In the last decade new artificial intelligence methods for the modelling and control of complex systems, namely neural networks, fuzzy logic and probabilistic reasoning have drawn the interest of researchers and engineers. Recently, the advantages achievable by using combinations of these methods, which have independent origin and evolution, have been pointed out, generating a new paradigm which is now termed "soft-computing". This new methodology subsumes the capabilities of neural networks for modelling non-linear systems and for solving classification problems, the power of fuzzy-logic to represent approximate or heuristic reasoning and the large capabilities of evolutionary computation for problem optimisation. The book presents a clear understanding of a new type of computation system, the cellular neural network (CNN), which has been successfully applied to the solution of many heavy computation problems, mainly in the fields of image processing and complex partial differential equations. CNNs' computation-based systems represent new opportunities for improving the soft-computation toolbox. The application of soft computing to complex systems and in particular to chaotic systems with the generation of chaotic dynamics by using CNN is also described. These aspects are of particular interest owing to their growing interest for research and application purposes.Specific topics covered in the text include:- fuzzy logic, control and neural networks;- artificial neural networks and their application in the modelling and control of dynamical systems;- evolutionary optimisation algorithms;- complex dynamics and cellular neural networks;- applications in urban traffic noise monitoring, robot control and rapid thermal process systems.

This brief is a clear, concise description of the main techniques of time series analysis -stationary, autocorrelation, mutual information, fractal and multifractal analysis, chaos analysis, etc.- as they are applied to the influence of wind speed and solar radiation on the production of electrical energy from these renewable sources. The problem of implementing prediction models is addressed by using the embedding-phase-space approach: a powerful technique for the modeling of complex systems. Readers are also guided in applying the main machine learning techniques for classification of the patterns hidden in their time series and so will be able to perform statistical analyses that are not possible by using conventional techniques. The conceptual exposition avoids unnecessary mathematical details and focuses on concrete examples in order to ensure a better understanding of the proposed techniques. Results are well-illustrated by figures and tables.