Interpretability of fuzzy information granules

Abstract

Human-Centric Information Processing requires tight communication processes between users and computers. These two actors, however, traditionally use different paradigms for representing and manipulating information. Users are more inclined in managing perceptual information, usually expressed in natural language, whilst computers are formidable number-crunching systems, capable of manipulating information expressed in precise form. Fuzzy information granules could be used as a common interface for communicating information and knowledge, because of their ability of representing perceptual information in a computer manageable form. Nonetheless, this connection could be established only if information granules are interpretable, i.e. they are semantically co-intensive with human knowledge. Interpretable information granulation opens several methodological issues, regarding the representation and manipulation of information granules, the interpretability constraints and the granulation processes. By taking into account all such issues, effective Information Processing systems could be designed with a strong Human-Centric imprint. © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.