This book provides a reference guide for researchers, scientists and industrialists working in the area of soft computing, and highlights the latest advances in and applications of soft computing techniques in multidisciplinary areas. Gathering papers presented at the International Conference on Soft Computing: Theories and Applications (SoCTA 2016), which was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, on December 28–30, 2016, it focuses on applying soft computing to solve real-life problems arising in various domains, from medical and healthcare to supply chain management, image processing and cryptanalysis.

The term soft computing represents an umbrella term for computational techniques like fuzzy logic, neural networks and nature inspired algorithms. In the past few decades, there has been an exponential rise in the application of soft computing techniques to address complex and intricate problems in diverse spheres of life. The versatility of these techniques has made them a favourite among scientists and researchers alike.