Fuzzy qualitative simulation

The theory of fuzzy sets and the development of qualitative reasoning have had similar motivations: coping with complexity in reasoning about the properties of physical systems. An approach is described that utilizes fuzzy sets to develop a fuzzy qualitative simulation algorithm that allows a semiquantitative extension to qualitative simulation, providing three significant advantages over existing techniques. Firstly, it allows a more detailed description of physical variables, through an arbitrary, but finite, discretisation of the quantity space. The adoption of fuzzy sets also allows common-sense knowledge to be represented in defining values through the use of graded membership, enabling the subjective element in system modelling to be incorporated and reasoned with in a formal way. Secondly, the fuzzy quantity space allows more detailed description of functional relationships in that both strength and sign information can be represented by fuzzy relations holding against two or multivariables. Thirdly, the quantity space allows ordering information on rates of change to be used to compute temporal durations of the state and the possible transitions. Thus, an ordering of the evolution of the states and the associated temporal durations are obtained. This knowledge is used to develop an effective temporal filter that significantly reduces the number of spurious behaviors. Experimental results with the algorithm are presented and comparison with other recently proposed methods is made.