Publications

This volume provides a total of 24 peer reviewed papers as an overview of the work performed within COST Action G8 “Non-Destructive Testing and Analysis of Museum Objects” which ran from 2001 to 2006. This book is intended for all those interested in the benefit of non-destructive techniques, especially conservators, restorers, and art historians who will find examples of the applications of various analytical methods to art objects, ranging from metal artefacts through paintings and drawings to ceramics and stone.
The content will also be of interest to scientists working in research institutions who, whilst not having themselves a background in art or archaeology, often come face-to-face with issues related to cultural heritage which need specific scientific input to resolve particular problems. It is, over all, aimed at helping to bridge the gaps between the numerous players in this emerging multi-disciplinary field.

COST-TIST covers all COST research activities in the field of Telecommunications and Information technologies, services and applications. COST Actions in this area have successfully contributed to the aims of the European Research Area by brining a large set of national, industrial and university research activities in the field together into a common framework of research objectives.

– The book aims to describe how soft computing and statical methods can be used together to improve data analysis

– Advances research in soft computing and statical methods for data analysis

– Written by leading experts in the field

Soft computing, as an engineering science, and statistics, as a classical branch of mathematics, emphasise different aspects of data analysis.

Soft computing focuses on obtaining working solutions quickly, accepting approximations and unconventional approaches. Its strength lies in its flexibility to create models that suit the needs arising in applications. In addition, it emphasises the need for intuitive and interpretable models, which are tolerant to imprecision and uncertainty.

Statistics is more rigorous and focuses on establishing objective conclusions based on experimental data by analysing the possible situations and their (relative) likelihood. It emphasises the need for mathematical methods and tools to assess solutions and guarantee performance.

Combining the two fields enhances the robustness and generalisability of data analysis methods, while preserving the flexibility to solve real-world problems efficiently and intuitively.

The workshop VUUM brings together a group of experienced HCI researchers and practitioners to explore a long-standing research problem – the meaningfulness of measurable constructs and the measurability of non-measurable ones.