This edited volume on the latest advances in data science covers a wide range of topics in the context of data analysis and classification. In particular, it includes contributions on classification methods for high-dimensional data, clustering methods, multivariate statistical methods, and various applications. The book gathers a selection of peer-reviewed contributions presented at the Fifteenth Conference of the International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS2015), which was hosted by the Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, from July 5 to 8, 2015.

This volume contains revised versions of selected papers presented at the biennial meeting of the Classi?cation and Data Analysis Group (CLADAG) of the Italian Statistical Society, which was held in Macerata, September 12-14, 2007. Carlo Laurochairedthe Scienti?c ProgrammeCommitteeand FrancescoPalumbochaired the Local Organizing Committee. The scienti?c programme scheduled 150 oral presentations and one poster s- sion. Sessions were organised in ?ve plenary sessions, 10 invited paper specialised sessions and 24 solicited paper sessions. Contributed papers and posters were 54 and 12, respectively. Five eminent scholars, who have given important impact in the Classi?cation and Data Analysis ?elds, were invited as keynote speakers, they are H. Bozdogan, S. R. Masera, G. McLachlan, A. Montanari, A. Rizzi. Invited Paper Specialised Sessions focused on the following topics: Knowledge extraction from temporal data models Statistical models with errors-in-covariates Multivariate analysis for microarray data Cluster analysis of complex data Educational processes assessment by means of latent variables models Classi?cation of complex data Multidimensional scaling Statistical models for public policies Classi? cation models for enterprise risk management Model-based clustering It is worth noting that two of the ten specialised sessions were organised by the French (Classi?cation of complex data) and Japanese (Multidimensional scaling) classi?cation societies. The SPC is grateful to professorsOkada (Japan) and Zighed (France), who took charge of the Japanese and French specialised session org- isation, respectively.