A large collection is valuable only if users can find what they want, when they want it. The key issue is describing and recognising media content in a fashion that is consistent with user needs. As a result, a negotiation between user needs and technological capacity is inevitable, and a good knowledge of likely user requirements can make the difference between success and failure. Search is made easier by summarizing content.
Summarization draws mainly on transform and coding theory.
Current search tools are weak. Browsing tools can make weak search tools very useful, by making it easier to navigate from the response of a search tool to the right place in a collection. Good browsing tools are fast and responsive, and use the display to guide the user to an understanding of the local structure of the collection. Isometric embeddings of graphs and Haar measure are mathematical tools that have proven useful here. All talks are in Lind Hall 409 unless otherwise noted.