Accuracy and complexity evaluation of defuzzification strategies for the discretised interval type-2 fuzzy set

The work reported in this paper addresses the challenge of the efficient and accurate defuzzification of discretised interval type-2 fuzzy sets. The exhaustive method of defuzzification for type-2 fuzzy sets is extremely slow, owing to its enormous computational complexity. Several approximate methods have been devised in response to this bottleneck. In this paper we survey four alternative strategies for defuzzifying an interval type-2 fuzzy set: (1) The Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure, (2) the Wu–Mendel Approximation, (3) the Greenfield–Chiclana Collapsing Defuzzifier, and (4) the Nie–Tan Method.We evaluated the different methods experimentally for accuracy, by means of a comparative study using six representative test sets with varied characteristics, using the exhaustive method as the standard. A preliminary ranking of the methods was achieved using a multi-criteria decision making methodology based on the assignment of weights according to performance. The ranking produced, in order of decreasing accuracy, is (1) the Collapsing Defuzzifier, (2) the Nie–Tan Method, (3) the Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure, and (4) the Wu–Mendel Approximation.Following that, a more rigorous analysis was undertaken by means of the Wilcoxon Nonparametric Test, in order to validate the preliminary test conclusions. It was found that there was no evidence of a significant difference between the accuracy of the Collapsing and Nie–Tan Methods, and between that of the Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure and the Wu–Mendel Approximation. However, there was evidence to suggest that the collapsing and Nie–Tan Methods are more accurate than the Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure and the Wu–Mendel Approximation.In relation to efficiency, each method’s computational complexity was analysed, resulting in a ranking (from least computationally complex to most computationally complex) as follows: (1) the Nie–Tan Method, (2) the Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure (lowest complexity possible), (3) the Greenfield–Chiclana Collapsing Defuzzifier, (4) the Karnik–Mendel Iterative Procedure (highest complexity possible), and (5) the Wu–Mendel Approximation.     

Four matroidal structures of covering and their relationships with rough sets

Covering is a common form of data representation, and covering-based rough sets serve as an efficient technique to process this type of data. However, many important problems such as covering reduction in covering-based rough sets are NP-hard so that most algorithms to solve them are greedy. Matroids provide well-established platforms for greedy algorithm foundation and implementation. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate covering-based rough set with matroid. In this paper, we propose four matroidal structures of coverings and establish their relationships with rough sets. First, four different viewpoints are presented to construct these four matroidal structures of coverings, including 1-rank matroids, bigraphs, upper approximation numbers and transversals. The respective advantages of these four matroidal structures to rough sets are explored. Second, the connections among these four matroidal structures are studied. It is interesting to find that they coincide with each other. Third, a converse view is provided to induce a covering by a matroid. We study the relationship between this induction and the one from a covering to a matroid. Finally, some important concepts of covering-based rough sets, such as approximation operators, are equivalently formulated by these matroidal structures. These interesting results demonstrate the potential to combine covering-based rough sets with matroids.     

Residual Julia set for functions with the Ahlfors' Property

We consider two classes of functions studied by Epstein [A.L. Epstein, Towers of finite type complex analytic maps, Ph.D. thesis, City University of New York, 1993] and by Herring [M.E. Herring, An extension of the Julia–Fatou theory of iteration, Ph.D. thesis, Imperial College, London, 1994], which have the Ahlfors' Property. We prove under some conditions on the Fatou and Julia sets that the singleton buried components are dense in the Julia set for these classes of functions.     

Exclusion sets in eigenvalue localization sets for tensors

ABSTRACT

By excluding some proper subsets, which do not include any eigenvalues of tensors, from an existing eigenvalue localization set provided by Zhao and Sang, a new eigenvalue localization set for tensors is given. As an application, a sufficient condition such that the determinant of a tensor is not zero is provided.     

Correlation coefficients of hesitant fuzzy sets and their applications to clustering analysis

Hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs), which allow the membership degree of an element to a set represented by several possible values, can be considered as a powerful tool to express uncertain information in the process of group decision making. We derive some correlation coefficient formulas for HFSs and apply them to clustering analysis under hesitant fuzzy environments. Two real world examples, i.e. software evaluation and classification as well as the assessment of business failure risk, are employed to illustrate the actual need of the clustering algorithm based on HFSs, which can incorporate the difference of evaluation information provided by different experts in clustering processes. In order to extend the application domain of the clustering algorithm in the framework of HFSs, we develop the interval-valued HFSs and the corresponding correlation coefficient formulas, and then demonstrate their application in clustering with interval-valued hesitant fuzzy information through a specific numerical example.     

The perturbed laplacian matrix of a graph

For a graph G, we define its perturbed Laplacian matrix as D?A(G) where A(G) is the adjacency matrix of G and D is an arbitrary diagonal matrix. Both the Laplacian matrix and the negative of the adjacency matrix are special instances of the perturbed Laplacian. Several well-known results, contained in the classical work of Fiedler and in more recent contributions of other authors are shown to be true, with suitable modifications, for the perturbed Laplacian. An appropriate generalization of the monotonicity property of a Fiedler vector for a tree is obtained. Some of the results are applied to interval graphs.     

Maximizing the distance between center,centroid and characteristic set of a tree

Consider a tree P_n-g,g , n≥ 2, 1≤ g≤ n-1 on n vertices which is obtained from a path on [1,2,?…?,n-g] vertices by adding g pendant vertices to the pendant vertex n-g. We prove that over all trees on n?≥?5 vertices, the distance between center and characteristic set, centroid and characteristic set, and center and centroid is maximized by trees of the form P_n-g,g , 2?≤?g?≤?n-3. For n≥ 5, we also supply the precise location of the characteristic set of the tree P_n-g,g , 2?≤?g?≤?n-3.     

Assessment and Prediction of Water Resources Vulnerability Based on a NRS-RF Model: A Case Study of the Song-Liao River Basin,China

The vulnerability of water resources is an important criterion for evaluating the carrying capacity of water resources systems under the influence of climate change and human activities. Moreover, assessment and prediction of river basins’ water resources vulnerability are important means to assess the water resources security state of river basins and identify possible problems in future water resources systems. Based on the constructed indicator system of water resources vulnerability assessment in Song-Liao River Basin, this paper uses the neighborhood rough set (abbreviated as NRS) method to reduce the dimensionality of the original indicator system to remove redundant attributes. Then, assessment indicators’ standard values after dimensionality reduction are taken as the evaluation sample, and the random forest regression (abbreviated as RF) model is used to assess the water resources vulnerability of the river basin. Finally, based on data under three different future climate and socio-economic scenarios, scenario predictions are made on the vulnerability of future water resources. The results show that the overall water resources vulnerability of the Song-Liao River Basin has not improved significantly in the past 18 years, and the overall vulnerability of the Song-Liao River Basin is in the level V of moderate to high vulnerability. In the future scenario 1, the overall water resources vulnerability of the river basin will improve, and it is expected to achieve an improvement to the level III of moderate to low vulnerability. At the same time, the natural vulnerability and vulnerability of carrying capacity will increase significantly in the future, and the man-made vulnerability will increase slowly, which will deteriorate to the level V of moderate to high vulnerability under Scenario 3. Therefore, taking active measures can significantly reduce the vulnerability of nature and carrying capacity, but man-made vulnerability will become a bottleneck restricting the fragility of the overall water resources of the river basin in the future.