In the world of mathematics, the study of fuzzy relations and its theories are well-documented and a staple in the area of calculative methods. What many researchers and scientists overlook is how fuzzy theory can be applied to industries outside of arithmetic. The framework of fuzzy logic is much broader than professionals realize. There is a lack of research on the full potential this theoretical model can reach. Emerging Applications of Fuzzy Algebraic Structures provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of fuzzy set theory and its real-life applications within the fields of engineering and science. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as complex systems, topological spaces, and linear transformations, this book is ideally designed for academicians, professionals, and students seeking current research on innovations in fuzzy logic in algebra and other matrices.

In recent years, substantial efforts are being made in the development of reliability theory including fuzzy reliability theories and their applications to various real-life problems. Fuzzy set theory is widely used in decision making and multi criteria such as management and engineering, as well as other important domains in order to evaluate the uncertainty of real-life systems. Fuzzy reliability has proven to have effective tools and techniques based on real set theory for proposed models within various engineering fields, and current research focuses on these applications. Advancements in Fuzzy Reliability Theory introduces the concept of reliability fuzzy set theory including various methods, techniques, and algorithms. The chapters present the latest findings and research in fuzzy reliability theory applications in engineering areas. While examining the implementation of fuzzy reliability theory among various industries such as mining, construction, automobile, engineering, and more, this book is ideal for engineers, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in fuzzy reliability theory applications in engineering areas.

Modern applications of logic, in mathematics, theoretical computer science, and linguistics, require combined systems involving many different logics working together. In this book the author offers a basic methodology for combining - or fibring - systems. This means that many existing complex systems can be broken down into simpler components, hence making them much easier to manipulate.

Although several books or monographs on multiobjective optimization under uncertainty have been published, there seems to be no book which starts with an introductory chapter of linear programming and is designed to incorporate both fuzziness and randomness into multiobjective programming in a unified way. In this book, five major topics, linear programming, multiobjective programming, fuzzy programming, stochastic programming, and fuzzy stochastic programming, are presented in a comprehensive manner. Especially, the last four topics together comprise the main characteristics of this book, and special stress is placed on interactive decision making aspects of multiobjective programming for human-centered systems in most realistic situations under fuzziness and/or randomness.

Organization of each chapter is briefly summarized as follows: Chapter 2 is a concise and condensed description of the theory of linear programming and its algorithms. Chapter 3 discusses fundamental notions and methods of multiobjective linear programming and concludes with interactive multiobjective linear programming. In Chapter 4, starting with clear explanations of fuzzy linear programming and fuzzy multiobjective linear programming, interactive fuzzy multiobjective linear programming is presented. Chapter 5 gives detailed explanations of fundamental notions and methods of stochastic programming including two-stage programming and chance constrained programming. Chapter 6 develops several interactive fuzzy programming approaches to multiobjective stochastic programming problems. Applications to purchase and transportation planning for food retailing are considered in Chapter 7.

The book is self-contained because of the three appendices and answers to problems. Appendix A contains a brief summary of the topics from linear algebra. Pertinent results from nonlinear programming are summarized in Appendix B. Appendix C is a clear explanation of the Excel Solver, one of the easiest ways to solve optimization problems, through the use of simple examples of linear and nonlinear programming.

'Rough Computing' explores the application of rough set theory, which has attracted attention because of the ability to enhance databases by allowing for the management of uncertainty, a comparative analysis between rough sets, and other intelligent data analysis.

This book addresses the basics of interval/fuzzy set theory, artificial neural networks (ANN) and computational methods. It presents step-by-step modeling for application problems along with simulation and numerical solutions. In general, every science and engineering problem is inherently biased by uncertainty, and there is often a need to model, solve and interpret problems in the world of uncertainty. At the same time, exact information about models and parameters of practical applications is usually not known and precise values do not exist. This book discusses uncertainty in both data and models. It consists of seven chapters covering various aspects of fuzzy uncertainty in application problems, such as shallow water wave equations, static structural problems, robotics, radon diffusion in soil, risk of invasive alien species and air quality quantification. These problems are handled by means of advanced computational and fuzzy theory along with machine intelligence when the uncertainties involved are fuzzy. The proposed computational methods offer new fuzzy computing methods that help other areas of knowledge construction where inexact information is present.

