The World Soft Computing (WSC) conference is an annual international online conference on applied and theoretical soft computing technology. The topics covered by the conference range from applied to theoretical aspects of fuzzy, neuro-fuzzy and rough sets over to neural networks to single and multi-objective optimisation. Contributions about particle swarm optimisation, gene expression programming, clustering, classi cation, support vector machines, quantum evolution and agent systems have also been received. One whole session was devoted to soft computing techniques in computer graphics, imaging, vision and signal processing.

Zusammenfassung
WSC2008Chair's Welcome Message Dear Colleague, The World Soft Computing (WSC) conference is an annual international online conference on applied and theoretical soft computing technology. This WSC 2008 is the thirteenth conference in this series and it has been a great success. We received a lot of excellent paper submissions which were peer-reviewed by an international team of experts. Only60 papers out of111 submissions were selected for online publication. This assured a high quality standard for this online conference. The corresponding online statistics are a proof of the great world-wide interest in the WSC 2008 conference. The conference website had a total of33,367di?erent human user accessesfrom43 countries with around100 visitors every day,151 people signed up to WSC to discuss their scienti?c disciplines in our chat rooms and the forum. Also audio and slide presentations allowed a detailed discussion of the papers. The submissions and discussions showed that there is a wide range of soft computing applications to date. The topics covered by the conference range from applied to theoretical aspects of fuzzy, neuro-fuzzy and rough sets over to neural networks to single and multi-objective optimisation. Contributions aboutparticleswarmoptimisation,geneexpressionprogramming,clustering, classi?cation,supportvectormachines,quantumevolutionandagentsystems have also been received. One whole session was devoted to soft computing techniques in computer graphics, imaging, vision and signal processing.

Inhalt
Fuzzy, Neuro-Fuzzy and Rough Sets Applications.- Fuzzy Group Decision Making for Management of Oil Spill Responses.- Sensor Fusion Map Building-Based on Fuzzy Logic Using Sonar and SIFT Measurements.- Rough Sets in Medical Informatics Applications.- A Real Estate Management System Based on Soft Computing.- Proportional Load Balancing Using Scalable Object Grouping Based on Fuzzy Clustering.- Neural Network Applications.- Multilevel Image Segmentation Using OptiMUSIG Activation Function with Fixed and Variable Thresholding: A Comparative Study.- Artificial Neural Networks Modeling to Reduce Industrial Air Pollution.- Wavelet Neural Network as a Multivariate Processing Tool in Electronic Tongues.- Design of ANFIS Networks Using Hybrid Genetic and SVD Method for the Prediction of Coastal Wave Impacts.- A Neuro-Fuzzy Control for TCP Network Congestion.- Use of Remote Sensing Technology for GIS Based Landslide Hazard Mapping.- An Analysis of the Disturbance on TCP Network Congestion.- Applications of Evolutionary Computations.- RAM Analysis of the Press Unit in a Paper Plant Using Genetic Algorithm and Lambda-Tau Methodology.- A Novel Approach to Reduce High-Dimensional Search Spaces for the Molecular Docking Problem.- GA Inspired Heuristic for Uncapacitated Single Allocation Hub Location Problem.- Evolutionary Constrained Design of Seismically Excited Buildings: Sensor Placement.- Applying Evolution Computation Model to the Development and Transition of Virtual Community under Web2.0.- Genetic Algorithms in Chemistry: Success or Failure Is in the Genes.- Other Soft Computing Applications.- Multi-objective Expansion Planning of Electrical Distribution Networks Using Comprehensive Learning Particle Swarm Optimization.- Prediction of Compressive Strength of Cement Using Gene Expression Programming.- Fault-Tolerant Nearest Neighbor Classifier Based on Reconfiguration of Analog Hardware in Low Power Intelligent Sensor Systems.- Text Documents Classification by Associating Terms with Text Categories.- Applying Methods of Soft Computing to Space Link Quality Prediction.- A Novel Multicriteria Model Applied to Cashew Chestnut Industrialization Process.- Design of Fuzzy, Neuro-Fuzzy and Rough Sets Techniques.- Selection of Aggregation Operators with Decision Attitudes.- A New Approach Based on Artificial Neural Networks for High Order Bivariate Fuzzy Time Series.- A Genetic Fuzzy System with Inconsistent Rule Removal and Decision Tree Initialization.- Robust Expectation Optimization Model Using the Possibility Measure for the Fuzzy Random Programming Problem.- Improving Mining Fuzzy Rules with Artificial Immune Systems by Uniform Population.- Incremental Locally Linear Fuzzy Classifier.- On Criticality of Paths in Networks with Imprecise Durations and Generalized Precedence Relations.- Design of Evolutionary Computation Techniques.- Parallel Genetic Algorithm Approach to Automated Discovery of Hierarchical Production Rules.- Two Hybrid Genetic Algorithms for Solving the Super-Peer Selection Problem.- A Genetic Algorithm for the Constrained Coverage Problem.- Using Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithms in the Optimization of Polymer Injection Molding.- A Multiobjective Extremal Optimization Algorithm for Efficient Mapping in Grids.- Interactive Incorporation of User Preferences in Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms.- Improvement of Quantum Evolutionary Algorithm with a Functional Sized Population.- Optimal Path Planning for Controllability of Switched Linear Systems Using Multi-level Constrained GA.- Design for Other Soft Computing Techniques.- Particle Swarm Optimization for Inference Procedures in the Generalized Gamma Family Based on Censored Data.- SUPER-SAPSO: A New SA-Based PSO Algorithm.- Testing of Diversity Strategy and Ensemble Strategy in SVM-Based Multiagent Ensemble Learning.- Probability Collectives: A Decentralized, Distributed Optimization for Multi-Agent Systems.- Computer Graphics, Imaging, Vision and Signal Processing.- Shape from Focus Based on Bilateral Filtering and Principal Component Analysis.- Detecting Hidden Information from Watermarked Signal Using Granulation Based Fitness Approximation.- Fuzzy Approaches for Colour Image Palette Selection.- Novel Face Recognition Approach Using Bit-Level Information and Dummy Blank Images in Feedforward Neural Network.- ICA for Face Recognition Using Different Source Distribution Models.- Object Recognition Using Particle Swarm Optimization on Moment Descriptors.- Perceptual Shaping in Digital Image Watermarking Using LDPC Codes and Genetic Programming.- Voice Conversion by Mapping the Spectral and Prosodic Features Using Support Vector Machine.