The Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) is a mathematical operator used in image processing and computer vision. It combines two operations: the Laplacian, which measures the rate of change in intensity, and the Gaussian, which smooths the image to reduce noise. The LoG is particularly effective for edge detection, as it highlights areas where there is a rapid change in intensity. In practical applications, the LoG helps identify features in images, such as edges and corners, by emphasizing transitions between different regions. This makes it useful in various fields, including medical imaging, object recognition, and facial recognition.