Formal Concept Analysis: Theory and Applications
J.UCS Special Issue
Bernhard Ganter (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany)
ganter@math.tu-dresden.de
Gerd Stumme (Universität Kassel, Germany)
stumme@cs.uni-kassel.de
Rudolf Wille (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany)
wille@mathematik.tu-darmstadt.de
Formal Concept Analysis arose around 1980 out of attempts of restructuring
lattice theory to promote better communication between lattice theorists
and potential users of lattice theory. Since then Formal Concept Analysis
has been increasingly developed as a strong field of research stimulated
by a broad spectrum of applications. Today researchers from all over the
world contribute to Formal Concept Analysis and apply methods and results
of Formal Concept Analysis.
Although Formal Concept Analysis has increasingly become a topic at
many computer science conferences, it was only in the year 2003 when a
first international conference was set up by the editors of this
volume, that exclusively addressed Formal Concept Analysis. The First International
Conference on Formal Concept Analysis (ICFCA 2004) was held in Darmstadt,
Germany in spring 2003, and started a series of annual conferences on the
state of the art of this promising field of research and applications.
Inspired by the presentations and discussions, we decided to publish
a volume in the Springer State of the Art series, and a special issue of
the Journal of Universal Computer Science, both aiming at presenting current
research on theory and applications of Formal Concept Analysis. For the
special issue of the Journal of Universal Computer Science, we called for
extended versions of presentations of ICFCA, as well as for other high
quality submissions. In the review process, six papers were finally selected
for publication. We believe that this collection of articles illustrates
well the large spectrum of research ranging from theory to applications
of Formal Concept Analysis.
Darmstadt, Dresden, Kassel,
July, 2004
Bernhard Ganter
Gerd Stumme
Rudolf Wille
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