The book provides the first full length exploration of fuzzy computability. It describes the notion of fuzziness and present the foundation of computability theory. It then presents the various approaches to fuzzy computability. This text provides a glimpse into the different approaches in this area, which is important for researchers in order to have a clear view of the field. It contains a detailed literature review and the author includes all proofs to make the presentation accessible. Ideas for future research and explorations are also provided. Students and researchers in computer science and mathematics will benefit from this work.

Fuzzy Logic in Management demonstrates that difficult problems and changes in the management environment can be more easily handled by bringing fuzzy logic into the practice of management. This explicit theme is developed through the book as follows: Chapter 1, "Management and Intelligent Support Technologies," is a short survey of management leadership and what can be gained from support technologies. Chapter 2, "Fuzzy Sets and Fuzzy Logic," provides a short introduction to fuzzy sets, fuzzy relations, the extension principle, fuzzy implications and linguistic variables. Chapter 3, "Group Decision Support Systems," deals with group decision making, and discusses methods for supporting the consensus reaching processes. Chapter 4, "Fuzzy Real Options for Strategic Planning," summarizes research where the fuzzy real options theory was implemented as a series of models. These models were thoroughly tested on a number of real life investments, and validated in 2001. Chapter 5, "Soft Computing Methods for Reducing the Bullwhip Effect," summarizes research work focused on the demand fluctuations in supply chains. The program enhanced existing theoretical frameworks with fuzzy logic modeling. Chapter 6, "Knowledge Management," outlines the collection, storing, transfer and management of knowledge using fuzzy logic. The principles are worked out in detail with software agents. Chapter 7, "Mobile Technology Application," introduces various applications including empirical facts and how mobile technology can be supported with software agents.

Implicitly the book develops themes that successful companies should use to (1) master effectiveness and quality in both the details and the whole, (2) build on and work with flexibility, and (3) support continuous learning in both the organizational and the individual level.

The concept of fuzziness, inspired by Zadeh (1965), brings us fruitful results when it is applied to problems in decision making. Recently, problems in fuzzy decision making are getting more complex, and one of the most complex fac tors is dynamics in systems. Dynamical approach to fuzzy decision making has been proposed by Bellman and Zadeh's celebrated paper "Decision-making in a fuzzy environment" (1970). The idea has developed into fuzzy mathemati cal programming and has been applied in many fields including management science, operations research, control theory, engineering, systems analysis, computer science, mathematical finance etc. Dynamic programming, advo cated in Bellmans book "Dynamic programming" (1957), is one of the most powerful tools to deal with dynamics in systems, and Bellman and Zadeh has proposed the optimality principle in fuzzy decision making by (1970) introducing fuzzy dynamic programming. Fuzzy dynamic programming and fuzzy mathematical programming has been making remakable progress after they were given life by Bellman and Zadeh's paper (1970). In this volume, various kinds of dynamics, not only time but also structure of systems, are considered. This volume contains ten reviewed papers, which deal with dynamics in theory and applications and whose topics are poten tially related to dynamics and are expected to develope dynamical study in near future. first, fuzzy dynamic programming is reviewed from a viewpoint of its origin and consider its developement in theory and applications."

