Information Retrieval: Algorithms and Heuristics (The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science, 461)

Information Retrieval: Algorithms and Heuristics is a comprehensive introduction to the study of information retrieval covering both effectiveness and run-time performance. The focus of the presentation is on algorithms and heuristics used to find documents relevant to the user request and to find them fast. Through multiple examples, the most commonly used algorithms and heuristics needed are tackled. To facilitate understanding and applications, introductions to and discussions of computational linguistics, natural language processing, probability theory and library and computer science are provided. While this text focuses on algorithms and not on commercial product per se, the basic strategies used by many commercial products are described. Techniques that can be used to find information on the Web, as well as in other large information collections, are included.
This volume is an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and students working in information retrieval and databases. For instructors, a set of Powerpoint slides, including speaker notes, are available online from the authors.

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This is a book that has great breadth and depth a ] . If you are a computer science student a ] this is an excellent textbook. It has comprehensive coverage of different approaches a ] . Headings are relevant to the content and the language used is clear and concise. This makes it a good reference to look up a ] . For those of you directly involved in the exploration of different approaches to algorithmic search a ] this book would be invaluable." (Melanie Kendell, Informer, Issue 17, Winter 2005/2006)