WAVELET PROCESSING AND OPTICS

Fourier optics has offered a powerful global information analysis and processing tool to optical domain signals and images and firmly locked its respectable position in the history of optics. The evolution of w avelet theory in the past decade, which has created significant impact s on many areas of information science and engineering, has recently b een frequently mentioned in optics community. Whether or not this loca lity-oriented signal analysis and processing tool can play a comparabl y significant role in optics remains to be answered. The present paper is intended to summarize important developments and recent progress i n areas where novel wavelet processing concepts are incorporated into optics research.