Fuzzy sets were first proposed by Lotfi Zadeh in his seminal paper [366] in 1965, and ever since have been a center of many discussions, fervently admired and condemned. Both proponents and opponents consider the argu ments pointless because none of them would step back from their territory. And stiH, discussions burst out from a single sparkle like a conference pa per or a message on some fuzzy-mail newsgroup. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail messagepostedin1993tofuzzy-mail@vexpert. dbai. twvien. ac. at. by somebody who signed "Dave". , . . . Why then the "logic" in "fuzzy logic"? I don't think anyone has successfully used fuzzy sets for logical inference, nor do I think anyone wiH. In my admittedly neophyte opinion, "fuzzy logic" is a misnomer, an oxymoron. (1 would be delighted to be proven wrong on that. ) . . . I carne to the fuzzy literature with an open mind (and open wal let), high hopes and keen interest. I am very much disiHusioned with "fuzzy" per se, but I did happen across some extremely interesting things along the way. " Dave, thanks for the nice quote! Enthusiastic on the surface, are not many of us suspicious deep down? In some books and journals the word fuzzy is religiously avoided: fuzzy set theory is viewed as a second-hand cheap trick whose aim is nothing else but to devalue good classical theories and open up the way to lazy ignorants and newcomers.

This volume is a compilation of the best papers presented at the First International Symposium on Fuzzy and Rough Sets (ISFUROS 2006) held in Santa Clara, Cuba. They contain valuable contributions both in the theoretical field and in several application domains such as intelligent control, data analysis, decision making and machine learning, just to name a few. Together, they capture the huge potential of the aforementioned methodologies.

Observations of uncertainty in measured data with time improves forecasting capability in a wide range of fields in engineering. This book provides an introduction to uncertainty forecasting based on fuzzy time series. It details descriptive, modeling, and forecasting methods for fuzzy time series. Coverage places emphasis on forecasting based on fuzzy random processes as well as forecasting involving fuzzy neuronal networks.

The present book deals with coalition games in which expected pay-offs are only vaguely known. In fact, this idea about vagueness of expectations ap pears to be adequate to real situations in which the coalitional bargaining anticipates a proper realization of the game with a strategic behaviour of players. The vagueness being present in the expectations of profits is mod elled by means of the theory of fuzzy set and fuzzy quantities. The fuzziness of decision-making and strategic behaviour attracts the attention of mathematicians and its particular aspects are discussed in sev eral works. One can mention in this respect in particular the book "Fuzzy and Multiobjective Games for Conflict Resolution" by Ichiro Nishizaki and Masatoshi Sakawa (referred below as 43]) which has recently appeared in the series Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing published by Physica-Verlag in which the present book is also apperaing. That book, together with the one you carry in your hands, form in a certain sense a complementary pair. They present detailed views on two main aspects forming the core of game theory: strategic (mostly 2-person) games, and coalitional (or cooperative) games. As a pair they offer quite a wide overview of fuzzy set theoretical approaches to game theoretical models of human behaviour."

Intelligent Hybrid Systems: Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, and Genetic Algorithms is an organized edited collection of contributed chapters covering basic principles, methodologies, and applications of fuzzy systems, neural networks and genetic algorithms. All chapters are original contributions by leading researchers written exclusively for this volume. This book reviews important concepts and models, and focuses on specific methodologies common to fuzzy systems, neural networks and evolutionary computation. The emphasis is on development of cooperative models of hybrid systems. Included are applications related to intelligent data analysis, process analysis, intelligent adaptive information systems, systems identification, nonlinear systems, power and water system design, and many others. Intelligent Hybrid Systems: Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, and Genetic Algorithms provides researchers and engineers with up-to-date coverage of new results, methodologies and applications for building intelligent systems capable of solving large-scale problems.

Uncertainty theory is a branch of mathematics based on normality, monotonicity, self-duality, countable subadditivity, and product measure axioms. Uncertainty is any concept that satisfies the axioms of uncertainty theory. Thus uncertainty is neither randomness nor fuzziness. It is also known from some surveys that a lot of phenomena do behave like uncertainty. How do we model uncertainty? How do we use uncertainty theory? In order to answer these questions, this book provides a self-contained, comprehensive and up-to-date presentation of uncertainty theory, including uncertain programming, uncertain risk analysis, uncertain reliability analysis, uncertain process, uncertain calculus, uncertain differential equation, uncertain logic, uncertain entailment, and uncertain inference. Mathematicians, researchers, engineers, designers, and students in the field of mathematics, information science, operations research, system science, industrial engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, finance, control, and management science will find this work a stimulating and useful reference.

