EDITORIAL
25th Anniversary of a Classic Paper This past month marked the 25th anniversary of the publication in ANALYTICAL C H E M I S T R Y of Abraham Savitzky and Marcel Golay's classic paper describing a smoothing algorithm that permits reduction of random noise from measured spectra (Anal. Chem. 1964,36, 1627-39). In this issue's FOCUS article Abraham Savitzky provides the historic background for the writing of this important paper, which ushered in the use of data-processing and digital computer techniques that have had a profound effect on analytical chemistry. This collaboration between a chemist and an electrical engineer provided procedures that for the first time could be understood and used by mathematically unsophisticated chemists. The field has grown dramatically since this landmark paper was published, and today's chemometrics plays a vital role in most aspects of analytical chemistry. The Savitzky-Golay algorithm, in all its simplicity, is sometimes overlooked in today's world of gigaflop machines and data-processing techniques that border on artificial intelligence. Perhaps we
should all reexamine our data-massaging algorithms. Those that bludgeon our data into submission can often be replaced by shorter and faster ones. The simpler procedures, although usually considered less sophisticated, can provide information closer to the spirit of the raw data. We might then put all that computing power to better use in other applications. As this FOCUS article was being prepared, we learned of the sudden death on April 27 of Marcel Golay shortly before his 87th birthday. The memorial to Dr. Golay in this issue describes his many important contributions to a broad scope of scientific areas. His landmark contributions to chromatography, spectroscopy, data processing, and image analysis have had a tremendous impact on the field of analytical chemistry. Few scientists can claim such a fruitful career, and he will be sorely missed.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 61, NO. 15, AUGUST 1, 1989 · 885 A
