Introduction to Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Logic, and Fuzzy Control Systems

Abstract

This textbook is an enlarged and enhanced version of the authors’ lecture notes used for a graduate course in fuzzy sets, fuzzy logic, fuzzy systems, and fuzzy control theories. This course has been taught for seven years at the University of Houston, with emphasis on fuzzy systems and fuzzy control, regarding both basic mathematical theories and their potential engineering applications. The word “fuzzy” is perhaps no longer fuzzy to many engineers today. Introduced in the earlier 1970s, fuzzy systems and fuzzy control theories as an emerging technology targeting industrial applications have added a promising new dimension to the existing domain of conventional control systems engineering. It is now a common belief that when a complex physical system does not provide a set of differential or difference equations as a precise or reasonably accurate mathematical model, particularly when the system description requires certain human experience in linguistic terms, fuzzy systems and fuzzy control theories have some salient features and distinguishing merits over many other approaches.