On the use of fuzzy inference techniques in assessment models: part I—theoretical properties

An assessment model is a mathematical model that produces a measuring index, either in the form of a numerical score or a category to a situation/object, with respect to the subject of measure. From the numerical score, decision can be made and action can be taken. To allow valid and useful comparisons among various situations/objects according to their associated numerical scores to be made, the monotone output property and the output resolution property are essential in fuzzy inference-based assessment problems. We investigate the conditions for a fuzzy assessment model to fulfill the monotone output property using a derivative approach. A guideline on how the input membership functions should be tuned is also provided. Besides, the output resolution property is defined as the derivative of the output of the assessment model with respect to its input. This derivative should be greater than the minimum resolution required. From the derivative, we suggest improvements to the output resolution property by refining the fuzzy production rules.     

Progressive Regularization of Variational Inequalities and Decomposition Algorithms

For nonsymmetric operators involved in variational inequalities, the strong monotonicity of their possibly multivalued inverse operators (referred to as the Dunn property) appears to be the weakest requirement to ensure convergence of most iterative algorithms of resolution proposed in the literature. This implies the Lipschitz property, and both properties are equivalent for symmetric operators. For Lipschitz operators, the Dunn property is weaker than strong monotonicity, but is stronger than simple monotonicity. Moreover, it is always enforced by the Moreau–Yosida regularization and it is satisfied by the resolvents of monotone operators. Therefore, algorithms should always be applied to this regularized version or they should use resolvents: in a sense, this is what is achieved in proximal and splitting methods among others. However, the operation of regularization itself or the computation of resolvents may be as complex as solving the original variational inequality. In this paper, the concept of progressive regularization is introduced and a convergent algorithm is proposed for solving variational inequalities involving nonsymmetric monotone operators. Essentially, the idea is to use the auxiliary problem principle to perform the regularization operation and, at the same time, to solve the variational inequality in its approximately regularized version; thus, two iteration processes are performed simultaneously, instead of being nested in each other, yielding a global explicit iterative scheme. Parallel and sequential versions of the algorithm are presented. A simple numerical example demonstrates the behavior of these two versions for the case where previously proposed algorithms fail to converge unless regularization or computation of a resolvent is performed at each iteration. Since the auxiliary problem principle is a general framework to obtain decomposition methods, the results presented here extend the class of problems for which decomposition methods can be used.     

一类模糊不动点定理及其应用

在半序模糊距离空间中,讨论了一类单调模糊映射的性质,并且把其应用于研究RegularFNN和解模糊方程.     

Exact inversion of decomposable interval type-2 fuzzy logic systems

It has been demonstrated that type-2 fuzzy logic systems are much more powerful tools than ordinary (type-1) fuzzy logic systems to represent highly nonlinear and/or uncertain systems. As a consequence, type-2 fuzzy logic systems have been applied in various areas especially in control system design and modelling. In this study, an exact inversion methodology is developed for decomposable interval type-2 fuzzy logic system. In this context, the decomposition property is extended and generalized to interval type-2 fuzzy logic sets. Based on this property, the interval type-2 fuzzy logic system is decomposed into several interval type-2 fuzzy logic subsystems under a certain condition on the input space of the fuzzy logic system. Then, the analytical formulation of the inverse interval type-2 fuzzy logic subsystem output is explicitly driven for certain switching points of the Karnik–Mendel type reduction method. The proposed exact inversion methodology driven for the interval type-2 fuzzy logic subsystem is generalized to the overall interval type-2 fuzzy logic system via the decomposition property. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology, a simulation study is given where the beneficial sides of the proposed exact inversion methodology are shown clearly.     

一种求模糊矩阵传递闭包的基于幂序列单增矩阵构造的新算法

引入幂序列单增模糊矩阵的概念并讨论它的性质, 给出一种基于幂序列单增模糊矩阵构造的求模糊关系矩阵传递闭包的新算法; 并通过与现有的两种传递闭包求解算法的比较分析, 借助实例说明了算法的有效性和简洁性.     

