1965:
Professor Lotfi A. Zadeh invents fuzzy sets, the basis of fuzzy
logic
by David Pescovitz
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UC
Berkeley professor of computer science Lotfi A.
Zadeh
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The world is
not black and white. For instance, concepts like "tall" or "short" are
not based on Aristotelian "either/or" logic. Historically,
computers, which operate based on "true of false" approaches,
have had problems with questions that involve "degrees of
truth." But with his seminal 1965 scientific paper "Fuzzy
Sets," UC Berkeley professor of computer science Lotfi A.
Zadeh invented a new approach to help computers deal with the real
world.
"A basic difference between fuzzy logic and other logical
systems is that in fuzzy logic, everything is, or is allowed to
be, a matter
of degree," Zadeh says.
Now, fuzzy logic is found in myriad applications and everyday products,
from traffic signals and subway systems to television sets and
washing machines. Fuzzy logic was born from Zadeh's work on natural
language recognition, exploring computer systems that can handle
the uncertainty of human language.
"Humans make decisions with perceptions rather than measurements," Zadeh
has said. "When you are driving a car, your decisions are
based on your perceptions, not on precise calculations of speed,
time and distance. Humans have a remarkable ability to make a wide
variety of decisions based on perceptions."
While fuzzy logic's departure from "either/or" logic
into a model of "a little of this/a little of that" was
initially met with skepticism, especially in the West, its impact
is now worldwide. In the US alone, 1,700 patents related to fuzzy
logic have been granted, while in Japan, where Zadeh's approach
proliferated more quickly, 4,801 were issued. For example, traffic
lights that self-adjust based on traffic flow are based on fuzzy
logic, as are the loading sensors in some washing machines, the
contrast control in many television sets, and medical devices like
blood pressure monitors.
"Instead of setting the controls of a camera for exposure,
shutter speed, color balance and flash, you just aim it and the
camera
decides what to do," he said.
Zadeh joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1959 and served as its
chairman from 1963 to 1968. He has also received honorary doctorates
from more than a dozen institutions. Zadeh's work has been recognized
with many awards including the IEEE Medal of Honor, the ACM 2000
Allen Newell Award, the Okawa Prize, and the Honda Prize, all for
his development of fuzzy logic.
"Fuzzy logic is used to make machines smarter," Zadeh
said. "It
increases their machine IQ."
Lotfi
Zadeh and the Berkeley Initiative in Soft Computing (BISC)
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Updated 1/01/04.
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