Soft computing is the common name for a certain form of natural information processing that has its original form in biology, especially in the function of human brain. It is a discipline rooted in a group of technologies such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, chaos, genetic algorithms, probabilistic reasoning and learning algorithms. Today, soft computing has become an acknowledged concept; however, for a long time, such components of soft computing have been debated and individually developed.Since its beginning in 1990, the series of IIZUKA conferences has covered various kinds of technologies that constitute soft computing. This series has played a pioneering role in promoting the development of a symbiotic relationship between the various technologies of soft computing.At IIZUKA'98, the 5th International Conference on Soft Computing and Information/Intelligent Systems, new developments and results in this field were introduced and discussed by researchers from academic, governmental and industrial institutions around the world.This volume presents the opening lecture by Prof. Walter J Freeman, the keynote speech by Dr Gen Matsumoto, the plenary lectures by 5 eminent researchers and about 230 carefully selected papers drawn from more than 25 countries. It documents current research and in-depth studies on the fundamental aspects of soft computing and their practical applications.

IIZUKA '96, the 4th International Conference on Soft Computing, emphasized the integration of the components of soft computing to promote the research work on post-digital computers and to realize the intelligent systems. At the conference, new developments and results in soft computing were introduced and discussed by researchers from academic, governmental, and industrial institutions.This volume presents the opening lectures by Prof. Lotfi A. Zadeh and Prof. Walter J. Freeman, the plenary lectures by seven eminent researchers, and about 200 carefully selected papers drawn from more than 20 countries. It documents current research and in-depth studies on the conception, design, and application of intelligent systems.

Software engineering requires specialized knowledge of a broad spectrum of topics, including the construction of software and the platforms, applications, and environments in which the software operates as well as an understanding of the people who build and use the software. Offering an authoritative perspective, the two volumes of the Encyclopedia of Software Engineering cover the entire multidisciplinary scope of this important field. More than 200 expert contributors and reviewers from industry and academia across 21 countries provide easy-to-read entries that cover software requirements, design, construction, testing, maintenance, configuration management, quality control, and software engineering management tools and methods. Editor Phillip A. Laplante uses the most universally recognized definition of the areas of relevance to software engineering, the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK®), as a template for organizing the material. Also available in an electronic format, this encyclopedia supplies software engineering students, IT professionals, researchers, managers, and scholars with unrivaled coverage of the topics that encompass this ever-changing field. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) [email protected] International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) [email protected]

This is volume 1 of the two-volume set Soft Computing and Its Applications. This volume explains the primary tools of soft computing as well as provides an abundance of working examples and detailed design studies. The book starts with coverage of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic and their various approaches to fuzzy reasoning. Precisely speaking, this b