This book presents the recent theoretical advances and applications of the Dezert-Smarandache Theory (DSmT) of plausible and paradoxical reasoning for information fusion. DSmT proposes a new mathematical framework to deal with the combination of uncertain, imprecise and highly conflicting sources of information expressed in terms of generalized basic belief functions. DSmT works beyond the limits of the Dempster-Shafer Theory and proposes a new general rule of combination which does not require a normalization step and works with any models (free DSm, hybrid DSm and Shafer's model) whatever the degree of conflict between sources is. The DSmT is well adapted for static and dynamic fusion problematics and allows to work on any finite frames (discrete, continuous and/or hybrid). Therefore it can combine belief functions even if the refinement of the frame of discernment is inaccessible because of the vague, relative, and imprecise intrinsic nature of its elements. Part 1 of this book presents in details the last investigations on DSmT but also some related theoretical works with other approaches for information fusion. Part 2 of the book presents interesting applications of DSmT for solving both academic fusion problems and real-world fusion problems.

Collected works are by S. Corgne, F. Dambreville, M. Daniel, D. De Brucq, J. Dezert, M. Farooq, L. Hubert-Moy, A.-L. Jousselme, S. Kadambe, M. Khoshnevisan, P. D. Konstantinova, P. Maupin, G. Mercier, T. A. Semerdjiev, F. Smarandache, H. Sun, A. P. Tchamova.

The book has been launched in June at the Fusion 2004 Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

A second volume about new applications and developments of DSmT (Dezert-Smarandache Theory of plausible, uncertain, and paradoxist information) will be published next year. Anybody is invited to contribute papers or chapters for this second collective book. Deadline: Fall 2005.

Contributed papers should be sent to Dr. Jean Dezert ([email protected], [email protected], ONERA - French National Establishment for Aerospace Research, BP 72 F-92322, Chatillon Cedex, France) and Prof. Florentin Smarandache ([email protected], University of New Mexico, 200 College Road, Gallup, NM 87301, USA).