Berlin Wu

In many practical situations, we are interested in statistics characterizing a population of objects: e.g. in the mean height of people from a certain area. Most algorithms for estimating such statistics assume that the sample values are exact. In practice, sample values come from measurements, and measurements are never absolutely accurate. Sometimes, we know the exact probability distribution of the measurement inaccuracy, but often, we only know the upper bound on this inaccuracy. In this case, we have interval uncertainty: e.g. if the measured value is 1.0, and inaccuracy is bounded by 0.1, then the actual (unknown) value of the quantity can be anywhere between 1.0 - 0.1 = 0.9 and 1.0 + 0.1 = 1.1. In other cases, the values are expert estimates, and we only have fuzzy information about the estimation inaccuracy. This book shows how to compute statistics under such interval and fuzzy uncertainty. The resulting methods are applied to computer science (optimal scheduling of different processors), to information technology (maintaining privacy), to computer engineering (design of computer chips), and to data processing in geosciences, radar imaging, and structural mechanics.

In many practical situations, we are interested in statistics characterizing a population of objects: e.g. in the mean height of people from a certain area. Most algorithms for estimating such statistics assume that the sample values are exact. In practice, sample values come from measurements, and measurements are never absolutely accurate. Sometimes, we know the exact probability distribution of the measurement inaccuracy, but often, we only know the upper bound on this inaccuracy. In this case, we have interval uncertainty: e.g. if the measured value is 1.0, and inaccuracy is bounded by 0.1, then the actual (unknown) value of the quantity can be anywhere between 1.0 - 0.1 = 0.9 and 1.0 + 0.1 = 1.1. In other cases, the values are expert estimates, and we only have fuzzy information about the estimation inaccuracy. This book shows how to compute statistics under such interval and fuzzy uncertainty. The resulting methods are applied to computer science (optimal scheduling of different processors), to information technology (maintaining privacy), to computer engineering (design of computer chips), and to data processing in geosciences, radar imaging, and structural mechanics.

This research monograph presents basic foundational aspects for a theory of statistics with fuzzy data, together with a set of practical applications. Fuzzy data are modeled as observations from random fuzzy sets. Theories of fuzzy logic and of random closed sets are used as basic ingredients in building statistical concepts and procedures in the context of imprecise data, including coarse data analysis. The monograph also aims at motivating statisticians to look at fuzzy statistics to enlarge the domain of applicability of statistics in general. Hung T. Nguyen is a professor of Mathematical Sciences at New Mexico State University, USA. Berlin Wu is a professor of Mathematical Sciences at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan.

This research monograph presents basic foundational aspects for a theory of statistics with fuzzy data, together with a set of practical applications. Fuzzy data are modeled as observations from random fuzzy sets. Theories of fuzzy logic and of random closed sets are used as basic ingredients in building statistical concepts and procedures in the context of imprecise data, including coarse data analysis. The monograph also aims at motivating statisticians to look at fuzzy statistics to enlarge the domain of applicability of statistics in general. Hung T. Nguyen is a professor of Mathematical Sciences at New Mexico State University, USA. Berlin Wu is a professor of Mathematical Sciences at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan.