Reachable solution set of a fuzzy relation equation

The largest element of the solution set of a fuzzy relation equation has been found by E. Sanchez (Inform. and Control30 (1976), 38–48) but the smallest element does not exist. It is difficult to expose the solution of the fuzzy relation equation. In the case of the determinate relation equations, complete consequences have been found by Wang Peizhuang and Yuan Meng (“Relation Equation and Relation Inequalities,” Selected papers on fuzzy subsets, Beijing Normal University, March 1980). In the case of the fuzzy relation equations, Wang and Yuan have given a class of special solutions which probably possesses some minimality characterizations. In this paper, the reachable solution set of the fuzzy relation equation is given. For the fuzzy relation equation on the finite sets, a neat and efficient method for solving it is given.