C++ Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic: Preface

Possibility Distributions

As an alternative to using similarity relations for introducing fuzziness into a database model, you can,

following Umano, et al., use a possibility distribution−relational model. The possibility distributions

represent the fuzzy values of attributes in the data. An example of a possibility distribution is the fuzzy set you

saw before, nov_rarely = {0.7/1, 0.2/2}, where nov_rarely stands for number of visits considered to be

“rarely.”

C++ Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic:Preface

Possibility Distributions

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Example

An example of a database on the lines of this model is shown in Table 16.7:

Table 16.7 Example of Possibility Distribution Relational Model

NameNumber of Visits Outside the U.S.CitizenshipName of Companion on Latest Visit

Peter3U.S.Barbara

Roberto{10, 11}

p

SpainAnne

Andre2unknownCarol

Raj14{India, U.S.}

p

Uma

AlanunknownU.S.undefined

JamesmanyU.K.null

A standard database cannot look like this. Entries like many and {10, 11}