Applied Soft Computing Technologies: The Challenge of Complexity

Applying Fuzzy Sets to the SemanticWeb: The Problem of Retranslation (p. 3)

Ronald R. Yager
Machine Intelligence Institute, Iona College
New Rochelle, NY 10801

Abstract: We discuss the role of Zadeh's paradigmof computing with words on the semantic web We describe thethree important steps in using computing with words. We focuson the retranslation step, selecting a term from our prescribedvocabulary to express information represented using fuzzy sets. A number of criteria of concern in this retranslation processare introduced. Some of these criteria can be seen to correspondto a desire to accurately reflect the given information. Othercriteria may correspond to a desire, on the part provider ofthe information, to give a particular perception or "spin."We discuss some methods for combining these criteria to evaluatepotential retranslations.

Keywords: Computing with Words, Fuzzy Sets, Linguistic Approximation

1. Computing with Words and the Semantic Web

The Semantic Web is invisioned as an extension of the currentweb in which information is given well-defined meaning and semantics,better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation. Among its goals is a humanlike automated manipulation of theknowledge contained on the web. While computers are good atprocessing information, they have no understanding of the meaningand semantics of the content which greatly hinders human likemanipulation. The fulfillment of the vision of the SemanticWeb requires tools that enable the computational representationof knowledge that emulates human deep understanding. Hence enablingintelligent information processing. Fuzzy subset theory andthe related paradigm of computing with words [1-3] providetools of this nature and hence will help to enable the automatedmanipulation of human knowledge.