Rough sets theory for multicriteria decision analysis

The original rough set approach proved to be very useful in dealing with inconsistency problems following from information granulation. It operates on a data table composed of a set U of objects (actions) described by a set Q of attributes. Its basic notions are: indiscernibility relation on U, lower and upper approximation of either a subset or a partition of U, dependence and reduction of attributes from Q, and decision rules derived from lower approximations and boundaries of subsets identified with decision classes. The original rough set idea is failing, however, when preference-orders of attribute domains (criteria) are to be taken into account. Precisely, it cannot handle inconsistencies following from violation of the dominance principle. This inconsistency is characteristic for preferential information used in multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) problems, like sorting, choice or ranking. In order to deal with this kind of inconsistency a number of methodological changes to the original rough sets theory is necessary. The main change is the substitution of the indiscernibility relation by a dominance relation, which permits approximation of ordered sets in multicriteria sorting. To approximate preference relations in multicriteria choice and ranking problems, another change is necessary: substitution of the data table by a pairwise comparison table, where each row corresponds to a pair of objects described by binary relations on particular criteria. In all those MCDA problems, the new rough set approach ends with a set of decision rules playing the role of a comprehensive preference model. It is more general than the classical functional or relational model and it is more understandable for the users because of its natural syntax. In order to workout a recommendation in one of the MCDA problems, we propose exploitation procedures of the set of decision rules. Finally, some other recently obtained results are given: rough approximations by means of similarity relations, rough set handling of missing data, comparison of the rough set model with Sugeno and Choquet integrals, and results on equivalence of a decision rule preference model and a conjoint measurement model which is neither additive nor transitive.     

多粒度模糊粗糙集研究

本文研究了模糊粗糙集中属性约简问题.利用模糊粗糙集和多粒度粗糙集各自优点的结合,提出了两类多粒度模糊粗糙集模型,使得两类粗糙集中的上下近似算子关于负算子对偶.同时研究了多粒度模糊粗糙集的性质及与单粒度模糊粗糙集的关系.并通过构造区分函数的方法提出了一类多粒度模糊粗糙集模型的近似约简方法.最后用一个实例核对了该类多粒度模糊粗糙决策系统近似约简方法的有效性.     

Neighborhood based decision-theoretic rough set models

As an extension of Pawlak rough set model, decision-theoretic rough set model (DTRS) adopts the Bayesian decision theory to compute the required thresholds in probabilistic rough set models. It gives a new semantic interpretation of the positive, boundary and negative regions by using three-way decisions. DTRS has been widely discussed and applied in data mining and decision making. However, one limitation of DTRS is its lack of ability to deal with numerical data directly. In order to overcome this disadvantage and extend the theory of DTRS, this paper proposes a neighborhood based decision-theoretic rough set model (NDTRS) under the framework of DTRS. Basic concepts of NDTRS are introduced. A positive region related attribute reduct and a minimum cost attribute reduct in the proposed model are defined and analyzed. Experimental results show that our methods can get a short reduct. Furthermore, a new neighborhood classifier based on three-way decisions is constructed and compared with other classifiers. Comparison experiments show that the proposed classifier can get a high accuracy and a low misclassification cost.     

均值限制相似优势粗糙集及决策分析模型研究

针对不完备信息系统中的偏好多属性决策问题,提出了一种基于均值限制相似优势粗糙集的决策分析模型.首先提出了均值限制相似优势关系的概念;然后在均值限制相似优势关系下得到知识的粗糙近似和属性约简,给出了分类决策规则.与相似优势关系和限制相似优势关系比较研究的结果表明:均值限制优势关系的分类精度和质量介于二者之间,而分类误差率则优于相似优势关系和限制相似优势关系,得到的决策规则可信度更高,决策模型与实际情况更加相符.     

