This text 1s designed to introduce the fundamentals of esti mation to engineers, scientists, and applied mathematicians. The level of the presentation should be accessible to senior under graduates and should prove especially well-suited as a self study guide for practicing professionals. My primary motivation for writing this book 1s to make a significant contribution toward minimizing the painful process most newcomers must go through in digesting and applying the theory. Thus the treatment 1s intro ductory and essence-oriented rather than comprehensive. While some original material 1s...