This volume contains selected papers from WIRN VIETRI-97, the 9th Italian Workshop on Neural Nets, held Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Italy, from 22-24 May 1997. The papers cover a variety of topics related to neural networks, including pattern recognition, signal processing, theoretical models, applications in science and industry, virtual reality, fuzzy systems, and software algorithms. = By providing the reader with a comprehensive overview of recent research work in this area, the volume makes an invaluab le contribution to the Perspectives in Neural Computing Series. Neural Nets - WIRN VIETRI-97 will provide invaluable reading material for anyone who needs to keep up to date with the latest developments in neural networks and related areas. It will be of particular interest to academic and industrial researchers, and postgraduate and graduate students.