligent systems are revolutionizing by utilizing machine learning. Machine learning as part of intelligent systems is already one of the most critical components in everyday tools ranging from search engines and credit card fraud detection to stock market analysis. You can train machines to perform some things, so that they can automatically detect, diagnose, and solve a variety of problems. The intelligent systems have made rapid progress in developing the state of the art in machine learning based on smart and deep perception. Using machine learning, the intelligent systems make widely applications in automated speech recognition, natural language processing, medical diagnosis, bioinformatics, and robot locomotion. This book aims at introducing how to treat a substantial amount of data, to teach machines and to improve decision making models. And this book specializes in the developments of advanced intelligent systems through machine learning. It consists of 11 contributions that features illumination change detection, generator of electronic educational publications, intelligent call triage system, recognition of rocks at uranium deposits, graphics processing units, mathematical model of hit phenomena, selection and mutation in genetic algorithm, hands and arms motion estimation, application of wavelet network, Kanizsa triangle illusion, and support vector machine regression. Also, it describes how to apply the machine learning for the intelligent systems. This edition is published in original, peer reviewed contributions covering from initial design to final prototypes and verifications.
Learning and Soft Computing
Author: Vojislav Kecman
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262112550
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 556
Book Description
This textbook provides a thorough introduction to the field of learning from experimental data and soft computing. Support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NN) are the mathematical structures, or models, that underlie learning, while fuzzy logic systems (FLS) enable us to embed structured human knowledge into workable algorithms. The book assumes that it is not only useful, but necessary, to treat SVM, NN, and FLS as parts of a connected whole. Throughout, the theory and algorithms are illustrated by practical examples, as well as by problem sets and simulated experiments. This approach enables the reader to develop SVM, NN, and FLS in addition to understanding them. The book also presents three case studies: on NN-based control, financial time series analysis, and computer graphics. A solutions manual and all of the MATLAB programs needed for the simulated experiments are available.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262112550
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 556
Book Description
This textbook provides a thorough introduction to the field of learning from experimental data and soft computing. Support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NN) are the mathematical structures, or models, that underlie learning, while fuzzy logic systems (FLS) enable us to embed structured human knowledge into workable algorithms. The book assumes that it is not only useful, but necessary, to treat SVM, NN, and FLS as parts of a connected whole. Throughout, the theory and algorithms are illustrated by practical examples, as well as by problem sets and simulated experiments. This approach enables the reader to develop SVM, NN, and FLS in addition to understanding them. The book also presents three case studies: on NN-based control, financial time series analysis, and computer graphics. A solutions manual and all of the MATLAB programs needed for the simulated experiments are available.
Neuro-fuzzy and Soft Computing
Author: Jyh-Shing Roger Jang
Publisher: Pearson Education
ISBN:
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 658
Book Description
Neuro-Fuzzy and Soft Computing provides the first comprehensive treatment of the constituent methodologies underlying neuro-fuzzy and soft computing, an evolving branch of computational intelligence. The constituent methodologies include fuzzy set theory, neural networks, data clustering techniques, and several stochastic optimization methods that do not require gradient information. In particular, the authors put equal emphasis on theoretical aspects of covered methodologies, as well as empirical observations and verifications of various applications in practice. The book is well suited for use as a text for courses on computational intelligence and as a single reference source for this emerging field. To help readers understand the material the presentation includes more than 50 examples, more than 150 exercises, over 300 illustrations, and more than 150 Matlab scripts. In addition, Matlab is utilized to visualize the processes of fuzzy reasoning, neural-network learning, neuro-fuzzy integration and training, and gradient-free optimization (such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, random search, and downhill Simplex method). The presentation also makes use of SIMULINK for neuro-fuzzy control system simulations. All Matlab scripts used in the book are available on the free companion software disk that may be ordered by using the enclosed reply card. The book also contains an "Internet Resource Page" to point the reader to on-line neuro-fuzzy and soft computing home pages, publications, public-domain software, research institutes, news groups, etc. All the HTTP and FTP addresses are available as a bookmark file on the companion software disk.
