Integrating fuzzy knowledge by genetic algorithms

We propose a genetic algorithm-based fuzzy knowledge integration framework that can simultaneously integrate multiple fuzzy rule sets and their membership function sets. The proposed approach consists of two phases: fuzzy knowledge encoding and fuzzy knowledge integration. In the encoding phase, each fuzzy rule set with its associated membership functions is first transformed into an intermediary representation and then further encoded as a string. The combined strings form an initial knowledge population, which is then ready for integration. In the knowledge-integration phase, a genetic algorithm is used to generate an optimal or nearly optimal set of fuzzy rules and membership functions from the initial knowledge population. Two application domains, the hepatitis diagnosis and the sugarcane breeding prediction, were used to show the performance of the proposed knowledge-integration approach. Results show that the fuzzy knowledge base derived using our approach performs better than every individual knowledge base     

Learning Premises of Fuzzy Rules for Knowledge Acquisition in Classification Problems

A key issue in building fuzzy classification systems is the specification of rule conditions, which determine the structure of a knowledge base. This paper presents a new approach to automatically extract classification knowledge from numerical data by means of premise learning. A genetic algorithm is employed to search for premise structure in combination with parameters of membership functions of input fuzzy sets to yield optimal conditions of classification rules. The major advantage of our work is that a parsimonious knowledge base with a low number of rules can be achieved. The practical applicability of the proposed method is examined by computer simulations on two well-known benchmark problems of Iris Data and Cancer Data classification. Received 11 February 1999 / Revised 13 January 2001 / Accepted in revised form 13 February 2001     

Design of fuzzy expert system for microarray data classification using a novel Genetic Swarm Algorithm

Knowledge gained through classification of microarray gene expression data is increasingly important as they are useful for phenotype classification of diseases. Different from black box methods, fuzzy expert system can produce interpretable classifier with knowledge expressed in terms of if-then rules and membership function. This paper proposes a novel Genetic Swarm Algorithm (GSA) for obtaining near optimal rule set and membership function tuning. Advanced and problem specific genetic operators are proposed to improve the convergence of GSA and classification accuracy. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using six gene expression data sets. From the simulation study it is found that the proposed approach generated a compact fuzzy system with high classification accuracy for all the data sets when compared with other approaches.     

A fast recursive algorithm based on fuzzy 2-partition entropy approach for threshold selection

The fuzzy c-partition entropy approach for threshold selection is an effective approach for image segmentation. The approach models the image with a fuzzy c-partition, which is obtained using parameterized membership functions. The ideal threshold is determined by searching an optimal parameter combination of the membership functions such that the entropy of the fuzzy c-partition is maximized. It involves large computation when the number of parameters needed to determine the membership function increases. In this paper, a recursive algorithm is proposed for fuzzy 2-partition entropy method, where the membership function is selected as S-function and Z-function with three parameters. The proposed recursive algorithm eliminates many repeated computations, thereby reducing the computation complexity significantly. The proposed method is tested using several real images, and its processing time is compared with those of basic exhaustive algorithm, genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization (ACO) and simulated annealing (SA). Experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective than basic exhaustive search algorithm, GA, PSO, ACO and SA.     

Genetic algorithm-based optimal fuzzy controller design in the linguistic space

In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA) based optimal fuzzy controller design is proposed. The design procedure is accomplished by establishing an index function as the consequent part of the fuzzy control rule. The inputs of the controller, after scaling, are utilized by the index function for computing the output linguistic value. This linguistic value can then be used to map the suitable fuzzy control actions. This proposed novel fuzzy control rule has crisp input and fuzzified output characteristics. The index function plays a role in mapping the desired fuzzy sets for defuzzification resulting in a controlled hypersurface in the linguistic space formed by the input fuzzy variables. Two types of index functions, both linear and nonlinear, are introduced for controlling systems with different degrees of nonlinearity. The parameters of the index function are obtained by applying a simple GA with a suitable fitness function. Various controlled systems result in various parameter sets depending on their dynamics. Under the acquired optimal parameter set the optimal index function can be used to generate the desired control actions. Several simulation examples are given to verify the performance of the proposed GA-based fuzzy controller.     

Evolutionary design of a fuzzy classifier from data

Genetic algorithms show powerful capabilities for automatically designing fuzzy systems from data, but many proposed methods must be subjected to some minimal structure assumptions, such as rule base size. In this paper, we also address the design of fuzzy systems from data. A new evolutionary approach is proposed for deriving a compact fuzzy classification system directly from data without any a priori knowledge or assumptions on the distribution of the data. At the beginning of the algorithm, the fuzzy classifier is empty with no rules in the rule base and no membership functions assigned to fuzzy variables. Then, rules and membership functions are automatically created and optimized in an evolutionary process. To accomplish this, parameters of the variable input spread inference training (VISIT) algorithm are used to code fuzzy systems on the training data set. Therefore, we can derive each individual fuzzy system via the VISIT algorithm, and then search the best one via genetic operations. To evaluate the fuzzy classifier, a fuzzy expert system acts as the fitness function. This fuzzy expert system can effectively evaluate the accuracy and compactness at the same time. In the application section, we consider four benchmark classification problems: the iris data, wine data, Wisconsin breast cancer data, and Pima Indian diabetes data. Comparisons of our method with others in the literature show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Genetic tuning of fuzzy inference within fuzzy classifier systems

Abstract: In generating a suitable fuzzy classifier system, significant effort is often placed on the determination and the fine tuning of the fuzzy sets. However, in such systems little thought is given to the way in which membership functions are combined within the fuzzy rules. Often traditional fuzzy inference strategies are used which consequently provide no control over how strongly or weakly the inference is applied within these rules. Furthermore such strategies will allow no interaction between grades of membership. A number of theoretical fuzzy inference operators have been proposed for both regression and classification problems but they have not been investigated in the context of real-world applications. In this paper we propose a novel genetic algorithm framework for optimizing the strength of fuzzy inference operators concurrently with the tuning of membership functions for a given fuzzy classifier system. Each fuzzy system is generated using two well-established decision tree algorithms: C4.5 and CHAID. This will enable both classification and regression problems to be addressed within the framework. Each solution generated by the genetic algorithm will produce a set of fuzzy membership functions and also determine how strongly the inference will be applied within each fuzzy rule. We investigate several theoretical proven fuzzy inference techniques (T-norms) in the context of both classification and regression problems. The methodology proposed is applied to a number of real-world data sets in order to determine the effects of the simultaneous tuning of membership functions and inference parameters on the accuracy and robustness of fuzzy classifiers.     

Genetic-Fuzzy Data Mining With Divide-and-Conquer Strategy

Data mining is most commonly used in attempts to induce association rules from transaction data. Most previous studies focused on binary-valued transaction data. Transaction data in real-world applications, however, usually consist of quantitative values. This paper, thus, proposes a fuzzy data-mining algorithm for extracting both association rules and membership functions from quantitative transactions. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based framework for finding membership functions suitable for mining problems is proposed. The fitness of each set of membership functions is evaluated by the fuzzy-supports of the linguistic terms in the large 1-itemsets and by the suitability of the derived membership functions. The evaluation by the fuzzy supports of large 1-itemsets is much faster than that when considering all itemsets or interesting association rules. It can also help divide-and-conquer the derivation process of the membership functions for different items. The proposed GA framework, thus, maintains multiple populations, each for one item's membership functions. The final best sets of membership functions in all the populations are then gathered together to be used for mining fuzzy association rules. Experiments are conducted to analyze different fitness functions and set different fitness functions and setting different supports and confidences. Experiments are also conducted to compare the proposed algorithm, the one with uniform fuzzy partition, and the existing one without divide-and-conquer, with results validating the performance of the proposed algorithm.     

Hybrid identification of fuzzy rule‐based models

In this study, we propose a hybrid identification algorithm for a class of fuzzy rule‐based systems. The rule‐based fuzzy modeling concerns structure optimization and parameter identification using the fuzzy inference methods and hybrid structure combined with two methods of optimization theories for nonlinear systems. Two types of inference methods of a fuzzy model concern a simplified and linear type of inference. The proposed hybrid optimal identification algorithm is carried out using a combination of genetic algorithms and an improved complex method. The genetic algorithms determine initial parameters of the membership function of the premise part of the fuzzy rules. In the sequel, the improved complex method (being in essence a powerful auto‐tuning algorithm) leads to fine‐tuning of the parameters of the respective membership functions. An aggregate performance index with a weighting factor is proposed in order to achieve a balance between performance of the fuzzy model obtained for the training and testing data. Numerical examples are included to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. They are also contrasted with the performance of the fuzzy models existing in the literature. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

FLEXFIS: A Robust Incremental Learning Approach for Evolving Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy Models

In this paper, we introduce a new algorithm for incremental learning of a specific form of Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems proposed by Wang and Mendel in 1992. The new data-driven online learning approach includes not only the adaptation of linear parameters appearing in the rule consequents, but also the incremental learning of premise parameters appearing in the membership functions (fuzzy sets), together with a rule learning strategy in sample mode. A modified version of vector quantization is exploited for rule evolution and an incremental learning of the rules' premise parts. The modifications include an automatic generation of new clusters based on the nature, distribution, and quality of new data and an alternative strategy for selecting the winning cluster (rule) in each incremental learning step. Antecedent and consequent learning are connected in a stable manner, meaning that a convergence toward the optimal parameter set in the least-squares sense can be achieved. An evaluation and a comparison to conventional batch methods based on static and dynamic process models are presented for high-dimensional data recorded at engine test benches and at rolling mills. For the latter, the obtained data-driven fuzzy models are even compared with an analytical physical model. Furthermore, a comparison with other evolving fuzzy systems approaches is carried out based on nonlinear dynamic system identification tasks and a three-input nonlinear function approximation example.      

