Improving the performance of fuzzy rule-based classification systems with interval-valued fuzzy sets and genetic amplitude tuning

Among the computational intelligence techniques employed to solve classification problems, Fuzzy Rule-Based Classification Systems (FRBCSs) are a popular tool because of their interpretable models based on linguistic variables, which are easier to understand for the experts or end-users. The aim of this paper is to enhance the performance of FRBCSs by extending the Knowledge Base with the application of the concept of Interval-Valued Fuzzy Sets (IVFSs). We consider a post-processing genetic tuning step that adjusts the amplitude of the upper bound of the IVFS to contextualize the fuzzy partitions and to obtain a most accurate solution to the problem. We analyze the goodness of this approach using two basic and well-known fuzzy rule learning algorithms, the Chi et al.’s method and the fuzzy hybrid genetics-based machine learning algorithm. We show the improvement achieved by this model through an extensive empirical study with a large collection of data-sets.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology under projects TIN2008-06681-C06-01 and TIN2007-65981

IVTURS: A linguistic fuzzy rule-based classification system based on a new interval-valued fuzzy reasoning method with tuning and rule selection

Interval-valued fuzzy sets have been shown to be a useful tool for dealing with the ignorance related to the definition of the linguistic labels. Specifically, they have been successfully applied to solve classification problems, performing simple modifications on the fuzzy reasoning method to work with this representation and making the classification based on a single number. In this paper we present IVTURS, a new linguistic fuzzy rule-based classification method based on a new completely interval-valued fuzzy reasoning method. This inference process uses interval-valued restricted equivalence functions to increase the relevance of the rules in which the equivalence of the interval membership degrees of the patterns and the ideal membership degrees is greater, which is a desirable behaviour. Furthermore, their parametrized construction allows the computation of the optimal function for each variable to be performed, which could involve a potential improvement in the system’s behaviour. Additionally, we combine this tuning of the equivalence with rule selection in order to decrease the complexity of the system. In this paper we name our method IVTURS-FARC, since we use the FARC-HD method to accomplish the fuzzy rule learning process. The experimental study is developed in three steps in order to ascertain the quality of our new proposal. First, we determine both the essential role that interval-valued fuzzy sets play in the method and the need for the rule selection process. Next, we show the improvements achieved by IVTURS-FARC with respect to the tuning of the degree of ignorance when it is applied in both an isolated way and when combined with the tuning of the equivalence. Finally, the significance of IVTURS-FARC is further depicted by means of a comparison by which it is proved to outperform the results of FARC-HD and FURIA, which are two high performing fuzzy classification algorithms.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology under projects TIN2011-28488 and TIN2010-15055 and the Andalusian Research Plan P10-TIC-6858 and P11-TIC-7765

La fertilidad de las vacas nodrizas de nuevo a examen

Existe en la actualidad un porcentaje de explotaciones con excelentes resultados reproductivos, pero los resultados medios a nivel nacional muestran un importante margen de mejora en relación a la fertilidad de la cabaña nacional de vacas nodrizas.Publishe

Medical diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases using an interval-valued fuzzy rule-based classification system

Objective: To develop a classifier that tackles the problem of determining the risk of a patient of suffering from a cardiovascular disease within the next ten years. The system has to provide both a diagnosis and an interpretable model explaining the decision. In this way, doctors are able to analyse the usefulness of the information given by the system. Methods: Linguistic fuzzy rule-based classification systems are used, since they provide a good classification rate and a highly interpretable model. More specifically, a new methodology to combine fuzzy rule-based classification systems with interval-valued fuzzy sets is proposed, which is composed of three steps: 1) the modelling of the linguistic labels of the classifier using interval-valued fuzzy sets; 2) the use of the Kα operator in the inference process and 3) the application of a genetic tuning to find the best ignorance degree that each interval-valued fuzzy set represents as well as the best value for the parameter α of the Kα operator in each rule. Results: The suitability of the new proposal to deal with this medical diagnosis classification problem is shown by comparing its performance with respect to the one provided by two classical fuzzy classifiers and a previous interval-valued fuzzy rule-based classification system. The performance of the new method is statistically better than the ones obtained with the methods considered in the comparison. The new proposal enhances both the total number of correctly diagnosed patients, around 3% with respect the classical fuzzy classifiers and around 1% versus the previous interval-valued fuzzy classifier, and the classifier ability to correctly differentiate patients of the different risk categories. Conclusion: The proposed methodology is a suitable tool to face the medical diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, since it obtains a good classification rate and it also provides an interpretable model that can be easily understood by the doctors.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology under project TIN2010-15055 and the Research Services of the Universidad Pública de Navarra