As technology progresses, we are able to handle larger and larger datasets. At the same time, monitoring devices such as electronic equipment and sensors (for registering images, temperature, etc.) have become more and more sophisticated. This high-tech revolution offers the opportunity to observe phenomena in an increasingly accurate way by producing statistical units sampled over a finer and finer grid, with the measurement points so close that the data can be considered as observations varying over a continuum. Such continuous (or functional) data may occur in biomechanics (e.g. human movements), chemometrics (e.g. spectrometric curves), econometrics (e.g. the stock market index), geophysics (e.g. spatio-temporal events such as El Nino or time series of satellite images), or medicine (electro-cardiograms/electro-encephalograms). It is well known that standard multivariate statistical analyses fail with functional data. However, the great potential for applications has encouraged new methodologies able to extract relevant information from functional datasets. This Handbook aims to present a state of the art exploration of this high-tech field, by gathering together most of major advances in this area. Leading international experts have contributed to this volume with each chapter giving the key original ideas and comprehensive bibliographical information. The main statistical topics (classification, inference, factor-based analysis, regression modelling, resampling methods, time series, random processes) are covered in the setting of functional data. The twin challenges of the subject are the practical issues of implementing new methodologies and the theoretical techniques needed to expand the mathematical foundations and toolbox. The volume therefore mixes practical, methodological and theoretical aspects of the subject, sometimes within the same chapter. As a consequence, this book should appeal to a wide audience of engineers, practitioners and graduate students, as well as academic researchers, not only in statistics and probability but also in the numerous related application areas.

Modern apparatuses allow us to collect samples of functional data, mainly curves but also images. On the other hand, nonparametric statistics produces useful tools for standard data exploration. This book links these two fields of modern statistics by explaining how functional data can be studied through parameter-free statistical ideas. At the same time it shows how functional data can be studied through parameter-free statistical ideas, and offers an original presentation of new nonparametric statistical methods for functional data analysis.

An increasing number of statistical problems and methods involve infinite-dimensional aspects. This is due to the progress of technologies which allow us to store more and more information while modern instruments are able to collect data much more effectively due to their increasingly sophisticated design. This evolution directly concerns statisticians, who have to propose new methodologies while taking into account such high-dimensional data (e.g. continuous processes, functional data, etc.). The numerous applications (micro-arrays, paleo- ecological data, radar waveforms, spectrometric curves, speech recognition, continuous time series, 3-D images, etc.) in various fields (biology, econometrics, environmetrics, the food industry, medical sciences, paper industry, etc.) make researching this statistical topic very worthwhile. This book gathers important contributions on the functional and operatorial statistics fields.

New technologies allow us to handle increasingly large datasets, while monitoring devices are becoming ever more sophisticated. This high-tech progress produces statistical units sampled over finer and finer grids. As the measurement points become closer, the data can be considered as observations varying over a continuum. This intrinsic continuous data (called functional data) can be found in various fields of science, including biomechanics, chemometrics, econometrics, environmetrics, geophysics, medicine, etc. The failure of standard multivariate statistics to analyze such functional data has led the statistical community to develop appropriate statistical methodologies, called Functional Data Analysis (FDA). Today, FDA is certainly one of the most motivating and popular statistical topics due to its impact on crucial societal issues (health, environment, etc). This is why the FDA statistical community is rapidly growing, as are the statistical developments . Therefore, it is necessary to organize regular meetings in order to provide a state-of-art review of the recent advances in this fascinating area. This book collects selected and extended papers presented at the second International Workshop of Functional and Operatorial Statistics (Santander, Spain, 16-18 June, 2011), in which many outstanding experts on FDA will present the most relevant advances in this pioneering statistical area. Undoubtedly, these proceedings will be an essential resource for academic researchers, master students, engineers, and practitioners not only in statistics but also in numerous related fields of application. "

New technologies allow us to handle increasingly large datasets, while monitoring devices are becoming ever more sophisticated. This high-tech progress produces statistical units sampled over finer and finer grids. As the measurement points become closer, the data can be considered as observations varying over a continuum. This intrinsic continuous data (called functional data) can be found in various fields of science, including biomechanics, chemometrics, econometrics, environmetrics, geophysics, medicine, etc. The failure of standard multivariate statistics to analyze such functional data has led the statistical community to develop appropriate statistical methodologies, called Functional Data Analysis (FDA). Today, FDA is certainly one of the most motivating and popular statistical topics due to its impact on crucial societal issues (health, environment, etc). This is why the FDA statistical community is rapidly growing, as are the statistical developments . Therefore, it is necessary to organize regular meetings in order to provide a state-of-art review of the recent advances in this fascinating area. This book collects selected and extended papers presented at the second International Workshop of Functional and Operatorial Statistics (Santander, Spain, 16-18 June, 2011), in which many outstanding experts on FDA will present the most relevant advances in this pioneering statistical area. Undoubtedly, these proceedings will be an essential resource for academic researchers, master students, engineers, and practitioners not only in statistics but also in numerous related fields of application. "

An increasing number of statistical problems and methods involve infinite-dimensional aspects. This is due to the progress of technologies which allow us to store more and more information while modern instruments are able to collect data much more effectively due to their increasingly sophisticated design. This evolution directly concerns statisticians, who have to propose new methodologies while taking into account such high-dimensional data (e.g. continuous processes, functional data, etc.). The numerous applications (micro-arrays, paleo- ecological data, radar waveforms, spectrometric curves, speech recognition, continuous time series, 3-D images, etc.) in various fields (biology, econometrics, environmetrics, the food industry, medical sciences, paper industry, etc.) make researching this statistical topic very worthwhile. This book gathers important contributions on the functional and operatorial statistics fields.

Modern apparatuses allow us to collect samples of functional data, mainly curves but also images. On the other hand, nonparametric statistics produces useful tools for standard data exploration. This book links these two fields of modern statistics by explaining how functional data can be studied through parameter-free statistical ideas. At the same time it shows how functional data can be studied through parameter-free statistical ideas, and offers an original presentation of new nonparametric statistical methods for functional data analysis.