A. Mani

A. Mani

In this research, a general theoretical framework for clustering is proposed over specific partial algebraic systems by the present author. Her theory helps in isolating minimal assumptions necessary for different concepts of clustering information in any form to be realized in a situation (and therefore in a semantics). \emph{It is well-known that of the limited number of proofs in the theory of hard and soft clustering that are known to exist, most involve statistical assumptions}. Many methods seem to work because they seem to work in specific empirical practice. A new general rough method of analyzing clusterings is invented, and this opens the subject to clearer conceptions and contamination-free theoretical proofs. Numeric ideas of validation are also proposed to be replaced by those based on general rough approximation. The essence of the approach is explained in brief and supported by an example.

A. Mani

Theories of rough mereology have originated from diverse semantic considerations from contexts relating to study of databases, to human reasoning. These ideas of origin, especially in the latter context, are intensely complex. In this research, concepts of rough contact relations are introduced and rough mereologies are situated in relation to general spatial mereology by the present author. These considerations are restricted to her rough mereologies that seek to avoid contamination.

A. Mani

Granular operator spaces and variants had been introduced and used in theoretical investigations on the foundations of general rough sets by the present author over the last few years. In this research, higher order versions of these are presented uniformly as partial algebraic systems. They are also adapted for practical applications when the data is representable by data table-like structures according to a minimalist schema for avoiding contamination. Issues relating to valuations used in information systems or tables are also addressed. The concept of contamination introduced and studied by the present author across a number of her papers, concerns mixing up of information across semantic domains (or domains of discourse). Rough inclusion functions (\textsf{RIF}s), variants, and numeric functions often have a direct or indirect role in contaminating algorithms. Some solutions that seek to replace or avoid them have been proposed and investigated by the present author in some of her earlier papers. Because multiple kinds of solution are of interest to the contamination problem, granular generalizations of RIFs are proposed, and investigated. Interesting representation results are proved and a core algebraic strategy for generalizing Skowron-Polkowski style of rough mereology (though for a very different purpose) is formulated. A number of examples have been added to illustrate key parts of the proposal in higher order variants of granular operator spaces. Further algorithms grounded in mereological nearness, suited for decision-making in human-machine interaction contexts, are proposed by the present author. Applications of granular \textsf{RIF}s to partial/soft solutions of the inverse problem are also invented in this paper.

A. Mani

Not all approximations arise from information systems. The problem of fitting approximations, subjected to some rules (and related data), to information systems in a rough scheme of things is known as the \emph{inverse problem}. The inverse problem is more general than the duality (or abstract representation) problems and was introduced by the present author in her earlier papers. From the practical perspective, a few (as opposed to one) theoretical frameworks may be suitable for formulating the problem itself. \emph{Granular operator spaces} have been recently introduced and investigated by the present author in her recent work in the context of antichain based and dialectical semantics for general rough sets. The nature of the inverse problem is examined from number-theoretic and combinatorial perspectives in a higher order variant of granular operator spaces and some necessary conditions are proved. The results and the novel approach would be useful in a number of unsupervised and semi supervised learning contexts and algorithms.

A. Mani

In one perspective, the main theme of this research revolves around the inverse problem in the context of general rough sets that concerns the existence of rough basis for given approximations in a context. Granular operator spaces and variants were recently introduced by the present author as an optimal framework for anti-chain based algebraic semantics of general rough sets and the inverse problem. In the framework, various sub-types of crisp and non-crisp objects are identifiable that may be missed in more restrictive formalism. This is also because in the latter cases concepts of complementation and negation are taken for granted - while in reality they have a complicated dialectical basis. This motivates a general approach to dialectical rough sets building on previous work of the present author and figures of opposition. In this paper dialectical rough logics are invented from a semantic perspective, a concept of dialectical predicates is formalised, connection with dialetheias and glutty negation are established, parthood analyzed and studied from the viewpoint of classical and dialectical figures of opposition by the present author. Her methods become more geometrical and encompass parthood as a primary relation (as opposed to roughly equivalent objects) for algebraic semantics.

A. Mani

The study of mereology (parts and wholes) in the context of formal approaches to vagueness can be approached in a number of ways. In the context of rough sets, mereological concepts with a set-theoretic or valuation based ontology acquire complex and diverse behavior. In this research a general rough set framework called granular operator spaces is extended and the nature of parthood in it is explored from a minimally intrusive point of view. This is used to develop counting strategies that help in classifying the framework. The developed methodologies would be useful for drawing involved conclusions about the nature of data (and validity of assumptions about it) from antichains derived from context. The problem addressed is also about whether counting procedures help in confirming that the approximations involved in formation of data are indeed rough approximations?

A. Mani

Antichain based semantics for general rough sets were introduced recently by the present author. In her paper two different semantics, one for general rough sets and another for general approximation spaces over quasi-equivalence relations, were developed. These semantics are improved and studied further from a lateral algebraic logic perspective in this research. The main results concern the structure of the algebras and deductive systems in the context.

A. Mani

The inverse problem of general rough sets, considered by the present author in some of her earlier papers, in one of its manifestations is essentially the question of when an agent's view about crisp and non crisp objects over a set of objects has a rough evolution. In this research the nature of the problem is examined from number-theoretic and combinatorial perspectives under very few assumptions about the nature of data and some necessary conditions are proved.

A. Mani

Rough sets over generalized transitive relations like proto-transitive ones had been initiated by the present author in the year 2012. Subsequently, approximation of proto-transitive relations by other relations was investigated and the relation with rough approximations was developed towards constructing semantics that can handle fragments of structure. It was also proved that difference of approximations induced by some approximate relations need not induce rough structures. In this research we develop different semantics of proto transitive rough sets (PRAX) after characterizing the structure of rough objects and also develop a theory of dependence for general rough sets and use it to internalize the Nelson-algebra based approximate semantics developed earlier. The theory of rough dependence initiated later by the present author is extended in the process. This monograph is reasonably self-contained and includes proofs and extensions of representation of objects that were not part of earlier papers.