Von Jörg R. J. Schirra
Pictures have to be formalized digitally in an adequate manner when computer scientists are to work with them. It is mainly the relevant physical properties of the corresponding picture vehicle that have to be considered in that formalization: that is, the picture syntax. The present special issue of IMAGE deals in particular with morphological questions taking the specific, formalizing perspective of computational visualistics. It is also intended as the attempt to offer a clear and easily understandable summary of the state of the art of research on picture morphology in computational visualistics for picture scientists of the other disciplines. As an introduction, the relations between computer science, general visualistics, syntax studies, and morphology are examined.