Fuzzy Logic Theory and Applications in Uncertainty Management of Linguistic Evaluations for Students

Fuzzy logic can deal with information arising from perception and cognition that is uncertain, imprecise, vague, partially true, or without sharp boundaries. Fuzzy logic can be used for assigning linguistic grades and for decision making and data mining with those linguistic grades by teachers, instructors, and professors. Many aspects of fuzzy logic including fuzzy sets, linguistic variables, fuzzy rules, fuzzy math, fuzzy database queries, computational theory of perceptions, and computing with words are useful in uncertainty management of linguistic evaluations for students. This chapter provides many examples of this after describing the theory of fuzzy logic.

The Compromise Ratio Method With Intuitionistic Fuzzy Distance for FMAGDM

The compromise ratio method (CRM) is an effective method to solve multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM). Distance measure of intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) numbers (IFNs) is important for CRM. In this paper, according to the IF distance of IFNs, an extended compromise ratio method (CRM) is developed for (MAGDM) problems which attribute weights and evaluation values of alternatives on attributes are expressed in linguistic variables parameterized using TIFNs. Finally, the effectiveness and practicability of the extended CRM with IF distance are demonstrated by solving a software selection problem.

Standing Against to Workplace Discrimination (In the Name of Law & Order, Humanity, Religion, and Better Management): A Literature Review

Rational judgments and decisions should be based on solid logic and rationale as well as numeric variables. On the other hand, irrational judgments and decisions rely on feelings, linguistic variables. Appointed executives who manage acting businesses must demonstrate solid logic, numeric and linguistic justifications for their decisions to the stakeholders: business owners, government, share-stakeholders. The study examines the justification and logic of the four main factors why humanity fights against discrimination during the promotion: legally, humanitarian reasons, religious grounds, and administrative reasons. The study strongly suggests that discrimination during the promotion is against the law, religion, humanity, and efficient management. For these reasons, honest, fair people and organizations have to fight against discrimination; in the name of law, in the name of religion, in the name of humanity, and in the name of managerial efficiency. Discriminators, who are unfairly making the lives of innocent employees, their children, and partners hell, have to be punished by the law, religion, humanity, and management for realizing humanistic and holistic justice.

A fuzzy approach for determining the cognitive spatial location of an object in geographical information system

The work is devoted to the problem of interpretation of fuzzy semantics of cognitive descriptions of spatial relations in natural language and their visualization in a geographic information system (GIS). The solution to the problem of determining the fuzzy spatial location of an object based on vague descriptions of the observer in natural language is considered. The task is relevant in critical situations when there is no way to report the exact coordinates of the observed object, except by describing its location relative to the observer itself. Such a situation may be the result of a crime, terrorist act or natural disaster. An observer who finds itself at the scene transmits a text message, which is a description of the location of the object or place (for example, the crime scene, the location of dangerous objects, the crash site). The semantics of the spatial location of the object can be further extracted from the text message. The proposed fuzzy approach is based on the formalization of the observer's phrases, with which it can describe spatial relations, in the form of a set of linguistic variables that determine the direction and distance to the object. Examples of membership functions for linguistic variables are given. The spatial knowledge base is built on the basis of the phrases of observers and their corresponding fuzzy regions. Algorithms for constructing cognitive regions in GIS have been developed. Methods of their superposition to obtain the final fuzzy location of the object are proposed. An example of the implementation of a fuzzy model for identifying cognitive regions based on vague descriptions of several observers, performed using developed Python scripts integrated into ArcGIS 10.5, is considered.

Linguistic variables of Comprehensibility, Accentedness and Fluency in L2 Spanish: Listener type and ability level differences

The aim of this study is to identify which linguistic variables are most strongly related to comprehensibility, accentedness and fluency in Spanish as L2, and how the results may also vary according to the type of listener (expert or non-expert) and to the speakers’ level of ability in these three dimensions. To this end, 40 native English speakers of Spanish orally described picture narratives that were subsequently rated by four groups of raters using 9-point Likert scales. The first two groups were composed of 109 novice and 42 expert raters assessing comprehensibility, accentedness and fluency. The last two groups consisted of 35 phoneticians and 35 linguistic raters responsible for analyzing and scoring a total of 14 speech measures (7 per group) targeting pronunciation, disfluencies, lexis, grammar and discourse. The results reveal that comprehensibility is associated with a wide range of elements, while accentedness is determined especially by segmentals, and fluency by speech rate. Additionally, the impact of linguistic parameters varies according to the speakers’ level of performance, and there are differences between novice and expert raters, with the former being more affected by pronunciation and the experts by lexis and grammar.