Publisher: Pearson Education
ISBN:
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 658
Book Description
Neuro-Fuzzy and Soft Computing provides the first comprehensive treatment of the constituent methodologies underlying neuro-fuzzy and soft computing, an evolving branch of computational intelligence. The constituent methodologies include fuzzy set theory, neural networks, data clustering techniques, and several stochastic optimization methods that do not require gradient information. In particular, the authors put equal emphasis on theoretical aspects of covered methodologies, as well as empirical observations and verifications of various applications in practice. The book is well suited for use as a text for courses on computational intelligence and as a single reference source for this emerging field. To help readers understand the material the presentation includes more than 50 examples, more than 150 exercises, over 300 illustrations, and more than 150 Matlab scripts. In addition, Matlab is utilized to visualize the processes of fuzzy reasoning, neural-network learning, neuro-fuzzy integration and training, and gradient-free optimization (such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, random search, and downhill Simplex method). The presentation also makes use of SIMULINK for neuro-fuzzy control system simulations. All Matlab scripts used in the book are available on the free companion software disk that may be ordered by using the enclosed reply card. The book also contains an "Internet Resource Page" to point the reader to on-line neuro-fuzzy and soft computing home pages, publications, public-domain software, research institutes, news groups, etc. All the HTTP and FTP addresses are available as a bookmark file on the companion software disk.
Advances in Soft Computing and Machine Learning in Image Processing
Author: Aboul Ella Hassanien
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319637541
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 711
Book Description
This book is a collection of the latest applications of methods from soft computing and machine learning in image processing. It explores different areas ranging from image segmentation to the object recognition using complex approaches, and includes the theory of the methodologies used to provide an overview of the application of these tools in image processing. The material has been compiled from a scientific perspective, and the book is primarily intended for undergraduate and postgraduate science, engineering, and computational mathematics students. It can also be used for courses on artificial intelligence, advanced image processing, and computational intelligence, and is a valuable resource for researchers in the evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence and image processing communities.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319637541
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 711
Book Description
This book is a collection of the latest applications of methods from soft computing and machine learning in image processing. It explores different areas ranging from image segmentation to the object recognition using complex approaches, and includes the theory of the methodologies used to provide an overview of the application of these tools in image processing. The material has been compiled from a scientific perspective, and the book is primarily intended for undergraduate and postgraduate science, engineering, and computational mathematics students. It can also be used for courses on artificial intelligence, advanced image processing, and computational intelligence, and is a valuable resource for researchers in the evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence and image processing communities.
Soft Computing and Machine Learning with Python
Author: Zoran Gacovski
Publisher: Arcler Press
ISBN: 9781773615004
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A definition states that the machine learning is a discipline that allows the computers to learn without explicit programming. The challenge in machine learning is how to accurately (algorithmic) describe some kinds of tasks that people can easily solve (for example face recognition, speech recognition etc.). Such algorithms can be defined for certain types of tasks, but they are very complex and/or require large knowledge base (e.g. machine translation MT). In many of the areas - data are continuously collected in order to get "some knowledge out of them" for example - in medicine (patient data and therapy), in marketing (the users / customers and what they buy, what are they interested in, how products are rated etc.). Data analysis of this scale requires approaches that will allow you to discover patterns and dependences among the data, that are neither known, nor obvious, but can be useful (data mining). Information retrieval - IR, is finding existing information as quickly as possible. For example, web browser - finds page within the (large) set of the entire WWW. Machine Learning - ML, is a set of techniques that generalize existing knowledge of the new information, as precisely as possible. An example is the speech recognition. Data mining - DM, primarily relates to the disclosure of something hidden within the data, some new dependence, which have not previously been known. Example is CRM - the customer analysis. Python is high-level programming language that is very suitable for web development, programming of games, and data manipulation / machine learning applications. It is object-oriented language and interpreter as well, allowing the source code to execute directly (without compiling). This edition covers machine learning theory and applications with Python, and includes chapters for soft computing theory, machine learning techniques/applications, Python language details, and machine learning examples with Python. Book jacket.