Evidence-theory-based numerical algorithms of attribute reduction with neighborhood-covering rough sets

Covering rough sets generalize traditional rough sets by considering coverings of the universe instead of partitions, and neighborhood-covering rough sets have been demonstrated to be a reasonable selection for attribute reduction with covering rough sets. In this paper, numerical algorithms of attribute reduction with neighborhood-covering rough sets are developed by using evidence theory. We firstly employ belief and plausibility functions to measure lower and upper approximations in neighborhood-covering rough sets, and then, the attribute reductions of covering information systems and decision systems are characterized by these respective functions. The concepts of the significance and the relative significance of coverings are also developed to design algorithms for finding reducts. Based on these discussions, connections between neighborhood-covering rough sets and evidence theory are set up to establish a basic framework of numerical characterizations of attribute reduction with these sets.     

Updating attribute reduction in incomplete decision systems with the variation of attribute set

In rough set theory, attribute reduction is a challenging problem in the applications in which data with numbers of attributes available. Moreover, due to dynamic characteristics of data collection in decision systems, attribute reduction will change dynamically as attribute set in decision systems varies over time. How to carry out updating attribute reduction by utilizing previous information is an important task that can help to improve the efficiency of knowledge discovery. In view of that attribute reduction algorithms in incomplete decision systems with the variation of attribute set have not yet been discussed so far. This paper focuses on positive region-based attribute reduction algorithm to solve the attribute reduction problem efficiently in the incomplete decision systems with dynamically varying attribute set. We first introduce an incremental manner to calculate the new positive region and tolerance classes. Consequently, based on the calculated positive region and tolerance classes, the corresponding attribute reduction algorithms on how to compute new attribute reduct are put forward respectively when an attribute set is added into and deleted from the incomplete decision systems. Finally, numerical experiments conducted on different data sets from UCI validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms in incomplete decision systems with the variation of attribute set.     

Variable-precision dominance-based rough set approach and attribute reduction

In this paper, a variable-precision dominance-based rough set approach (VP-DRSA) is proposed together with several VP-DRSA-based approaches to attribute reduction. The properties of VP-DRSA are shown in comparison to previous dominance-based rough set approaches. An advantage of VP-DRSA over variable-consistency dominance-based rough set approach in decision rule induction is emphasized. Some relations among the VP-DRSA-based attribute reduction approaches are investigated.     

NMGRS: Neighborhood-based multigranulation rough sets

Recently, a multigranulation rough set (MGRS) has become a new direction in rough set theory, which is based on multiple binary relations on the universe. However, it is worth noticing that the original MGRS can not be used to discover knowledge from information systems with various domains of attributes. In order to extend the theory of MGRS, the objective of this study is to develop a so-called neighborhood-based multigranulation rough set (NMGRS) in the framework of multigranulation rough sets. Furthermore, by using two different approximating strategies, i.e., seeking common reserving difference and seeking common rejecting difference, we first present optimistic and pessimistic 1-type neighborhood-based multigranulation rough sets and optimistic and pessimistic 2-type neighborhood-based multigranulation rough sets, respectively. Through analyzing several important properties of neighborhood-based multigranulation rough sets, we find that the new rough sets degenerate to the original MGRS when the size of neighborhood equals zero. To obtain covering reducts under neighborhood-based multigranulation rough sets, we then propose a new definition of covering reduct to describe the smallest attribute subset that preserves the consistency of the neighborhood decision system, which can be calculated by Chen’s discernibility matrix approach. These results show that the proposed NMGRS largely extends the theory and application of classical MGRS in the context of multiple granulations.     

A relational perspective of attribute reduction in rough set-based data analysis

Attribute reduction is very important in rough set-based data analysis (RSDA) because it can be used to simplify the induced decision rules without reducing the classification accuracy. The notion of reduct plays a key role in rough set-based attribute reduction. In rough set theory, a reduct is generally defined as a minimal subset of attributes that can classify the same domain of objects as unambiguously as the original set of attributes. Nevertheless, from a relational perspective, RSDA relies on a kind of dependency principle. That is, the relationship between the class labels of a pair of objects depends on component-wise comparison of their condition attributes. The larger the number of condition attributes compared, the greater the probability that the dependency will hold. Thus, elimination of condition attributes may cause more object pairs to violate the dependency principle. Based on this observation, a reduct can be defined alternatively as a minimal subset of attributes that does not increase the number of objects violating the dependency principle. While the alternative definition coincides with the original one in ordinary RSDA, it is more easily generalized to cases of fuzzy RSDA and relational data analysis.     

