ADVANCES IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS 3, 430--434 (1982)
Integration on Fuzzy Sets*
MADAN L. PURI
Department of Mathematics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
AND
DAN A. RALESCU
Department of Mathematics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221
In this paper we define the integral of a function on a fuzzy set. Such an integral
generalizes the integral over ordinary (nonfuzzy) sets. Some of the basic properties of
this integral are stated. The main result shows that under suitable hypotheses, the
integral on a fuzzy set equals the integral over some level set. Some applications are
indicated.
l. INTRODUCTION
The concept of fuzzy set as introduced by Zadeh [7] was proved to be
useful in modelling inexact systems [2], where subjective judgments and the
nonstatistical nature of inexactness make classical methods of probability
theory unsuitable. The concept of fuzzy integral as developed in [5] and [3]
has been used in the problems of optimization with inexact constraints
[6, 4].
In this paper we define the integral of a (measurable) function over a
fuzzy set. The measure with respect to which this integral is defined is a
classical measure.
Throughout this paper, (X, d~,/~) will denote a measure space consisting
of a set X, a o-algebra ~ of subsets of X, and a positive measure/~ on ft.. If
f- X---, [0, o¢] is a positive extended real-valued measurable function, we
denote the integral of f w.r.t./~ by fxfdtt. Also fafd~ = fxfXAdl ~, where
XA is the indicator (characteristic) function of A ~ d~.
A fuzzy subset of X (or fuzzy set) is a function u: X ---, [0, 1]. Let F(X)
denote the set of all fuzzy subsets of X. It is well known [2] that F(X) is a
*Research supported by the National Science Foundation Grant IST-7918468.
430
0196-8858/82/040430-0550500/0
Copyright © 1982 by Academic Press, Inc.
All fights of reproduction in any form reserved.