What Is Fuzzy Logic?

By Author: Jason john
Total Articles: 85
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In this present age that has both atomic warfares and artificial intelligence, being in front of modern computers make up the most of people's daily itinerary. They are present in each and every spectrum of people's day-to-day and social experience. People of the 20th century need and deal more with bits and bytes and artificial intelligence more than ever each passing day; and of course, out of machine dependence, there are still problems that are related to engineering.

This is one example of such modern-age dilemma: Improved and optimal controller performance is always needed. Engineers and technocrats have come up with a solution, using what is called the Fuzzy Logic controller. It can be found on most machines nowadays, such as washing machines and computer softwares. Generally, it is performing better than most conventional controller in terms of speed and efficiency.

So, essentially, what is Fuzzy Logic? It is a form of multi-valued logic, wherein there is an infinite number of available values; it is contrary to two-valued (true and false) and three-valued logics (true, false and unknown) logics. Introduced ...
... by Lofti Zadeh in the 1960s, the Fuzzy Logic is derived from what is called the Fuzzy Set Theory. It will take great lengths to discuss this abstruse subject; but what can be surmised here is that with Fuzzy Logic's way of assessing elements, it is used in fields where information is imprecise and incomplete (hence the word 'fuzzy'), such genealogical research and bioinformatics. It is essentially a tool for solving uncertainty and vagueness. Now this is where the philosophy of logic is applied to computer technology. But the basic idea here is that in each uncertainties and vagueness, and the corresponding actions thereby, are must be first assigned with values; the computer then does the work. Because ambiguity is intrinsic in many engineering problems, Fuzzy Logic then emerged into artificial intelligence and information technology in the late 80s and early 90s. Hence the 'Fuzzy Logic' logo in washing machines and other devices.

So how does this Fuzzy Logic work? Essentially, it resembles human decision-making ability uses many complex values and abstractions that come from human knowledge and experience (for example in an air-conditioner, values can be setup as 'very hot, hot, cold, very cold'). Then from such rather inexact values and approximate data, the Fuzzy Logic controller can derive precise solutions.

The rules of the Fuzzy Logic are usually in the form: IF variable IS property THEN action. The values of variables and properties for each actions are all assigned by the engineers. Deriving from that expression, the values for example of a simple temperature regulator in an air-conditioner will look like this (where the temperature is the property): IF temperature IS hot THEN speed up aircon; IF temperature IS normal THEN maintain level; IF temperature IS cold THEN turn down aircon; IF temperature IS very cold THEN stop aircon. That is the very basic idea of Fuzzy Logic.