Type-2 fuzzy neural networks with fuzzy clustering and differential evolution optimization

In many real-world problems involving pattern recognition, system identification and modeling, control, decision making, and forecasting of time-series, available data are quite often of uncertain nature. An interesting alternative is to employ type-2 fuzzy sets, which augment fuzzy models with expressive power to develop models, which efficiently capture the factor of uncertainty. The three-dimensional membership functions of type-2 fuzzy sets offer additional degrees of freedom that make it possible to directly and more effectively account for model’s uncertainties. Type-2 fuzzy logic systems developed with the aid of evolutionary optimization forms a useful modeling tool subsequently resulting in a collection of efficient “If-Then” rules. The type-2 fuzzy neural networks take advantage of capabilities of fuzzy clustering by generating type-2 fuzzy rule base, resulting in a small number of rules and then optimizing membership functions of type-2 fuzzy sets present in the antecedent and consequent parts of the rules. The clustering itself is realized with the aid of differential evolution. Several examples, including a benchmark problem of identification of nonlinear system, are considered. The reported comparative analysis of experimental results is used to quantify the performance of the developed networks.