Soft Computing

Soft computing is used where a complex problem is not adequately specified for the use of conventional math and computer techniques. Soft computing has numerous real-world applications in domestic, commercial and industrial situations. This book elaborates on the most recent applications in various fields of engineering

One-Factor ANOVA Model Using Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers Through Alpha Cut Interval Method

Most of our traditional tools in descriptive and inferential statistics is based on crispness (preciseness) of data, measurements, random variable, hypotheses, and so on.  By crisp we mean dichotomous that is, yes-or-no type rather than more-or-less type.  But there are many situations in which the above assumptions are rather non-realistic such that we need some new tools to characterize and analyze the problem.  By introducing fuzzy set theory, different branches of mathematics are recently studied.  But probability and statistics attracted more attention in this regard because of their random nature.  Mathematical statistics does not have methods to analyze the problems in which random variables are vague (fuzzy). In this regard, a simple and new technique for testing the hypotheses under the fuzzy environments is proposed.  Here, the employed data are in terms of trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TFN) which have been transformed into interval data using  interval method and on the grounds of the transformed fuzzy data, the one-factor ANOVA test is executed and decisions are concluded.  This concept has been illustrated by giving two numerical examples. Keywords: Fuzzy set, , Trapezoidal fuzzy number (TFN), Test of hypotheses, One-factor ANOVA model, Upper level data, Lower level data

Non-linear Neutrosophic Numbers and Its Application to Multiple Criteria Performance Assessment

[EN] The concept of fuzzy set has been extended by neutrosophic fuzzy sets to represent sets whose elements have different degrees of membership characterized by a truth-membership function, an indeterminacy-membership function and a falsity-membership function. It is usually assumed that these functions are linear, hence excluding the possibility of non-linearity in many decision-making situations. From an alternative definition of non-linear neutrosophic numbers, we develop the concepts of (alpha, beta, gamma)-cuts, possibility mean, variance, skewness and a new possibility score function. These concepts are useful to deal with multiple criteria decision making problems. We illustrate the practical use of these concepts by means of a real case study in supply chain risk management in the motor industry. Due to the fact that neutrosophic sets have been used in several areas of decision-making, finance and economics, we argue that our proposal contributes to enhance the application of neutrosophic numbers.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Reig-Mullor, J.; Salas-Molina, F. (2022). Non-linear Neutrosophic Numbers and Its Application to Multiple Criteria Performance Assessment. International Journal of Fuzzy Systems. 24(6):2889-2904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40815-022-01295-y2889290424

Soft Computing

Soft computing is used where a complex problem is not adequately specified for the use of conventional math and computer techniques. Soft computing has numerous real-world applications in domestic, commercial and industrial situations. This book elaborates on the most recent applications in various fields of engineering

Hybrid Ant Colony Optimization For Fuzzy Unrelated Parallel Machine Scheduling Problems

This study extends the best hybrid ant colony optimization variant developed by Liao et al. (2014) for crisp unrelated parallel machine scheduling problems to solve fuzzy unrelated parallel machine scheduling problems in consideration of trapezoidal fuzzy processing times, trapezoidal fuzzy sequencing dependent setup times and trapezoidal fuzzy release times. The objective is to find the best schedule taking minimum fuzzy makespan in completing all jobs. In this study, fuzzy arithmetic is used to determine fuzzy completion times of jobs and defuzzification function is used to convert fuzzy numbers back to crisp numbers for ranking. Eight fuzzy ranking methods are tested to find the most feasible one to be employed in this study. The fuzzy arithmetic testing includes four different cases and each case with the following operations separately, i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, to investigate the spread of fuzziness as fuzzy numbers are subject to more and more number of operations. The effect of fuzzy ranking methods on hybrid ant colony optimization (hACO) is investigated. To prove the correctness of our methodology and coding, unrelated parallel machine scheduling with fuzzy numbers and crisp numbers are compared based on scheduling problems up to 15 machines and 200 jobs. Relative percentage deviation (RPD) is used to evaluate the performance of hACO in solving fuzzy unrelated parallel machine scheduling problems. A numerical study on large-scale scheduling problems up to 20 machines and 200 jobs is conducted to assess the performance of the hACO algorithm. For comparison, a discrete particle swarm optimization (dPSO) algorithm is implemented for fuzzy unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem as well. The results show that the hACO has better performance than dPSO not only in solution quality in terms of RPD value, but also in computational time

