"Wavelets were developed independently by mathematicians, quantum physicists, electrical engineers and geologists, but collaborations among these fields during the last decade have led to new and varied applications. What are wavelets, and why might they be useful to you? The fundamental idea behind wavelets is to analyze according to scale. Indeed, some researchers feel that using wavelets means adopting a whole new mind-set or perspective in processing data. Wavelets are functions that satisfy certain mathematical requirements and are used in representing data or other functions."