Applications of Soft Computing have recently increased and methodological development has been strong. The book is a collection of new interesting industrial applications introduced by several research groups and industrial partners. It describes the principles and results of industrial applications of Soft Computing methods and introduces new possibilities to gain technical and economic benefits by using this methodology. The book shows how fuzzy logic and neural networks have been used in the Finnish paper and metallurgical industries putting emphasis on processes, applications and technical and economic results.

Mathematical Principles of Fuzzy Logic provides a systematic study of the formal theory of fuzzy logic. The book is based on logical formalism demonstrating that fuzzy logic is a well-developed logical theory. It includes the theory of functional systems in fuzzy logic, providing an explanation of what can be represented, and how, by formulas of fuzzy logic calculi. It also presents a more general interpretation of fuzzy logic within the environment of other proper categories of fuzzy sets stemming either from the topos theory, or even generalizing the latter. This book presents fuzzy logic as the mathematical theory of vagueness as well as the theory of commonsense human reasoning, based on the use of natural language, the distinguishing feature of which is the vagueness of its semantics.

As we stand at the precipice of the twenty first century the ability to capture and transmit copious amounts of information is clearly a defining feature of the human race. In order to increase the value of this vast supply of information we must develop means for effectively processing it. Newly emerging disciplines such as Information Engineering and Soft Computing are being developed in order to provide the tools required. Conferences such as the International Conference on Information Processing and ManagementofUncertainty in Knowledge-based Systems (IPMU) are being held to provide forums in which researchers can discuss the latest developments. The recent IPMU conference held at La Sorbonne in Paris brought together some of the world's leading experts in uncertainty and information fusion. In this volume we have included a selection ofpapers from this conference. What should be clear from looking at this volume is the number of different ways that are available for representing uncertain information. This variety in representational frameworks is a manifestation of the different types of uncertainty that appear in the information available to the users. Perhaps, the representation with the longest history is probability theory. This representation is best at addressing the uncertainty associated with the occurrence of different values for similar variables. This uncertainty is often described as randomness. Rough sets can be seen as a type of uncertainty that can deal effectively with lack of specificity, it is a powerful tool for manipulating granular information.

Fuzzy Logic has gained increasing acceptance as a way to deal with complexity and uncertainty in many areas of science and engineering. This book is the first to address its practical applications to chemical systems. Ten distinguished authors discuss the role of fuzzy logic in the characterization of a variety of chemical concepts, including chirality, quantum systems, molecular engineering and design, and hierarchical classification methods. Fuzzy Logic in Chemistry will appeal to both students and professionals who are seeking to learn more about theory and applications in an area of growing importance to the physical sciences.
Key Features
* The first book on the applications of fuzzy logic in chemistry
* Covers a topic relevant to many disciplines, including molecular design
* Discusses applications of fuzzy logic to the physical sciences, a rapidly growing area
* Features chapters from highly distinguished authors in the physical sciences