不完备信息下的灰色粗糙集成决策模型侯亚林

In this paper, for multiple attribute decision-making problem in which attribute values are interval grey numbers and some of them are null values, a decision model based on grey rough sets integration with incomplete information is proposed. We put forward incidence degree coefficient formula for grey interval, by information entropy theory and analysis technique, the method and principle is presented to fill up null values. We also establish the method of grey interval incidence cluster. Because grey system theory and Rough set theory are complementary each other, decision table with preference information is obtained by the result of grey incidence cluster. An algorithm for inducing decision rules based on rough set theory and the dominance relationship is presented. In some extent, this algorithm can deal with decision-making problem in which the attribute values are interval grey numbers and some of them are null values. Contrasted with classical model of cluster decision-making, the algorithm has an advantage of flexibility and compatibility to new information.     

区间粗糙数多属性决策方法

针对属性值为区间粗糙数,属性权重部分已知和属性权重未知两种情形的多属性决策问题,本文利用灰色关联分析的思想方法,构建了一种区间粗糙数多属性决策方法。本文首先利用区间粗糙数的运算法则和期望值比较,确定最优理想方案和最劣理想方案,并基于灰色关联度分析方法构建了属性权重部分已知、属性权重未知两种情形的多目标优化模型,从而确定属性权重和属性权重表达式,进而获得各方案的综合评价值和方案排序。最后以一个实例验证模型的有效性与适用性。     

Decision functions for chain classifiers based on Bayesian networks for multi-label classification

Multi-label classification problems require each instance to be assigned a subset of a defined set of labels. This problem is equivalent to finding a multi-valued decision function that predicts a vector of binary classes. In this paper we study the decision boundaries of two widely used approaches for building multi-label classifiers, when Bayesian network-augmented naive Bayes classifiers are used as base models: Binary relevance method and chain classifiers. In particular extending previous single-label results to multi-label chain classifiers, we find polynomial expressions for the multi-valued decision functions associated with these methods. We prove upper boundings on the expressive power of both methods and we prove that chain classifiers provide a more expressive model than the binary relevance method.     

A rough set approach to intuitionistic fuzzy soft set based decision making

The soft set theory, originally proposed by Molodtsov, can be used as a general mathematical tool for dealing with uncertainty. Since its appearance, there has been some progress concerning practical applications of soft set theory, especially the use of soft sets in decision making. The intuitionistic fuzzy soft set is a combination of an intuitionistic fuzzy set and a soft set. The rough set theory is a powerful tool for dealing with uncertainty, granuality and incompleteness of knowledge in information systems. Using rough set theory, this paper proposes a novel approach to intuitionistic fuzzy soft set based decision making problems. Firstly, by employing an intuitionistic fuzzy relation and a threshold value pair, we define a new rough set model and examine some fundamental properties of this rough set model. Then the concepts of approximate precision and rough degree are given and some basic properties are discussed. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between intuitionistic fuzzy soft sets and intuitionistic fuzzy relations and present a rough set approach to intuitionistic fuzzy soft set based decision making. Finally, an illustrative example is employed to show the validity of this rough set approach in intuitionistic fuzzy soft set based decision making problems.     

