Hamid R. Tizhoosh

Opposition-Based Learning: A New Scheme for Machine Intelligence

Opposition-based learning as a new scheme for machine intelligence is introduced. Estimates and counter-estimates, weights and opposite weights, and actions versus counter-actions are the foundation of this new approach. Examples are provided. Possibilities for extensions of existing learning algorithms are discussed. Preliminary results are provided

Image thresholding using type II fuzzy sets

Image thresholding is a necessary task in some image processing applications. However, due to disturbing factors, e.g. non-uniform illumination, or inherent image vagueness, the result of image thresholding is not always satisfactory. In recent years, various researchers have introduced new thresholding techniques based on fuzzy set theory to overcome this problem. Regarding images as fuzzy sets (or subsets), different fuzzy thresholding techniques have been developed to remove the grayness ambiguity/vagueness during the task of threshold selection. In this paper, a new thresholding technique is introduced which processes thresholds as type II fuzzy sets. A new measure of ultrafuzziness is also introduced and experimental results using laser cladding images are provided.

A novel population initialization method for accelerating evolutionary algorithms

Population initialization is a crucial task in evolutionary algorithms because it can affect the convergence speed and also the quality of the final solution. If no information about the solution is available, then random initialization is the most commonly used method to generate candidate solutions (initial population). This paper proposes a novel initialization approach which employs opposition-based learning to generate initial population. The conducted experiments over a comprehensive set of benchmark functions demonstrate that replacing the random initialization with the opposition-based population initialization can accelerate convergence speed.

Opposition versus randomness in soft computing techniques

For many soft computing methods, we need to generate random numbers to use either as initial estimates or during the learning and search process. Recently, results for evolutionary algorithms, reinforcement learning and neural networks have been reported which indicate that the simultaneous consideration of randomness and opposition is more advantageous than pure randomness. This new scheme, called opposition-based learning, has the apparent effect of accelerating soft computing algorithms. This paper mathematically and also experimentally proves this advantage and, as an application, applies that to accelerate differential evolution (DE). By taking advantage of random numbers and their opposites, the optimization, search or learning process in many soft computing techniques can be accelerated when there is no a priori knowledge about the solution. The mathematical proofs and the results of conducted experiments confirm each other.

Opposition-Based Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning is a machine intelligence scheme for learning in highly dynamic, probabilistic environments. By interaction with the environment, reinforcement agents learn optimal control policies, especially in the absence of a priori knowledge and/or a sufficiently large amount of training data. Despite its advantages, however, reinforcement learning suffers from a major drawback – high calculation cost because convergence to an optimal solution usually requires that all states be visited frequently to ensure that policy is reliable. This is not always possible, however, due to the complex, high-dimensional state space in many applications. This paper introduces opposition-based reinforcement learning, inspired by opposition-based learning, to speed up convergence. Considering opposite actions simultaneously enables individual states to be updated more than once shortening exploration and expediting convergence. Three versions of Q-learning algorithm will be given as examples. Experimental results for the grid world problem of different sizes demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach.

Opposition-Based Differential Evolution Algorithms

Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) are well-known optimization approaches to cope with non-linear, complex problems. These population-based algorithms, however, suffer from a general weakness; they are computationally expensive due to slow nature of the evolutionary process. This paper presents some novel schemes to accelerate convergence of evolutionary algorithms. The proposed schemes employ opposition-based learning for population initialization and also for generation jumping. In order to investigate the performance of the proposed schemes, Differential Evolution (DE), an efficient and robust optimization method, has been used. The main idea is general and applicable to other population-based algorithms such as Genetic algorithms, Swarm Intelligence, and Ant Colonies. A set of test functions including unimodal and multimodal benchmark functions is employed for experimental verification. The details of proposed schemes and also conducted experiments are given. The results are highly promising.

Quasi-oppositional Differential Evolution

In this paper, an enhanced version of the opposition-based differential evolution (ODE) is proposed. ODE utilizes opposite numbers in the population initialization and generation jumping to accelerate differential evolution (DE). Instead of opposite numbers, in this work, quasi opposite points are used. So, we call the new extension quasi- oppositional DE (QODE). The proposed mathematical proof shows that in a black-box optimization problem quasi- opposite points have a higher chance to be closer to the solution than opposite points. A test suite with 15 benchmark functions has been employed to compare performance of DE, ODE, and QODE experimentally. Results confirm that QODE performs better than ODE and DE in overall. Details for the proposed approach and the conducted experiments are provided.

Opposition-Based Differential Evolution for Optimization of Noisy Problems

Differential evolution (DE) is a simple, reliable, and efficient optimization algorithm. However, it suffers from a weakness, losing the efficiency over optimization of noisy problems. In many real-world optimization problems we are faced with noisy environments. This paper presents a new algorithm to improve the efficiency of DE to cope with noisy optimization problems. It employs opposition-based learning for population initialization, generation jumping, and also improving populations best member. A set of commonly used benchmark functions is employed for experimental verification. The details of proposed algorithm and also conducted experiments are given. The new algorithm outperforms DE in terms of convergence speed.

Ignorance functions. An application to the calculation of the threshold in prostate ultrasound images

In this paper, we define the concept of an ignorance function and use it to determine the best threshold with which to binarize an image. We introduce a method to construct such functions from t-norms and automorphisms. By means of these new measures, we represent the degree of ignorance of the expert when given one fuzzy set to represent the background and another to represent the object. From this ignorance degree, we assign interval-valued fuzzy sets to the image in such a way that the best threshold is given by the interval-valued fuzzy set with the lowest associated ignorance. We prove that the proposed method provides better thresholds than the fuzzy classical methods when applied to transrectal prostate ultrasound images. The experimental results on ultrasound and natural images also allow us to determine the best choice of the function to represent the ignorance.

Fuzzy image processing

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the basic principles and potentials of state of the art fuzzy image processing that can be applied to a variety of computer vision tasks. The world is fuzzy, and so are images, projections of the real world onto the image sensor. Fuzziness quantifies vagueness and ambiguity, as opposed to crisp memberships. The types of uncertainty in images are manifold, ranging over the entire chain of processing levels, from pixel based grayness ambiguity over fuzziness in geometrical description up to uncertain knowledge in the highest processing level. The human visual system has been perfectly adapted to handle uncertain information in both data and knowledge. The interrelation of a few such “fuzzy” properties sufficiently characterizes the object of interest. Fuzzy image processing is an attempt to translate this ability of human reasoning into computer vision problems as it provides an intuitive tool for inference from imperfect data. Fuzzy image processing is special in terms of its relation to other computer vision techniques. It is not a solution for a special task, but rather describes a new class of image processing techniques. It provides a new methodology, augmenting classical logic, a component of any computer vision tool. A new type of image understanding and treatment has to be developed. Fuzzy image processing can be a single image processing routine or complement parts of a complex image processing chain.