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The process by which information systems are designed, developed, tested, and maintained. The technical origins of information systems engineering can be traced to conventional information systems design and development, and the field of systems…

The field of engineering involving computer-based hardware and software systems, and communication systems, to enable the acquisition, representation, storage, transmission, and use of information. Information technology (IT) is critically dependent…

Any machine that can accomplish its specific task in the presence of uncertainty and variability in its environment. The machine's ability to monitor its environment and then adjust its actions based on what it has sensed is a prerequisite for…

Worldwide system of interconnected computer networks. The origins of the Internet can be traced to the creation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) as a network of computers under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Defense in…

Electromagnetic energy with wavelengths in free space ranging roughly from 0.1 to 100 cm, with corresponding frequencies ranging from 0.3 to 300 gigahertz (GHz). On the electromagnetic spectrum, microwaves represent the frequency band between radio…

Radio communication in which one or both ends of the communication path are movable. Mobile communications, also known as wireless communications, are conducted with transportable devices, such as cellular phones and tablet computers, that use radio…

A computer program that simulates the behavior of a set of neurons responsible for the mental activities of humans; also known as an artificial neural network (ANN). In humans and other animals, sets of a particular kind of cells, called neurons,…

The software component of a computer system that is responsible for managing and coordinating activities and sharing the resources of the computer. The operating system (OS) acts as a host for application programs that are run on the machine (see…

A member of the class of curves that are intersections of a plane with a cone of revolution. It is obtained (see illustration) when the cutting plane is parallel to an element of the cone. Conic section Parabola as (a) conic section and (b) locus…

An auxiliary variable, functions of which give the coordinates of a curve or surface. The coordinates of a curve are functions of one parameter. A curve in 3-space has parametric equations (1). 1 The coordinates of a surface are functions of two…

A type of mathematical equation used, typically, to represent curves in a plane or in space of three dimensions. In principle, however, there is no limitation to any particular number of dimensions. A parameter is actually an independent variable.…

A mathematical operation performed on functions of more than one variable. In this article only two or three variables are considered; however, the principles apply to functions of n variables, for any positive integer n > 1. If z = f(x,y), the…

A receive-only radar used for search, tracking, surveillance, identification, guidance, and mapping. The techniques used are similar to those in radiometry; passive radar could be said to be a branch of radiometry. Military applications are quite…

A scenario for the transition of a natural process from regular motion to chaos. Various natural processes develop in time in a way that depends upon prevailing environmental details. A quantity that specifies the particular state of the environment…

An interactive technology intentionally designed for the purpose of changing users' attitudes or behaviors without coercion or deception. Persuasive technology melds the fields of psychology and information/communication systems. Researchers are…

The analysis and solution of problems by the use of mental processes. Cognitive psychology, which is a branch of psychology concerned with mental activities such as learning, memory, perception, and reasoning, seeks to understand the integral…

The production of software through a progression of disciplined and controlled steps. As the need for complex, real-time, and life-critical software proliferates, there is a demand for an effective software development process that guarantees the…

A computer-generated environment that can be interacted with and experienced through ordinary human senses as if the environment were real. Virtual reality (VR) uses combinations of computer hardware and software to represent different aspects of…

A process of making physical objects directly from digital models, usually layer by layer; also known as additive manufacturing (AM). 3D printing has been hailed by many as the technology that will revolutionize how we live. As information…