Stereology

The Second International Congress for Stereology, again, has brought together scientists from very diverse discipl ines for discussion of problems concerning the recognition of three-dimensional structure, problems which confront those who study materials, rocks, biological systems or heavenly bodies. The program was organized into sessions each dealing with a special type of structural problem regardless of systems in the study of which these problems occur. Since all natural sciences have similar structural questions to investigate, discourses among biologists, metallurgists etc. were intense. Subject areas were not separated during the Congress. No concurrent sessions were held. Each participant had the opportunity to hear every paper. This re sulted in an unusually high attendance. During the last session, after five and a half days of intense work almost half the participants were still present in the lecture hall. Each of us was fascinated with what he was able to learn from fellow stereologists who studied different sectors of nature. Friendshipswere establ ished across oceans and across discipl inary boundaries. Each session was introduced by a key-note lecture didactical, meth odological and theoretical in nature. These key-note lectures can be recognized in this volume by their greater length, 12 pages being allotted to each key-note speaker. Collectively they constitute al most a textbook of stereology. Contributed papers in each problem category deal with appl ications.