Publisher: Arcler Press
ISBN: 9781773615004
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A definition states that the machine learning is a discipline that allows the computers to learn without explicit programming. The challenge in machine learning is how to accurately (algorithmic) describe some kinds of tasks that people can easily solve (for example face recognition, speech recognition etc.). Such algorithms can be defined for certain types of tasks, but they are very complex and/or require large knowledge base (e.g. machine translation MT). In many of the areas - data are continuously collected in order to get "some knowledge out of them" for example - in medicine (patient data and therapy), in marketing (the users / customers and what they buy, what are they interested in, how products are rated etc.). Data analysis of this scale requires approaches that will allow you to discover patterns and dependences among the data, that are neither known, nor obvious, but can be useful (data mining). Information retrieval - IR, is finding existing information as quickly as possible. For example, web browser - finds page within the (large) set of the entire WWW. Machine Learning - ML, is a set of techniques that generalize existing knowledge of the new information, as precisely as possible. An example is the speech recognition. Data mining - DM, primarily relates to the disclosure of something hidden within the data, some new dependence, which have not previously been known. Example is CRM - the customer analysis. Python is high-level programming language that is very suitable for web development, programming of games, and data manipulation / machine learning applications. It is object-oriented language and interpreter as well, allowing the source code to execute directly (without compiling). This edition covers machine learning theory and applications with Python, and includes chapters for soft computing theory, machine learning techniques/applications, Python language details, and machine learning examples with Python. Book jacket.
Advanced Soft Computing Techniques in Data Science, IoT and Cloud Computing
Author: Sujata Dash
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030756572
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 443
Book Description
This book plays a significant role in improvising human life to a great extent. The new applications of soft computing can be regarded as an emerging field in computer science, automatic control engineering, medicine, biology application, natural environmental engineering, and pattern recognition. Now, the exemplar model for soft computing is human brain. The use of various techniques of soft computing is nowadays successfully implemented in many domestic, commercial, and industrial applications due to the low-cost and very high-performance digital processors and also the decline price of the memory chips. This is the main reason behind the wider expansion of soft computing techniques and its application areas. These computing methods also play a significant role in the design and optimization in diverse engineering disciplines. With the influence and the development of the Internet of things (IoT) concept, the need for using soft computing techniques has become more significant than ever. In general, soft computing methods are closely similar to biological processes than traditional techniques, which are mostly based on formal logical systems, such as sentential logic and predicate logic, or rely heavily on computer-aided numerical analysis. Soft computing techniques are anticipated to complement each other. The aim of these techniques is to accept imprecision, uncertainties, and approximations to get a rapid solution. However, recent advancements in representation soft computing algorithms (fuzzy logic,evolutionary computation, machine learning, and probabilistic reasoning) generate a more intelligent and robust system providing a human interpretable, low-cost, approximate solution. Soft computing-based algorithms have demonstrated great performance to a variety of areas including multimedia retrieval, fault tolerance, system modelling, network architecture, Web semantics, big data analytics, time series, biomedical and health informatics, etc. Soft computing approaches such as genetic programming (GP), support vector machine–firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine–wavelet (SVM–Wavelet) have emerged as powerful computational models. These have also shown significant success in dealing with massive data analysis for large number of applications. All the researchers and practitioners will be highly benefited those who are working in field of computer engineering, medicine, biology application, signal processing, and mechanical engineering. This book is a good collection of state-of-the-art approaches for soft computing-based applications to various engineering fields. It is very beneficial for the new researchers and practitioners working in the field to quickly know the best performing methods. They would be able to compare different approaches and can carry forward their research in the most important area of research which has direct impact on betterment of the human life and health. This book is very useful because there is no book in the market which provides a good collection of state-of-the-art methods of soft computing-based models for multimedia retrieval, fault tolerance, system modelling, network architecture, Web semantics, big data analytics, time series, and biomedical and health informatics.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030756572
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 443
Book Description
