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An interpretation of focal elements as fuzzy sets
Author(s) -
Straszecka Ewa
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of intelligent systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.291
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1098-111X
pISSN - 0884-8173
DOI - 10.1002/int.10118
Subject(s) - membership function , interpretation (philosophy) , unification , medical diagnosis , fuzzy logic , measure (data warehouse) , function (biology) , extension (predicate logic) , fuzzy set , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , truth value , algorithm , data mining , statistics , medicine , pathology , evolutionary biology , biology , programming language
This article proposes defining focal elements in the Dempster‐Shafer theory as fuzzy sets in an application to medical diagnosis support. Membership functions for medical parameters of “fuzzy” nature are constructed. A diagnosis support consists of Bel measure calculation only for these focal elements that have membership function values grater than a “truth” threshold. Coherence between membership function shapes and the truth threshold is shown and a new way of membership function designing is proposed. An extension of the “truth” threshold for nonfuzzy focal elements is proposed that make a unification of symptoms interpretation during diagnosis support possible. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.