Nature-inspired optimal tuning of input membership functions of Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy models for Anti-lock Braking Systems

This paper suggests a synergy of fuzzy logic and nature-inspired optimization in terms of the nature-inspired optimal tuning of the input membership functions of a class of Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy models dedicated to Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABSs). A set of TSK fuzzy models is proposed by a novel fuzzy modeling approach for ABSs. The fuzzy modeling approach starts with the derivation of a set of local state-space models of the nonlinear ABS process by the linearization of the first-principle process model at ten operating points. The TSK fuzzy model structure and the initial TSK fuzzy models are obtained by the modal equivalence principle in terms of placing the local state-space models in the rule consequents of the TSK fuzzy models. An operating point selection algorithm to guide modeling is proposed, formulated on the basis of ranking the operating points according to their importance factors, and inserted in the third step of the fuzzy modeling approach. The optimization problems are defined such that to minimize the objective functions expressed as the average of squared modeling errors over the time horizon, and the variables of these functions are a part of the parameters of the input membership functions. Two representative nature-inspired algorithms, namely a Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm and a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, are implemented to solve the optimization problems and to obtain optimal TSK fuzzy models. The validation and the comparison of SA and PSO and of the new TSK fuzzy models are carried out for an ABS laboratory equipment. The real-time experimental results highlight that the optimized TSK fuzzy models are simple and consistent with both training data and validation data and that these models outperform the initial TSK fuzzy models.     

Application of fuzzy Naive Bayes and a real-valued genetic algorithm in identification of fuzzy model

We present a method to identify a fuzzy model from data by using the fuzzy Naive Bayes and a real-valued genetic algorithm. The identification of a fuzzy model is comprised of the extraction of “if–then” rules that is followed by the estimation of their parameters. The involved parameters include those which determine the membership function of fuzzy sets and the certainty factors of fuzzy if–then rules. In our method, as long as the fuzzy partition in the input–output space is given, the certainty factor of each rule is computed with the fuzzy conditional probability of the consequent conditioned on the antecedent by using the fuzzy Naive Bayes, which is a generalization of Naive Bayes. The fuzzy model involves the rules characterized by the highest values of certainty factors. The certainty factor of each rule is the fuzzy conditional probability, and it reflects the inner relationship between the antecedent and the consequent. In order to improve the accuracy of the fuzzy model, the real-valued genetic algorithm is incorporated into our identification process. This process concerns the optimization of the membership functions occurring in the rules. We just involve the parameters of membership function of the fuzzy sets into the real-valued genetic algorithm, since the certainty factor of each rule can be computed automatically. The performance of the model is shown for the backing-truck problem and the prediction of Mackey–Glass time series.     

Genetic tuning of fuzzy rule deep structures preserving interpretability and its interaction with fuzzy rule set reduction

Tuning fuzzy rule-based systems for linguistic fuzzy modeling is an interesting and widely developed task. It involves adjusting some of the components of the knowledge base without completely redefining it. This contribution introduces a genetic tuning process for jointly fitting the fuzzy rule symbolic representations and the meaning of the involved membership functions. To adjust the former component, we propose the use of linguistic hedges to perform slight modifications keeping a good interpretability. To alter the latter component, two different approaches changing their basic parameters and using nonlinear scaling factors are proposed. As the accomplished experimental study shows, the good performance of our proposal mainly lies in the consideration of this tuning approach performed at two different levels of significance. The paper also analyzes the interaction of the proposed tuning method with a fuzzy rule set reduction process. A good interpretability-accuracy tradeoff is obtained combining both processes with a sequential scheme: first reducing the rule set and subsequently tuning the model.     

A multi-objective genetic optimization of interpretability-oriented fuzzy rule-based classifiers

