Fuzzy Set Theory in Real-World Knowledge and Medical Diagnosis Process

Abstract

Fuzzy set theory has a number of properties that make it suitable for formalizing the uncertain information upon which medical diagnosis and treatment is usually based. Firstly, it allows us to define inexact medical entities as fuzzy sets. Secondly, it provides a linguistic approach with an excellent approximation to texts. Finally, fuzzy logic offers powerful reasoning methods capable of drawing approximate inferences. These facts suggest that fuzzy set theory might be a suitable basis for the development of a computerized diagnosis and treatment- recommendation system. This is borne out by trials performed with the medical expert system CADIAG- 2, which uses fuzzy set theory to formalize medical relationships