Contributions to fuzzy object comparison and applications. Similarity measures for fuzzy and heterogeneous data and their applications.

This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge in the fi eld of data objects' comparison where the objects are described by attributes of fuzzy or heterogeneous (numeric and symbolic) data types. Many real world database systems and applications require information management components that provide support for managing such imperfect and heterogeneous data objects. For example, with new online information made available from various sources, in semi-structured, structured or unstructured representations, new information usage and search algorithms must consider where such data collections may contain objects/records with di fferent types of data: fuzzy, numerical and categorical for the same attributes. New approaches of similarity have been presented in this research to support such data comparison. A generalisation of both geometric and set theoretical similarity models has enabled propose new similarity measures presented in this thesis, to handle the vagueness (fuzzy data type) within data objects. A framework of new and unif ied similarity measures for comparing heterogeneous objects described by numerical, categorical and fuzzy attributes has also been introduced. Examples are used to illustrate, compare and discuss the applications and e fficiency of the proposed approaches to heterogeneous data comparison.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Bradford

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Bashon, Yasmina M.

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Neagu, Ciprian Daniel
• Ridley, Mick J.

• Similarity Measures
• Fuzzy Geometrical Similarity Model
• Fuzzy Set-Theoretical Similarity Model
• Fuzzy objects
• Heterogeneous data
• Fuzzy attributes
• Numerical attributes
• Categorical attributes
• Data objects
• Comparison

Statement dc:rights

• <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/handle/10454/6305.2

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/6305.2