An efficient rough feature selection algorithm with a multi-granulation view

Feature selection is a challenging problem in many areas such as pattern recognition, machine learning and data mining. Rough set theory, as a valid soft computing tool to analyze various types of data, has been widely applied to select helpful features (also called attribute reduction). In rough set theory, many feature selection algorithms have been developed in the literatures, however, they are very time-consuming when data sets are in a large scale. To overcome this limitation, we propose in this paper an efficient rough feature selection algorithm for large-scale data sets, which is stimulated from multi-granulation. A sub-table of a data set can be considered as a small granularity. Given a large-scale data set, the algorithm first selects different small granularities and then estimate on each small granularity the reduct of the original data set. Fusing all of the estimates on small granularities together, the algorithm can get an approximate reduct. Because of that the total time spent on computing reducts for sub-tables is much less than that for the original large-scale one, the algorithm yields in a much less amount of time a feature subset (the approximate reduct). According to several decision performance measures, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is feasible and efficient for large-scale data sets.     

基于联系数的定性定量混合多属性区间数决策

针对多属性区间数决策中既有用定量属性又有用自然语言表示的定性属性的这类复杂问题,基于集对分析的联系数理论,把定性属性值先用区间数赋值,再把各属性值区间数转换成二元联系数,建立基于二元联系数的决策模型,利用模型中的确定性联系分量作出初决策,再利用模型中的不确定量作不确定分析,得到终决策.方法简称为"确定性计算+不确定性分析-两步决策法".把以上方法用于电力黑启动决策实例计算和分析,表明方法原理清晰,方法简明,结论可靠,有应用推广价值.     

A dominance intuitionistic fuzzy-rough set approach and its applications

Although the rough set and intuitionistic fuzzy set both capture the same notion, imprecision, studies on the combination of these two theories are rare. Rule extraction is an important task in a type of decision systems where condition attributes are taken as intuitionistic fuzzy values and those of decision attribute are crisp ones. To address this issue, this paper makes a contribution of the following aspects. First, a ranking method is introduced to construct the neighborhood of every object that is determined by intuitionistic fuzzy values of condition attributes. Moreover, an original notion, dominance intuitionistic fuzzy decision tables (DIFDT), is proposed in this paper. Second, a lower/upper approximation set of an object and crisp classes that are confirmed by decision attributes is ascertained by comparing the relation between them. Third, making use of the discernibility matrix and discernibility function, a lower and upper approximation reduction and rule extraction algorithm is devised to acquire knowledge from existing dominance intuitionistic fuzzy decision tables. Finally, the presented model and algorithms are applied to audit risk judgment on information system security auditing risk judgement for CISA, candidate global supplier selection in a manufacturing company, and cars classification.     

Topology vs generalized rough sets

This paper investigates the relationship between topology and generalized rough sets induced by binary relations. Some known results regarding the relation based rough sets are reviewed, and some new results are given. Particularly, the relationship between different topologies corresponding to the same rough set model is examined. These generalized rough sets are induced by inverse serial relations, reflexive relations and pre-order relations, respectively. We point that inverse serial relations are weakest relations which can induce topological spaces, and that different relation based generalized rough set models will induce different topological spaces. We proved that two known topologies corresponding to reflexive relation based rough set model given recently are different, and gave a condition under which the both are the same topology.     

Dependence-space-based attribute reductions in inconsistent decision information systems

In rough set theory, attribute reduction is an important mechanism for knowledge discovery. This paper mainly deals with attribute reductions of an inconsistent decision information system based on a dependence space. Through the concept of inclusion degree, a generalized decision distribution function is first constructed. A decision distribution relation is then defined. On the basis of this decision distribution relation, a dependence space is proposed, and an equivalence congruence based on the indiscernibility attribute sets is also obtained. Applying the congruences on a dependence space, new approaches to find a distribution consistent set are formulated. The judgement theorems for judging distribution consistent sets are also established by using these congruences and the decision distribution relation.     

基于依赖空间的不协调决策信息系统的分配约简

从属性集角度研究不协调决策信息系统的分配约简问题。定义了一种决策分配二元关系,并利用这种关系建立了属性集幂集上的等价关系,由此产生依赖空间。同时利用决策分配二元关系和依赖空间给出了不协调决策信息系统分配协调集的判定定理,进而得到了一种保持不协调决策信息系统分配不变的属性约简方法。同时通过实例验证方法的有效性。