Defuzzification of groups of fuzzy numbers using data envelopment analysis

Defuzzification is a critical process in the implementation of fuzzy systems that converts fuzzy numbers to crisp representations. Few researchers have focused on cases where the crisp outputs must satisfy a set of relationships dictated in the original crisp data. This phenomenon indicates that these crisp outputs are mathematically dependent on one another. Furthermore, these fuzzy numbers may exist as a group of fuzzy numbers. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis is to develop a method to defuzzify groups of fuzzy numbers based on Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR)-Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model by modifying the Center of Gravity (COG) method as the objective function. The constraints represent the relationships and some additional restrictions on the allowable crisp outputs with their dependency property. This leads to the creation of crisp values with preserved relationships and/or properties as in the original crisp data. Comparing with Linear Programming (LP) based model, the proposed CCR-DEA model is more efficient, and also able to defuzzify non-linear fuzzy numbers with accurate solutions. Moreover, the crisp outputs obtained by the proposed method are the nearest points to the fuzzy numbers in case of crisp independent outputs, and best nearest points to the fuzzy numbers in case of dependent crisp outputs. As a conclusion, the proposed CCR-DEA defuzzification method can create either dependent crisp outputs with preserved relationship or independent crisp outputs without any relationship. Besides, the proposed method is a general method to defuzzify groups or individuals fuzzy numbers under the assumption of convexity with linear and non-linear membership functions or relationships

A Novel Method for Optimal Solution of Fuzzy Chance Constraint Single-Period Inventory Model

A method is proposed for solving single-period inventory fuzzy probabilistic model (SPIFPM) with fuzzy demand and fuzzy storage space under a chance constraint. Our objective is to maximize the total profit for both overstock and understock situations, where the demand D~j for each product j in the objective function is considered as a fuzzy random variable (FRV) and with the available storage space area W~, which is also a FRV under normal distribution and exponential distribution. Initially we used the weighted sum method to consider both overstock and understock situations. Then the fuzziness of the model is removed by ranking function method and the randomness of the model is removed by chance constrained programming problem, which is a deterministic nonlinear programming problem (NLPP) model. Finally this NLPP is solved by using LINGO software. To validate and to demonstrate the results of the proposed model, numerical examples are given

Optimizing the Cost of Integrated Model for Fuzzy Failure Weibull Distribution Using Genetic Algorithm

This research applies the fuzzy concept in development of an integrated model (Statistical process control and Maintenance management) with Weibull distribution for Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control chart. Since sample data may contain uncertainties coming from measurement systems and environment conditions, fuzzy number is used to inspect these suspicions. Moreover, the Weibull distribution with fuzzy scale parameters is considers, and the genetic algorithm approach is used to determine the optimal values of six variables that minimize the fuzzy hourly cost. Finally, the fuzzy hourly cost is transformed to crisp number by the centroid defuzzification.This research applies the fuzzy concept in development of an integrated model (Statistical process control and Maintenance management) with Weibull distribution for Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control chart. Since sample data may contain uncertainties coming from measurement systems and environment conditions, fuzzy number is used to inspect these suspicions. Moreover, the Weibull distribution with fuzzy scale parameters is considers, and the genetic algorithm approach is used to determine the optimal values of six variables that minimize the fuzzy hourly cost. Finally, the fuzzy hourly cost is transformed to crisp number by the centroid defuzzification