A Mathematical Setting for Fuzzy Logics

Abstract

The setup of a mathematical propositional logic is given in algebraic terms, describing exactly when two choices of truth value algebras give the same logic. The propositional logic obtained when the algebra of truth values is the real numbers in the unit interval equipped with minimum, maximum and -x=1-x for conjunction, disjunction and negation, respectively, is the standard propositional fuzzy logic. This is shown to be the same as three-valued logic. The propositional logic obtained when the algebra of truth values is the set {(a, b)|a≤ b and a,b∈[0,1]} of subintervals of the unit interval with component-wise operations, is propositional interval-valued fuzzy logic. This is shown to be the same as the logic given by a certain four element lattice of truth values. Since both of these logics are equivalent to ones given by finite algebras, it follows that there are finite algorithms for determining when two statements are logically equivalent within either of these logics. On this topic, normal forms are discussed for both of these logics.