A Comparison Between the Centroid and the Yager Index Rank for Type Reduction of an Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Number

Context: There is a need for ranking and defuzzification of Interval Type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FS), in particular Interval Type-2 fuzzy numbers (IT2FN). To do so, we use the classical Yager Index Rank (YIR) for fuzzy sets to IT2FNs in order to find an alternative to the centroid of an IT2FN. Method: We use a simulation strategy to compare the results of the centroid and the YIR of an IT2FN. This way, we simulate 1000 IT2FNs of the following three kinds: gaussian, triangular, and non symmetrical in order to compare their centroids and YIRs. Results: After performing the simulations, we compute some statistics about its behavior such as the degree of subsethood, equality and the size of the Footprint of Uncertainty (FOU) of an IT2FN. A description of the obtained results shows that the YIR is less wide than centroid of an IT2FN. Conclusions: In general, YIR is less complex to obtain than the centroid of an IT2FN, which is highly desirable in practical applications such as fuzzy decision making and control. Some other properties regarding its size and location are also discussed