The paper presents a multi-objective genetic approach to design interpretability-oriented fuzzy rule-based classifiers from data. The proposed approach allows us to obtain systems with various levels of compromise between their accuracy and interpretability. During the learning process, parameters of the membership functions, as well as the structure of the classifier's fuzzy rule base (i.e., the number of rules, the number of rule antecedents, etc.) evolve simultaneously using a Pittsburgh-type genetic approach. Since there is no particular coding of fuzzy rule structures in a chromosome (it reduces computational complexity of the algorithm), original crossover and mutation operators, as well as chromosome-repairing technique to directly transform the rules are also proposed. To evaluate both the accuracy and interpretability of the system, two measures are used. The first one – an accuracy measure – is based on the root mean square error of the system's response. The second one – an interpretability measure – is based on the arithmetic mean of three components: (a) the average length of rules (the average number of antecedents used in the rules), (b) the number of active fuzzy sets and (c) the number of active inputs of the system (an active fuzzy set or input means a set or input used by at least one fuzzy rule). Both measures are used as objectives in multi-objective (2-objective in our case) genetic optimization approaches such as well-known SPEA2 and NSGA-II algorithms. Moreover, for the purpose of comparison with several alternative approaches, the experiments are carried out both considering the so-called strong fuzzy partitions (SFPs) of attribute domains and without them. SFPs provide more semantically meaningful solutions, usually at the expense of their accuracy. The operation of the proposed technique in various classification problems is tested with the use of 20 benchmark data sets and compared to 11 alternative classification techniques. The experiments show that the proposed approach generates classifiers of significantly improved interpretability, while still characterized by competitive accuracy.     

基于遗传算法的模糊PI控制器

模糊PI控制器具有鲁棒性强、控制灵活等优点,但是将其应用于纯迟延系统时超调量较大、响应速度慢。针对此提出了一种基于遗传算法的模糊PI控制器,使用遗传算法对模糊逻辑系统参数进行训练。在以往的模糊逻辑系统建立过程中,主要依靠专家知识或工作人员经验来确定其主要参数（如模糊推理规则和隶属函数参数等）,而该文利用遗传算法对样本数据进行优化来获取系统参数。在遗传算法中,将推理规则和隶属函数参数的确定结合在一起,从而确定最优的模糊逻辑系统。仿真试验结果表明,由该方法得到的控制器用于纯迟延系统具有响应快,超调量小等优点。     

基于免疫原理和模糊规则的分类器设计

提出一种基于免疫原理的模糊分类系统的设计方法．该算法基于生物免疫系统中的克隆选择和超变异原理，通过抗体种群的演化来优化模糊分类规则集合，可以同时确定隶属度函数形状、规则集合以及规则的数目．针对典型数据集的仿真实验表明了本文方法的有效性．     

A New Fuzzy Set Merging Technique Using Inclusion-Based Fuzzy Clustering

This paper proposes a new method of merging parameterized fuzzy sets based on clustering in the parameters space, taking into account the degree of inclusion of each fuzzy set in the cluster prototypes. The merger method is applied to fuzzy rule base simplification by automatically replacing the fuzzy sets corresponding to a given cluster with that pertaining to cluster prototype. The feasibility and the performance of the proposed method are studied using an application in mobile robot navigation. The results indicate that the proposed merging and rule base simplification approach leads to good navigation performance in the application considered and to fuzzy models that are interpretable by experts. In this paper, we concentrate mainly on fuzzy systems with Gaussian membership functions, but the general approach can also be applied to other parameterized fuzzy sets.     

Designing of classifiers based on immune principles and fuzzy rules

This paper proposed an algorithm to design a fuzzy classification system based on immune principles. The proposed algorithm evolves a population of antibodies based on the clonal selection and hypermutation principles. The membership function parameters and the fuzzy rule set including the number of rules inside it are evolved at the same time. Each antibody (candidate solution) corresponds to a fuzzy classification rule set. We compared our algorithm with other classification schemes on some benchmark datasets. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed immune algorithm.     

A systematic approach to a self-generating fuzzy rule-table forfunction approximation

In this paper, a systematic design is proposed to determine fuzzy system structure and learning its parameters, from a set of given training examples. In particular, two fundamental problems concerning fuzzy system modeling are addressed: 1) fuzzy rule parameter optimization and 2) the identification of system structure (i.e., the number of membership functions and fuzzy rules). A four-step approach to build a fuzzy system automatically is presented: Step 1 directly obtains the optimum fuzzy rules for a given membership function configuration. Step 2 optimizes the allocation of the membership functions and the conclusion of the rules, in order to achieve a better approximation. Step 3 determines a new and more suitable topology with the information derived from the approximation error distribution; it decides which variables should increase the number of membership functions. Finally, Step 4 determines which structure should be selected to approximate the function, from the possible configurations provided by the algorithm in the three previous steps. The results of applying this method to the problem of function approximation are presented and then compared with other methodologies proposed in the bibliography.     

基于改进遗传算法的TS模糊模型的优化设计

提出了一种新的将隶属度函数和规则库统一编码的改进遗传算法进行TS模糊模型整体优化设计的方法。利用FCM算法和最小二乘法辨识初始的模糊模型;利用改进遗传算法整体优化模糊模型,克服了以往将模型结构和参数分开优化的缺陷。为了提高模型的解释性,提出了将基于相似性的模糊集合和模糊规则的简化方法用于对模型的约简,并利用该方法对Mackey-Glass混沌序列建模。仿真结果验证了该方法的有效性。