Research on Advanced Soft Computing and its Applications (Introduction to the Special Issue)

The main objective for the research presented in this special issue is to advance theoretical basis in soft computing, for the purpose of improving applications. Why is this theoretical research needed? Because soft computing in general (and intelligent control and decision making in particular) are, in many aspects, still an art. To make this methodology easier to apply, we must use the experience of successful applications of fuzzy control, decision making or classification and extract formal rules that would capture this experience. To be able to do that efficiently, we must understand why some versions of soft computing methodology turned out to be more successful in some practical situations and less successful in others. In other words, to advance the practical success of soft computing methodology, we need further theoretical analysis of soft computing --- analysis targeted at enhancing its application abilities