From the reviews . . .

"The first edition of this book, published 30 years ago by Duda and Hart, has been a defining book for the field of Pattern Recognition. Stork has done a superb job of updating the book. He has undertaken a monumental task of sifting through 30 years of material in a rapidly growing field and presented another snapshot of the field, determining what will be of importance for the next 30 years and incorporating it into this second edition. The style is easy to read as in the original book and the statistical, mathematical material comes alive with many new illustrations. The end result is harmonious, leading the reader through many new topics..."

–Sargur N. Srihari, PhD, Director, Center for Excellence in Document Analysis and Recognition, Distinguished Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, SUNY at Buffalo

Practitioners developing or investigating pattern recognition systems in such diverse application areas as speech recognition, optical character recognition, image processing, or signal analysis, often face the difficult task of having to decide among a bewildering array of available techniques. This unique text/professional reference provides the information you need to choose the most appropriate method for a given class of problems, presenting an in-depth, systematic account of the major topics in pattern recognition today. A new edition of a classic work that helped define the field for over a quarter century, this practical book updates and expands the original work, focusing on pattern classification and the immense progress it has experienced in recent years. Special features include:

• Clear explanations of both classical and new methods, including neural networks, stochastic methods, genetic algorithms, and theory of learning
• Over 350 high-quality, two-color illustrations highlighting various concepts
• Numerous worked examples
• Pseudocode for pattern recognition algorithms
• Expanded problems, keyed specifically to the text
• Complete exercises, linked to the text
• Algorithms to explain specific pattern-recognition and learning techniques
• Historical remarks and important references at the end of chapters
• Appendices covering the necessary mathematical background

NOTE: Computer Manual in MATLAB to Accompany Pattern Classification, 2e users access toolbox via ftp://ftp.wiley.com/public/sci_tech_med/pattern_classification/ (Note: Visitors will require a password from the Manual to access.)

Pattern recognition systems play a role in applications as diverse as speech recognition, optical character recognition, image processing, and signal analysis. This reference provides information needed to choose the most appropriate of the many available techniques for a given class of problems. The latest edition includes explanations of classical and new methods, including neural networks, stochastic methods, genetic algorithms, and theory of learning. It provides algorithms to explain specific pattern-recognition and learning techniques as well as appendices covering the necessary mathematical background.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"…it provides a good introduction to the subject of Pattern Classification." (Journal of Classification, September 2007)

"…a fantastic book! The presentation...could not be better, and I recommend that future authors consider…this book as a role model." (Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation, March 2006)

"...strongly recommended both as a professional reference and as a text for students..." (Technometrics, February 2002)

"...provides information needed to choose the most appropriate of the many available technique for a given class of problems." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2001)

"I do not believe anybody wishing to teach or do serious work on Pattern Recognition can ignore this book, as it is the sort of book one wishes to find the time to read from cover to cover!" (Pattern Analysis & Applications Journal, 2001)

"This book is the unique text/professional reference for any serious student or worker in the field of pattern recognition." (Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2001k)

"...gives a systematic overview about the major topics in pattern recognition, based whenever possible on fundamental principles." (Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 968, 2001/18)

"attractively presented and readable" (Journal of Classification, Vol.18, No.2 2001)

Unter Musterklassifikation versteht man die Zuordnung eines physikalischen Objektes zu einer von mehreren vordefinierten Kategorien. Auf dieser Grundlage können Computer Muster erkennen. Das Interesse an diesem Forschungsgebiet hat in den letzten Jahren, besonders im Zuge der Weiterentwicklung neuronaler Netze, stark zugenommen. Die umfassend überarbeitete, erweiterte und jetzt zweifarbig gestaltete Neuauflage beschreibt alle wesentlichen Aspekte der Mustererkennung systematisch und verständlich. Mit Lösungsheft! (01/00)

The first edition, published in 1973, has become a classic reference in the field. Now with the second edition, readers will find information on key new topics such as neural networks and statistical pattern recognition, the theory of machine learning, and the theory of invariances. Also included are worked examples, comparisons between different methods, extensive graphics, expanded exercises and computer project topics.

An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.

Bayesian Decision Theory.

Maximum-Likelihood and Bayesian Parameter Estimation.

Nonparametric Techniques.

Linear Discriminant Functions.

Multilayer Neural Networks.

Stochastic Methods.

Nonmetric Methods.

Algorithm-Independent Machine Learning.

Unsupervised Learning and Clustering.

Appendix.

Index.