Question: What is the Metric Pattern Theory Collaborative?

Answer: Researchers in the Metric Pattern Theory Collaborative make use of statistical/mathematical tools in the formulation, design and evaluation of systems for performing automatic pattern recognition. Speech recognition systems and optical character readers are both examples of automatic pattern recognition.

Many of the collaborative's participants make use of a bayesian approach to pattern recognition. A key element to this approach is the definition of probability measures on the types of patterns under consideration.

However, regardless of the approach used, members of this collaborative attempt to evaluate, analyze and predict the performance of their recognizers using statistical tools and models.

-- Daniel F. Potter (dfp@dam.brown.edu), March 03, 1999

Answers

I am only slightly familiar with the MPTC, but I would like to respond to a more basic question: what is pattern theory?

Obviously, it is theory of patterns. And we all know what patterns are, don't we? But maybe patterns are a more subtle concept than most of us realize. What is a pattern? Or, better yet, what is not a pattern. I challege anyone to tell me what could possibly exist that is not a pattern. Thus, to attempt to answer my own question, patterns are existence. Pattern theory is the theory of existence.

-- Jonathan Cracraft (jonathanspacecraft@yahoo.com), July 01, 2001.