<DIV>This book focuses on the tools of processing and searching applicable to the content based management of new multimedia documents. Multimedia Information Retrieval (MMIR), the organic system made up of Text Retrieval (TR); Visual Retrieval (VR); Video Retrieval (VDR); and Audio Retrieval (AR) systems, has been developed to help manage the processing and searching of multimedia documents. Since each type of digital document must be analyzed and searched for by the elements of language appropriate to its nature, search criteria must be extended. Such an approach is known as the Content Based Information Retrieval (CBIR), and is the core of MMIR.<BR><BR>Translated from Italian by Giles Smith, the book is divided into two parts, with part one discussing MMIR and related theories and putting forward new methodologies. Part two reviews various experimental and operating MMIR systems and presents technical and practical conclusions.</div>