Motivated by Zadeh's paradigm of computing with words rather than numbers,
several formal models of computing with words have recently been proposed.
These models are based on automata and thus are not well-suited for concurrent
computing. In this paper, we incorporate the well-known model of concurrent
computing, Petri nets, together with fuzzy set theory and thereby establish a
concurrency model of computing with words--fuzzy Petri nets for computing with
words (FPNCWs). The new feature of such fuzzy Petri nets is that the labels of
transitions are some special words modeled by fuzzy sets. By employing the
methodology of fuzzy reasoning, we give a faithful extension of an FPNCW which
makes it possible for computing with more words. The language expressiveness of
the two formal models of computing with words, fuzzy automata for computing
with words and FPNCWs, is compared as well. A few small examples are provided
to illustrate the theoretical development.Comment: double columns 14 pages, 8 figure
