Paradigm shift - an introduction to fuzzy logic

FUZZY LOGIC SUGGESTS inaccuracy and imprecision. Webster's dictionary defines the word fuzzy as " not clear, distinct, or precise; blurred. " In a broad sense, fuzzy logic refers to fuzzy sets, which are sets with blurred boundaries, and, in a narrow sense, fuzzy logic is a logical system that aims to formalize approximate reasoning. Fuzzy logic is an approach to computer science that mimics the way a human brain thinks and solves problems. The idea of fuzzy logic is to approximate human decision making using natural language terms instead of quantitative terms. It is formally defined as a form of knowledge representation suitable for notions that cannot be defined precisely, but which depend upon their contexts. It enables computerized devices to reason more like humans. Fuzzy-logic technology has created a paradigm shift evident through many scientific and industrial applications. Interestingly, fuzzy science started in the questioning minds of philosophers. Confused and inquisitive , from Buddha, to Aristotle, to Plato, these ancient philosophers were constantly searching for a " rule of law " beyond true or false. Observing that computer logic was incapable of representing subjective ideas such as " very hot " or " very cold, " in 1965, Zadeh published his ideas of fuzzy set theory that made it possible for computers to distinguish between different shades of gray, similar to the process of human reasoning. He described fuzzy mathematics, devising precise rules for combining vague expressions such as " somewhat fast, " " very hot, " and " usually wrong, " which are particularly useful for controlling robots, machine tools, and various electronic systems. Prof. Terano was inspired by Zadeh's work and introduced fuzzy logic to the Japanese scientific community in 1972. As Bart Kosko, a Zadeh protégé and a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California said: " Fuzziness begins where Western logic ends. " Japan embraced the technology and adapted it to physical control systems. In 1980, F.L. Smidth & Co. of Copenhagen began marketing the first commercial fuzzy expert system: a computer program that controlled the fuel-intake rate and gas flow of a rotating kiln used to make cement. From Hitachi's subway system, to Nissan's fuzzy auto transmission and antiskid braking systems , to Yamaichi Security's fuzzy stock-market investment program for signaling shifts in market sentiment, to Matsushita's fuzzy automobile-traffic controller, Japan has been taking the lead in fuzzy-logic research and development …