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Many Maybes Mean (Mostly) the Same Thing

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Soft Computing in Software Engineering

Part of the book series: Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing ((STUDFUZZ,volume 159))

Abstract

At the core of soft computing is the intuition that from imprecise knowledge, we can still make reasonable inferences. This paper offers experimental and mathematical evidence for this intuition. Based on a literature review and a newly developed mathematics of “reachability”, it is argued that searches through a space containing uncertainties, most of the reachable conclusions will be reached via a small number of “master variables” in a “narrow funnel”. Such narrow funnels can be found using very simple randomized search methods.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lane Department of Computer Science, Department of Statistics, West Virginia University, USA

    Tim Menzies & Harhsinder Singh

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  1. Tim Menzies
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  2. Harhsinder Singh
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Polo die Crema, Universita Milano, Via Bramante 65, 26013, Crema, Italy

    Ernesto Damiani  & Mauro Madravio  & 

  2. Knowledge-Based Intelligent, Engineering Systems Centre, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, 5095, Adelaide, Australia

    Lakhmi C. Jain

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Menzies, T., Singh, H. (2004). Many Maybes Mean (Mostly) the Same Thing. In: Damiani, E., Madravio, M., Jain, L.C. (eds) Soft Computing in Software Engineering. Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing, vol 159. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-44405-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-44405-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-53583-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-44405-3

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