A new probabilistic fuzzy model: Fuzzification–Maximization (FM) approach

Over the past few decades, fuzzy logic systems have been used for nonlinear modeling and approximation in many fields ranging from engineering to science. In this paper, a new fuzzy model is developed from the probabilistic and statistical point of view. The proposed model decomposes the input–output characteristics into noise-free part and probabilistic noise part and identifies them simultaneously. The noise-free model recovers the nominal input–output characteristics of the target system and the noise model gives approximation to the probabilistic nature of the added noise. To identify the two submodels simultaneously, we propose the Fuzzification–Maximization (FM). Finally, some simulations are conducted and the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through the comparison with the previous methods.     

A generalized Borgonovo's importance measure for fuzzy input uncertainty

In this work, the way in which fuzzy uncertainty in a model's output is apportioned to fuzzy uncertainty in model inputs is studied through a sensitivity analysis. Here, an optimization technique is employed to obtain the membership functions of the fuzzy structural response, for which a global sensitivity indicator is introduced to measure the influence of fuzzy input uncertainty on fuzzy output uncertainty. The global sensitivity indicator is the important measure of the fuzzy input uncertainty, which extends Borgonovo's measure. In this study, the mathematical properties of the important measure of the fuzzy input uncertainty are discussed and proved. The results of numerical examples and engineering examples show that the proposed importance measure can effectively describe the effect of fuzzy input uncertainty on fuzzy structural response. When the sensitivity indicator is larger, the basic fuzzy-valued variable becomes more important. The sensitivity indicators of the fuzzy structural response can give an essential importance sequence of all the basic fuzzy-valued variables and identify key contributing fuzzy-valued variables. The sensitivity indicators can provide the availability guidance to reduce the number of basic variables and optimize the fuzzy response model.     

A modified accelerated monotone iterative method for finite difference reaction-diffusion-convection equations

This paper is concerned with monotone algorithms for the finite difference solutions of a class of nonlinear reaction-diffusion-convection equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. A modified accelerated monotone iterative method is presented to solve the finite difference systems for both the time-dependent problem and its corresponding steady-state problem. This method leads to a simple and yet efficient linear iterative algorithm. It yields two sequences of iterations that converge monotonically from above and below, respectively, to a unique solution of the system. The monotone property of the iterations gives concurrently improving upper and lower bounds for the solution. It is shown that the rate of convergence for the sum of the two sequences is quadratic. Under an additional requirement, quadratic convergence is attained for one of these two sequences. In contrast with the existing accelerated monotone iterative methods, our new method avoids computing local maxima in the construction of these sequences. An application using a model problem gives numerical results that illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Profust reliability of a gracefully degradable system

Research in traditional reliability theory is based mainly on probist reliability, which uses a binary state assumption and classical reliability distributions. In the present paper the binary state assumption has been replaced by a fuzzy state assumption, thereby leading to profust reliability estimates of a powerloom plant, which is modelled as a two unit gracefully degradable system. Results of Bowles and Palaez [Application of fuzzy logic to reliability engineering, Proc. IEEE 83(3) (1995) 435–449] have been deduced as a particular case of results presented here. It is also recognized that estimation of system parameters such as failure rates, is vital in reliability estimation. Available methods for such estimation do not cover the underlying uncertainty in the failure data collection involving human judgment, evaluation and decision. In this paper we introduce a new approach based on fuzzy set theory to estimate such system parameters.     

Adaptive fuzzy output feedback control for a single-link flexible robot manipulator driven DC motor via backstepping

In this paper, an adaptive fuzzy output feedback approach is proposed for a single-link robotic manipulator coupled to a brushed direct current (DC) motor with a nonrigid joint. The controller is designed to compensate for the nonlinear dynamics associated with the mechanical subsystem and the electrical subsystems while only requiring the measurements of link position. Using fuzzy logic systems to approximate the unknown nonlinearities, an adaptive fuzzy filter observer is designed to estimate the immeasurable states. By combining the adaptive backstepping and dynamic surface control (DSC) techniques, an adaptive fuzzy output feedback control approach is developed. Stability proof of the overall closed-loop system is given via the Lyapunov direct method. Three key advantages of our scheme are as follows: (i) the proposed adaptive fuzzy control approach does not require that all the states of the system be measured directly, (ii) the proposed control approach can solve the control problem of robotic manipulators with unknown nonlinear uncertainties, and (iii) the problem of “explosion of complexity” existing in the conventional backstepping control methods is avoided. The detailed simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.