WIREs Computational Statistics is a major new scientific publication that supports the information needs of researchers in this field and helps to shape its future development. Its goals are: to present the current state of the art of Computational Statistics through an ongoing series of commissioned reviews written by leading researchers; to capture the crucial interdisciplinary flavor of this field by including articles that address the key topics from the differing perspectives of statistics and computing, and including potential applications areas in technology, biology, physics, geography, and sociology; to capture the rapid development of Computational Statistics through a systematic program of content updates; and to encourage new participation in this field by presenting its achievements and challenges in an accessible way to a broad audience.