Search results for "Fuzzy sets"
showing 10 items of 43 documents
Fuzziness: Came for the View, Stayed for the Same
2013
The first time I came across Fuzzy Sets, my first point of contact with Soft Computing, I was a young and inexperienced student of Computer Science in my hometown University. I had just completed the first semester, and as an aside of an image processing curriculum a loud-spoken, very kinetic lecturer spent a couple of hours introducing us to the mysteries of the idea of degree and Fuzzy arithmetic. The whole thing had a sort of secret sect bent, something like the secret tools that the powers to be don’t want you to know and use – a probably unwitting attitude I have seen many times in the community and that has harmed more than helped, but that on an unexperienced and young student as mys…
Fuzzy Set Theory as a methodological bridge between hard science and humanities
2014
In this paper, we will investigate the possible role of fuzzy set theory (FST), and more generally the ensemble of technologies and theoretical approaches known as soft computing, as a method- ological bridge between hard sciences and humanities. We will try, building on previous works, to investigate the “family links” between these disciplines and show how FST may be of help in promoting a connection between the “two cultures”. We will discuss Carnap and his paradox of explication, the dilemma between imagination and rigor according to Bateson, the problem of interdisciplinarity, and the consequences of precision and exactness.
A very brief history of soft computing: Fuzzy Sets, artificial Neural Networks and Evolutionary Computation
2013
This paper gives a brief presentation of history of Soft Computing considered as a mix of three scientific disciplines that arose in the mid of the 20th century: Fuzzy Sets and Systems, Neural Networks, and Evolutionary Computation. The paper shows the genesis and the historical development of the three disciplines and also their meeting in a coalition in the 1990s.
A theory of spatial general equilibrium in a fuzzy economy
1984
Let an economic space be characterized by the existence of a given distribution of locations, i.e. consumers' residential locations and producers' plants. It is equipped with a system of prices. The economy is fuzzy because the economic behaviors of agents are imprecise. In this context, spatial partial equilibria theories are applications of a fuzzy economic calculation model. The aim of the present paper is to study the conditions which must be fulfilled in order that the compatibility of consumers' equilibria and producers' equilibria be verified. Mathematical tools are Butnariu's theorems which extend the Brouwer's and Kakutani's theorems to the cases of fuzzy functions and fuzzy point-…
Some reflections on Fuzzy Set Theory as an Experimental Science
2014
The aim of this paper is to open a critical discussion on the claim, recently presented in the community and especially heralded by Enric Trillas, that fuzzy logic should be seen as an “experimental science”. The first interesting aspect of such remark is whether and in which way such position has consequences on the real development of the research, or if it is simply a (different) way of looking at the same phenomenon. As a consequence, we investigate the possible connection to Zadeh’s distiction between Fuzzy logic in a restricted sense and in a general sense. We shall argue that Trillas’s claim not only strongly supports the necessity for such a distinction, but provides a path of inves…
A Combined Fuzzy-SEM Evaluation Approach to Identify the Key Drivers of the Academic Library Service Quality in the Digital Technology Era: An Empiri…
2017
A conceptual model of the Academic Library (AL) service quality is hypothesized in the present article, and then validated and analyzed by a novel evaluation approach. Specifically, the conceptual model integrates the fundamental attributes of the canonical AL service together with those more relevant of the new and widely considered AL Electronic Service (e-services). As concerns the evaluation approach, it incorporates the Fuzzy Sets Theory (FST) so as to deal with the students’ uncertainty over their own judgments on the AL service quality and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to validate the conceptual model and to determine the key drivers of the AL service quality. The effectiveness o…
Critical Path Analysis with Imprecise Activities Times
2018
The aim of the paper is to present the conceptual framework related to critical path analysis with imprecise activity duration times. This article is motivated by the fact that most approaches to project planning are deterministic. In reality, the problem is accompanied by uncertainty and risk associated with dealing with imprecise data. Taking this uncertainty into account when performing analyses and calculations not only helps to better project planning, but also to expand the applicability of project scheduling methods under real-life or uncertain conditions. The major contribution of this paper is the development of a novel approach to critical path analysis in the presence of uncertai…
Fuzzy Classifier Based on Fuzzy Decision Tree
2007
A popular method for making a fuzzy decision tree for classification is Fuzzy ID3 algorithm. We introduce a new approach that uses cumulative information estimations of initial data. Based on these estimations we propose a new greedy version of fuzzy ID3 algorithm to be used to generate understandable fuzzy classification rules. The goal is to find a sequence of rules that causes near minimal classification costs.
Strategic analysis of transit service quality using fuzzy AHP methodology
2013
Customer satisfaction analyses are deeply based on customers' judgments and as consequence, they can be characterized by a certain degree of uncertainty generally ascribed to coexistence of three relevant aspects: vagueness, imprecision and subjectivity. In the present paper, a methodology able to handle such uncertainty, based on the ServQual discrepancy paradigm and that uses in combined manner the AHP method and the Fuzzy Sets Theory is proposed in order to overcome limitations of the traditional service evaluation approaches. Subsequently, by considering the Italian public transit service sector, a service quality analysis is conducted and the overall transit service quality structure i…
Marginal analysis for the fuzzy p-median problem
2008
The solutions to the fuzzy p-median problem make it possible to leave part of the demand uncovered in order to obtain significant reductions in costs. Moreover, the fuzzy formulation provides the decision-maker with many flexible solutions that he or she may prefer to the classical crisp solution. We introduce some marginal analysis techniques to study how solutions depend on membership functions. Taking into account the internal structure of the problem, we propose a practical criterion to fix the tolerances for the uncovered demand, which happens to be the most sensitive aspect of the fuzzy p-median.