This book plays a significant role in improvising human life to a great extent. The new applications of soft computing can be regarded as an emerging field in computer science, automatic control engineering, medicine, biology application, natural environmental engineering, and pattern recognition. Now, the exemplar model for soft computing is human brain. The use of various techniques of soft computing is nowadays successfully implemented in many domestic, commercial, and industrial applications due to the low-cost and very high-performance digital processors and also the decline price of the memory chips. This is the main reason behind the wider expansion of soft computing techniques and its application areas. These computing methods also play a significant role in the design and optimization in diverse engineering disciplines. With the influence and the development of the Internet of things (IoT) concept, the need for using soft computing techniques has become more significant than ever. In general, soft computing methods are closely similar to biological processes than traditional techniques, which are mostly based on formal logical systems, such as sentential logic and predicate logic, or rely heavily on computer-aided numerical analysis. Soft computing techniques are anticipated to complement each other. The aim of these techniques is to accept imprecision, uncertainties, and approximations to get a rapid solution. However, recent advancements in representation soft computing algorithms (fuzzy logic,evolutionary computation, machine learning, and probabilistic reasoning) generate a more intelligent and robust system providing a human interpretable, low-cost, approximate solution. Soft computing-based algorithms have demonstrated great performance to a variety of areas including multimedia retrieval, fault tolerance, system modelling, network architecture, Web semantics, big data analytics, time series, biomedical and health informatics, etc. Soft computing approaches such as genetic programming (GP), support vector machine–firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine–wavelet (SVM–Wavelet) have emerged as powerful computational models. These have also shown significant success in dealing with massive data analysis for large number of applications. All the researchers and practitioners will be highly benefited those who are working in field of computer engineering, medicine, biology application, signal processing, and mechanical engineering. This book is a good collection of state-of-the-art approaches for soft computing-based applications to various engineering fields. It is very beneficial for the new researchers and practitioners working in the field to quickly know the best performing methods. They would be able to compare different approaches and can carry forward their research in the most important area of research which has direct impact on betterment of the human life and health. This book is very useful because there is no book in the market which provides a good collection of state-of-the-art methods of soft computing-based models for multimedia retrieval, fault tolerance, system modelling, network architecture, Web semantics, big data analytics, time series, and biomedical and health informatics.
Machine Intelligence and Soft Computing
Author: Debnath Bhattacharyya
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789811595158
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
This book gathers selected papers presented at the International Conference on Machine Intelligence and Soft Computing (ICMISC 2020), held jointly by Vignan’s Institute of Information Technology, Visakhapatnam, India and VFSTR Deemed to be University, Guntur, AP, India during 03-04 September 2020. Topics covered in the book include the artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic, cloud computing, evolutionary algorithms and computation, machine learning, metaheuristics and swarm intelligence, neuro-fuzzy system, soft computing and decision support systems, soft computing applications in actuarial science, soft computing for database deadlock resolution, soft computing methods in engineering, and support vector machine.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789811595158
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
This book gathers selected papers presented at the International Conference on Machine Intelligence and Soft Computing (ICMISC 2020), held jointly by Vignan’s Institute of Information Technology, Visakhapatnam, India and VFSTR Deemed to be University, Guntur, AP, India during 03-04 September 2020. Topics covered in the book include the artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic, cloud computing, evolutionary algorithms and computation, machine learning, metaheuristics and swarm intelligence, neuro-fuzzy system, soft computing and decision support systems, soft computing applications in actuarial science, soft computing for database deadlock resolution, soft computing methods in engineering, and support vector machine.
Soft Computing in Data Science
Author: Azlinah Mohamed
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811673349
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Soft Computing in Data Science, SCDS 2021, which was held virtually in November 2021. The 31 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 79 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on AI techniques and applications; data analytics and technologies; data mining and image processing; machine & statistical learning.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811673349
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Soft Computing in Data Science, SCDS 2021, which was held virtually in November 2021. The 31 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 79 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on AI techniques and applications; data analytics and technologies; data mining and image processing; machine & statistical learning.
