INTRODUCTION TO SOFT COMPUTING

• Concept of computation
• Hard computing
• Soft computing
• How soft computing?
• Hard computing vs. Soft computing
• Hybrid computing

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CONCEPT OF COMPUTATION

Antecedent Computing Consequent

Control Action

Figure: Basic of computing

is a mapping function.
is also called a formal method or an algorithm to solve a problem.
Important characteristics of computing

• Should provide precise solution.

• Control action should ne unambiguous and accurate.
• Suitable for problem, which is easy to model mathematically.

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Hard computing

• In 1996, L. A. Zade (LAZ) introduced the term hard computing.

• According to LAZ: We term a computing as Hard computing, if
 Precise result is guaranteed.
 Control action is unambiguous.
 Control action is formally defined (i.e., with mathematical model or
algorithm).

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Examples of hard computing

• Solving numerical problems (e.g., roots of polynomials,

integration, etc.).
• Searching and sorting techniques.
• Solving computational geometry problems (e.g., shortest tour in
a graph, finding closet pair of points given a set of points, etc.).

• many more…

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Soft computing
• The term soft computing was proposed by the inventor of
fuzzy logic, Lotfi A. Zadeh. He describes it as follows.
Definition 1: Soft computing
Soft computing is a collection of methodologies that aim to exploit the
tolerance for imprecision and uncertainty to achieve tractability, robustness,
and low solution cost. Its principal constituents are fuzzy logic, neuro-
computing, and probabilistic reasoning. The role model for soft computing is
the human mind.

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Characteristics of soft computing
• It does not require any mathematical modeling of problem solving.

• It may not yield the precise solution.

• Algorithms are adaptive (i.e., it can adjust to the change of dynamic

environment).

• Use some biological inspired methodologies such as genetics, evolution,

Ant’s behaviors, particles swarming, human nervous system, etc.).

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Basic Components
• Machine Learning
• Fuzzy Logic
• Evolutionary Algorithms
• Probabilistic Reasoning

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Examples of soft computing

Soft
computing

Example: Hand written character recognition

(Artificial Neural Networks)

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Examples of soft computing

Soft Bank with

computing maximum return

Example: Money allocation problem

(Evolutionary Computing)

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Examples of soft computing

Example: Robot movement

(Fuzzy Logic)

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How soft computing?
• How a student learns from his teacher?
• Teacher asks questions and tell the answers then.

• Teacher puts questions and hints answers and asks whether the answers
are correct or not.

• Student thus learn a topic and store in his memory.

• Based on the knowledge he solves new problems.

• This is the way how human brain works.

• Based on this concept Artificial Neural Network is used to solve problems.13

How soft computing?
• How world selects the best?
• It starts with a population (random).
• Reproduces another population (next generation).
• Rank the population and selects the superior individuals.
• Genetic algorithm is based on this natural phenomena.
• Population is synonymous to solutions.

• Selection of superior solution is synonymous to exploring the optimal

solution.
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How soft computing?
• How a doctor treats his patient?
• Doctor asks the patient about suffering.
• Doctor find the symptoms of diseases.
• Doctor prescribed tests and medicines.
• This is exactly the way Fuzzy Logic works.
• Symptoms are correlated with diseases with uncertainty .

• Doctor prescribes tests/medicines fuzzily.

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How soft computing?
Automotive Speed Controller- Fuzzy Logic
• IF speed is TOO SLOW and acceleration is DECELERATING , THEN INCREASE
POWER GREATLY
• IF speed is SLOW and acceleration is DECREASING , THEN INCREASE POWER
SLIGHTLY
• IF distance is CLOSE, THEN DECREASE POWER SLIGHTLY

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Hard computing vs. Soft computing
Hard computing Soft computing
 It requires a precisely stated  It is tolerant of imprecision,
analytical model and often a lot of uncertainty, partial truth, and
computation time. approximation.
 It is based on binary logic, crisp  It is based on fuzzy logic, neural nets
systems, numerical analysis and crisp and probabilistic reasoning.
software.
 It has the characteristics of precision  It has the characteristics of
and categoricity. approximation and dispositionality.

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Hard computing vs. Soft computing

Hard computing Soft computing

 It is deterministic.  It incorporates stochasticity.
 It requires exact input data.  It can deal with ambiguous and
noisy data.
 It is strictly sequential.  It allows parallel computations.
 It produces precise answers.  It can yield approximate answers

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Hybrid computing
• It is a combination of the conventional hard computing and
emerging soft computing.

HC SC

Hybrid computing

Figure: Concept of Hybrid Computing

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