No abstract

Decision making using fuzzy soft set (FSS) and its extensions has become the most significant research area in the age of uncertainty. In this article, the authors survey the evolution of fuzzy soft sets (FSSs) during the last decade and a half (2001-2015) to analyze the impact of FSS and its extension in the decision-making paradigm. Based on some selected journals, conferences, and online databases, this article classifies the decision-making process mainly into ten different categories, which are based on different types of FSSs. This article briefly explores each individual category by mentioning the theoretical/algorithmic approaches proposed by the respected authors. Furthermore, all papers are categorized with respect to publication year, published journal, application type, and decision-making criteria. This literature survey provides a platform to the researchers to find out the dimensions of future research works in FSSs by analyzing the present state and potential areas.

With the rapid upliftment of technology, there has emerged a dire need to 'fine-tune' or 'optimize' certain processes, software, models or structures, with utmost accuracy and efficiency. Optimization algorithms are preferred over other methods of optimization through experimentation or simulation, for their generic problem-solving abilities and promising efficacy with the least human intervention. In recent times, the inducement of natural phenomena into algorithm design has immensely triggered the efficiency of optimization process for even complex multi-dimensional, non-continuous, non-differentiable and noisy problem search spaces. This chapter deals with the Swarm intelligence (SI) based algorithms or Swarm Optimization Algorithms, which are a subset of the greater Nature Inspired Optimization Algorithms (NIOAs). Swarm intelligence involves the collective study of individuals and their mutual interactions leading to intelligent behavior of the swarm. The chapter presents various population-based SI algorithms, their fundamental structures along with their mathematical models.

No abstract