Applied Soft Computing
Author: Samarjeet Borah
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000406652
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 281
Book Description
This new volume explores a variety of modern techniques that deal with estimated models and give resolutions to complex real-life issues. Soft computing has played a crucial role not only with theoretical paradigms but is also popular for its pivotal role for designing a large variety of expert systems and artificial intelligence-based applications. Involving the concepts and practices of soft computing in conjunction with other frontier research domains, this book begins with the basics and goes on to explore a variety of modern applications of soft computing in areas such as approximate reasoning, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, big data analytics, bioinformatics, cloud computing, control systems, data mining, functional approximation, fuzzy logic, genetic and evolutionary algorithms, hybrid models, machine learning, metaheuristics, neuro fuzzy system, optimization, randomized searches, and swarm intelligence. This book will be helpful to a wide range of readers who wish to learn applications of soft computing approaches. It will be useful for academicians, researchers, students, and machine learning experts who use soft computing techniques and algorithms to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence-based applications.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000406652
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 281
Book Description
This new volume explores a variety of modern techniques that deal with estimated models and give resolutions to complex real-life issues. Soft computing has played a crucial role not only with theoretical paradigms but is also popular for its pivotal role for designing a large variety of expert systems and artificial intelligence-based applications. Involving the concepts and practices of soft computing in conjunction with other frontier research domains, this book begins with the basics and goes on to explore a variety of modern applications of soft computing in areas such as approximate reasoning, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, big data analytics, bioinformatics, cloud computing, control systems, data mining, functional approximation, fuzzy logic, genetic and evolutionary algorithms, hybrid models, machine learning, metaheuristics, neuro fuzzy system, optimization, randomized searches, and swarm intelligence. This book will be helpful to a wide range of readers who wish to learn applications of soft computing approaches. It will be useful for academicians, researchers, students, and machine learning experts who use soft computing techniques and algorithms to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence-based applications.
Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing
Author: Amit Konar
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351835629
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 653
Book Description
With all the material available in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and soft computing-texts, monographs, and journal articles-there remains a serious gap in the literature. Until now, there has been no comprehensive resource accessible to a broad audience yet containing a depth and breadth of information that enables the reader to fully understand and readily apply AI and soft computing concepts. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing fills this gap. It presents both the traditional and the modern aspects of AI and soft computing in a clear, insightful, and highly comprehensive style. It provides an in-depth analysis of mathematical models and algorithms and demonstrates their applications in real world problems. Beginning with the behavioral perspective of "human cognition," the text covers the tools and techniques required for its intelligent realization on machines. The author addresses the classical aspects-search, symbolic logic, planning, and machine learning-in detail and includes the latest research in these areas. He introduces the modern aspects of soft computing from first principles and discusses them in a manner that enables a beginner to grasp the subject. He also covers a number of other leading aspects of AI research, including nonmonotonic and spatio-temporal reasoning, knowledge acquisition, and much more. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing: Behavioral and Cognitive Modeling of the Human Brain is unique for its diverse content, clear presentation, and overall completeness. It provides a practical, detailed introduction that will prove valuable to computer science practitioners and students as well as to researchers migrating to the subject from other disciplines.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351835629
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 653
Book Description
With all the material available in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and soft computing-texts, monographs, and journal articles-there remains a serious gap in the literature. Until now, there has been no comprehensive resource accessible to a broad audience yet containing a depth and breadth of information that enables the reader to fully understand and readily apply AI and soft computing concepts. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing fills this gap. It presents both the traditional and the modern aspects of AI and soft computing in a clear, insightful, and highly comprehensive style. It provides an in-depth analysis of mathematical models and algorithms and demonstrates their applications in real world problems. Beginning with the behavioral perspective of "human cognition," the text covers the tools and techniques required for its intelligent realization on machines. The author addresses the classical aspects-search, symbolic logic, planning, and machine learning-in detail and includes the latest research in these areas. He introduces the modern aspects of soft computing from first principles and discusses them in a manner that enables a beginner to grasp the subject. He also covers a number of other leading aspects of AI research, including nonmonotonic and spatio-temporal reasoning, knowledge acquisition, and much more. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing: Behavioral and Cognitive Modeling of the Human Brain is unique for its diverse content, clear presentation, and overall completeness. It provides a practical, detailed introduction that will prove valuable to computer science practitioners and students as well as to researchers migrating to the subject from other disciplines.