Medical imaging is an important and rapidly expanding area in medical science. Many of the methods employed are essentially digital, for example computerized tomography, and the subject has become increasingly influenced by develop ments in both mathematics and computer science. The mathematical problems have been the concern of a relatively small group of scientists, consisting mainly of applied mathematicians and theoretical physicists. Their efforts have led to workable algorithms for most imaging modalities. However, neither the fundamentals, nor the limitations and disadvantages of these algorithms are known to a sufficient degree to the physicists, engineers and physicians trying to implement these methods. It seems both timely and important to try to bridge this gap. This book summarizes the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute, on these topics, that was held in the mountains of Tuscany for two weeks in the late summer of 1986. At another (quite different) earlier meeting on medical imaging, the authors noted that each of the speakers had given, there, a long introduction in their general area, stated that they did not have time to discuss the details of the new work, but proceeded to show lots of clinical results, while excluding any mathematics associated with the area.

The 1999 international conference on Information Processing in Medical Imaging (IPMI '99) was the sixteenth in the series of biennial meetings and followed the successful meeting in Poultney, Vermont, in 1997. This year, for the rst time, the conference was held in central Europe, in the historical Hungarian town of Visegr ad, one of the most beautiful spots not only on the Danube Bend but in all Hungary. The place has many historical connections, both national and international. The castle was once a royal palace of King Matthias. In the middle ages, the Hungarian, Czech, and Polish kings met here. Recently, after the summit meeting of reestablished democracies in the area, it became a symbol for the cooperation between central European countries as they approached the European Union. It was thus also symbolic to bring IPMI, in the year of the 30th anniversary of its foundation, to this place, and organize the meeting with the close cooperation of local and traditional western organizers. It also provided a good opportunity to summarize brie?y a history of IPMI for those who were new to the IPMI conference. This year we received 82 full paper submissions from all over the world. Of these, 24 were accepted as oral presentations. These were divided into 6 sessions. In spite of our e orts, it was found to be impossible to make these sessions fully balanced and homogeneous.