Plenary Lecture:

Statistical Kernel Estimators for Data Analysis and Exploration Tasks – Theory and Applications

Professor Piotr Kulczycki
Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
ul. Newelska 6, PL-01-447 Warsaw, Poland
E-mail: kulczycki@ibspan.waw.pl
Cracow University of Technology
Head of Department of Automatic Control
ul. Warszawska 24, PL-31-155 Cracow, Poland
E-mail: kulczycki@pk.edu.pl

Abstract: At present, statistical kernel estimators constitute the dominant – in practice – method of nonparametric estimation. It allows the useful characterization of probability distributions without arbitrary assumptions regarding their membership to a fixed class. In this lecture their use to the basic tasks of data analysis and exploration, i.e. identification of outliers, clustering, and classification, will be considered. In every case the final result will be an algorithm ensuring that its practical implementation does not demand of the user detailed knowledge of the theoretical aspects, or laborious research and calculations. The above presented theory has been successfully applied to various practical problems of engineering and management. Two of these, the design of a fault detection and diagnosis system for automatic control purposes, and a marketing support strategy for a mobile phone operator, will be demonstrated in details. Useful procedures for the reduction of dimensionality and size of a random sample, subordinated to the specificity of kernel estimators, will also be commented.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Piotr Kulczycki graduated with a Master’s degree in Control Engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology, and a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics (with honours) from the Jagiellonian University in 1983 and 1987, respectively. He then received the scientific degrees of Ph.D. and D.Sc. (habilitation) in Control Engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology in 1991 and 1999, respectively, followed by the title of Professor in Technical Sciences at the Systems Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2005. He presently holds the professor positions at the Systems Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences as well as the Cracow University of Technology, where he is the Head of the Department of Control Engineering. He has held the position of visiting professor at the Aalborg University and has given guest lectures at the Technical University of Budapest, the Helsinki University of Technology, the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and the Tampere University of Technology.
Prof. Kulczycki has published 4 books and monographs and around 100 scientific works in reputable journals and international conference proceedings. These works have been quoted many times. He has also participated in 7 scientific research projects, 4 of which were conducted by international teams. The field of his scientific activity to date is the applicational aspects of information technology and data analysis and mining, mostly connected with the use of modern statistical methods and fuzzy logic in diverse issues of contemporary systems research and control engineering. He has also carried out research on artificial neural networks and the theory of differential equations. His avocational interests are centred on ancient and Napoleonic history, as well as classical music, gardening, and international tourism.