Mathematics of Fuzzy Sets: Logic, Topology and Measure Theory is a major attempt to provide much-needed coherence for the mathematics of fuzzy sets. Much of this book is new material required to standardize this mathematics, making this volume a reference tool with broad appeal as well as a platform for future research. Fourteen chapters are organized into three parts: mathematical logic and foundations (Chapters 1-2), general topology (Chapters 3-10), and measure and probability theory (Chapters 11-14). Chapter 1 deals with non-classical logics and their syntactic and semantic foundations. Chapter 2 details the lattice-theoretic foundations of image and preimage powerset operators. Chapters 3 and 4 lay down the axiomatic and categorical foundations of general topology using lattice-valued mappings as a fundamental tool. Chapter 3 focuses on the fixed-basis case, including a convergence theory demonstrating the utility of the underlying axioms. Chapter 4 focuses on the more general variable-basis case, providing a categorical unification of locales, fixed-basis topological spaces, and variable-basis compactifications. Chapter 5 relates lattice-valued topologies to probabilistic topological spaces and fuzzy neighborhood spaces. Chapter 6 investigates the important role of separation axioms in lattice-valued topology from the perspective of space embedding and mapping extension problems, while Chapter 7 examines separation axioms from the perspective of Stone-Cech-compactification and Stone-representation theorems. Chapters 8 and 9 introduce the most important concepts and properties of uniformities, including the covering and entourage approaches and the basic theory of precompact orcomplete [0,1]-valued uniform spaces. Chapter 10 sets out the algebraic, topological, and uniform structures of the fundamentally important fuzzy real line and fuzzy unit interval. Chapter 11 lays the foundations of generalized measure theory and representation by Markov kernels. Chapter 12 develops the important theory of conditioning operators with applications to measure-free conditioning. Chapter 13 presents elements of pseudo-analysis with applications to the Hamilton&endash;Jacobi equation and optimization problems. Chapter 14 surveys briefly the fundamentals of fuzzy random variables which are [0,1]-valued interpretations of random sets.

Fuzzy logic is a recent revolutionary technology' which has brought together researchers from mathematics, engineering, computer science, cognitive and behavioral sciences, etc. The work in fuzzy technology at the Laboratory for International Fuzzy Engineering (LIFE) has been specifically applied to engineering problems. This book reflects the results of the work that has been undertaken at LIFE with chapters treating the following topical areas: Decision Support Systems, Intelligent Plant Operations Support, Fuzzy Modeling and Process Control, System Design, Image Understanding, Behavior Decisions for Mobile Robots, the Fuzzy Computer, and Fuzzy Neuro Systems. The book is a thorough analysis of research which has been implemented in the areas of fuzzy engineering technology. The analysis can be used to improve these specific applications or, perhaps more importantly, to investigate more sophisticated fuzzy control applications.

Approximate reasoning is a key motivation in fuzzy sets and possibility theory. This volume provides a coherent view of this field, and its impact on database research and information retrieval. First, the semantic foundations of approximate reasoning are presented. Special emphasis is given to the representation of fuzzy rules and specialized types of approximate reasoning. Then syntactic aspects of approximate reasoning are surveyed and the algebraic underpinnings of fuzzy consequence relations are presented and explained. The second part of the book is devoted to inductive and neuro-fuzzy methods for learning fuzzy rules. It also contains new material on the application of possibility theory to data fusion. The last part of the book surveys the growing literature on fuzzy information systems. Each chapter contains extensive bibliographical material. Fuzzy Sets in Approximate Reasoning and Information Systems is a major source of information for research scholars and graduate students in computer science and artificial intelligence, interested in human information processing.

Since their inception, fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic became popular. The reason is that the very idea of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic attacks an old tradition in science, namely bivalent (black-or-white, all-or-none) judg ment and reasoning and the thus resulting approach to formation of scientific theories and models of reality. The idea of fuzzy logic, briefly speaking, is just the opposite of this tradition: instead of full truth and falsity, our judgment and reasoning also involve intermediate truth values. Application of this idea to various fields has become known under the term fuzzy approach (or graded truth approach). Both prac tice (many successful engineering applications) and theory (interesting nontrivial contributions and broad interest of mathematicians, logicians, and engineers) have proven the usefulness of fuzzy approach. One of the most successful areas of fuzzy methods is the application of fuzzy relational modeling. Fuzzy relations represent formal means for modeling of rather nontrivial phenomena (reasoning, decision, control, knowledge extraction, systems analysis and design, etc. ) in the pres ence of a particular kind of indeterminacy called vagueness. Models and methods based on fuzzy relations are often described by logical formulas (or by natural language statements that can be translated into logical formulas). Therefore, in order to approach these models and methods in an appropriate formal way, it is desirable to have a general theory of fuzzy relational systems with basic connections to (formal) language which enables us to describe relationships in these systems."