Fuzzy sets and systems ' . Theory and applications

This book effectively constitutes a detailed annotated bibliography in quasitextbook style of the some thousand contributions deemed by Messrs. Dubois and Prade to belong to the area of fuzzy set theory and its applications or interactions in a wide spectrum of scientific disciplines. The individual with an existing research commitment in this area will find the book competently written and an invaluable time-saver in developing an awareness of existing literature in English, French or German although the emphasis reflects, heavily at times, the authors' favorite topics. The mathematician wishing to precipitate out the mathematical and conceptual core of fuzzy set theory will find it frustrating reading, however. As I see it, the difficulty lies with how the subject is defined. Fuzzy set theory is not well delineated mathematically. It is determined by a set of papers which either have the word 'fuzzy' in the title or are authored by someone who has written such a paper. I am somewhat horrified that the authors include a bibhography specifically entitled 'nonfuzzy literature'. The dangerous insularity of the field has been noted in [1,17]. It seems justifiable, then, to direct this review in large part to fuzzy set theory generally.