Defuzzification in the process of managerial estimating the value of agricultural lands

Purpose. The main purpose of the research is to substantiate the methodological approach of defuzzification and to define its peculiarities in the process of estimating the value of agricultural lands. Methodology / approach. The research purpose included the use of a set of appropriate methods. In particular, the fuzzy logic techniques formed the basis of the research. The system approach was used in order to determine the role of land resources in the enterprise potential and the corresponding spheres of their management. The analysis and synthesis methods were used in the process of definition of impact factors of land resources value. The cartographic method was used for the needs of graphical display of humus content in the land plots of the analyzed enterprise. The generalization method was used in the process of forming conclusions. Results. The article defines the peculiarities of defuzzification in the process of estimating the value of agricultural lands. The results provided the methodological basis for considering the qualitative metrics in the process of estimation as well as for granting the numerical interpretation for linguistic variables. The corresponding methodology was overviewed at the example of land plot size. The quantitative reference limits for “small”, “medium” and “large” land plots were defined. Research results made it possible to form the sequence of stages, which are to be undertaken, in order to provide numerical values for qualitative characteristics of agricultural lands. A decision tree was built for the needs of formation of management decisions. According to the data of researched enterprise, the dependence of the value of agricultural lands (for the needs of management accounting) on the size of the land plot and the humus content was determined. Originality / scientific novelty. The article improves the methodological approach to determining the value of agricultural lands as of an element of enterprise potential based on the use of fuzzy logic techniques, which, in contrast to existing approaches, allows taking into account both quantitative and qualitative factors in the process of estimating the value of land resources for the needs of their management. Applying the respective approach increases the level of accuracy, relevance, and adequacy to market realities of the results of estimating the value of agricultural lands for the needs of their management. Practical value / implications. The results of the research provided an opportunity to improve the quality and efficiency of the process of estimating the value of agricultural lands. The corresponding process is characterized by a high level of complexity and uncertainty due to the presence of a significant number of qualitative factors influencing the value of the land resources. The approach considered in the article makes it possible to take into account the influence of relevant qualitative factors by giving them numerical certainty through the use of fuzzy logic techniques. The proposed approach will provide an opportunity to increase the accuracy and relevance of estimating the value of land resources as of an element of enterprise potential for the making of corresponding managerial decisions. The proposed methodological approach was implemented with the use of data of agricultural enterprise, which made it possible to take into account linguistic variables (land plot size and chemical properties of the soil) when forming the managerial decisions about land plots. The decision tree was also formed, which serves as a means of supporting management decisions in the process of forming the value of agricultural lands.

STABILITY FAILURE ANALYSIS IN THE OPERATIONS OF FLOATING DRY DOCKS

The main area of this work reflects a topic for which there is little or limited reference available and is carried out to meet the needs of professional and practical floating dry dock operators. The risk of hazards in floating dry docks is evaluated using a discrete fuzzy set theory (FST) and an evidential reasoning (ER) approach in a situation where historical failure data is not available. Fuzzy set modelling is used to estimate the safety levels of the causes of basic failure events in floating dry docks due to stability concerns using the concept of linguistic variables, and provides a framework for dealing with such variables in a systematic way. The ER approach is used to synthesise the estimated safety levels of the causes of hazards/basic hazard events. The results of this work will be valuable to dry dock masters and sister maritime engineering professionals.

Aspects of linguistic ageing in literary authors across time

This work offers an investigation into linguistic changes in a corpus of literary authors hypothesised to be possibly attributable to the effects of ageing. In part, the analysis replicates an earlier study into these effects, but adds to it by explicitly analysing and modelling competing factors, specifically the influence of background language change. Our results suggest that it is likely that this underlying change in language usage is the primary force for the change observed in the linguistic variables that was previously attributed to linguistic ageing.

Development of algorithm for fuzzy art appraisal model

This paper presents an algorithm for a fuzzy art appraisal model, which is a hierarchical model based on a base price and the following adjustment. In the first step of the model, we determine the list of linguistic variables, their number, types of terms and types of membership functions for each term. Then, we analyze the subject area, process expert information and build a knowledge base containing 50 predicate rules of inference. The analysis shows that the model reflects a 4.37% error in a porcelain figurine appraisal. The paper also outlines recommendations on the implementation of the developed algorithm for fuzzy art appraisal model using Fuzzy Logic Toolbox for Matlab package and explains package limitations such as the need for strong authentication of art pieces, identification of mass artworks and a limited range of artwork that can be appraised.