Soft Computing Tools and Pattern Recognition

Abstract

Relevance of different soft computing tools e.g., fuzzy sets, artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms to pattern recognition problems is explained. Their distinguishing characteristics and roles in the soft computing framework are stated. Genetic algorithmic approach, being relatively new to the pattern recognition community, is paid more attention. A classification methodology based on this approach is described in detail along with its different features and a comparison in performance with the related methods. The effect of incorporating variable string length and differentiation in chromosome is discussed. Relation with Bayes decision boundary and analogy with multilayer perceptron based classification are explained. Finally, the merits of integrating the different soft computing tools for designing an efficient decision making system are stated with some application specific examples on neuro-fuzzy and neurogenetic approaches. Scope for further research is outlined. An extensive bibliography is also provided.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sankar K Pal

Sankar K Pal is a Professor and Founding Head of Machine Intelligence Unit at the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta. He obtained MTech and PhD in Radiophysics and Electronics in 1974 and 1979 respectively, from the university of Calcutta, India. In 1982 he received another PhD in Electrical Engineering along with DIC from Imperial College, University of London. In 1986 he was awarded Fulbright Post-doctoral Visiting Fellowship to work at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. In 1989 he received an NRC-NASA Senior Research Award to work at the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA. He is appointed a Distinguished Visitor of IEEE Computer Society (USA) for the Asia-Pacific Region.

He received the 1990 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Engineering Sciences, 1993 Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, 1993 Vikram Sarabhai Research Award, 1993 NASA Tech Brief Award, 1994 IEEE Transaction on Neural Networks outstanding paper Award, 1995 NASA Patent Application Award, and 1997 IETE—Ram Lal Wadhwa Gold Medal. His research interests mainly include Pattern Recogntion, Image Processing, Neural Nets, Genetic Algorithms, and Fuzzy Sets and Systems. He is a co-author of the book Fuzzy Mathematical Approach to Pattern Recognition, John Wiley & Sons (Halsted), NY, 1986 and a co-editor of three books Fuzzy Models for Pattern Recognition, IEEE Press, NY, 1992, Genetic Algorithms for Pattern Recognition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1996, and Rough-Fuzzy Hybridization: New Trend in Decision Making, Springer Verlag, Signapore 1998.

Prof. Pal is a Fellow of the IEEE, USA, Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, India, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Engineers, India, and the IETE, a Member, Executive Advisory Editorial Board, IEEE Trans Fuzzy Systems and International Journal of Approximate Reasoning, North Holland, and an Associate Editor, IEEE Trans Neural Networks, Pattern Recognition Letters, Neurocomputing, Applied Intelligence, information Sciences: Applications, Int. J. Knowledge Based Intell Engg Syst., and Far-East Journal of Mathematical Sciences. He was also the guest editor of IEEE Computer special issue on Neural Networks: Theory and Practice, March 1996, and JIETE special issue on Neural Networks, July-October, 1996.