Citation
Liu, S. (2016), "Editorial", Grey Systems: Theory and Application, Vol. 6 No. 3, pp. 426-428. https://doi.org/10.1108/GS-08-2016-0024
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Editorial for definitions of key terms in grey systems theory
The grey systems theory, established by Julong Deng in 1982, is a new methodology that focusses on the study of problems involving small data and poor information. It deals with uncertain systems with partially known information through generating, excavating, and extracting useful information from what is available. So, systems’ operational behaviours and their laws of evolution can be correctly described and effectively monitored. In the natural world, uncertain systems with small data and poor information exist commonly. That fact determines the wide range of applicability of grey systems theory.
Since 1982, it gradually moves towards a mature period for grey system theory to grow from adolescence to young excessive. In the meantime, people reached a consensus on most of definitions of key terms in grey systems theory, the grey systems theory has formed a system structure that is generally accepted, and become a course at many universities all around the world. As an emerging discipline, the grey system theory is standing in the science forest with its strong vitality.
But in accordance with the laws of scientific development, a new subject needs to go through several generations of continuous work, and several decades or even a 100 years before it becomes mature. The theory of grey system has just been developed over 30 years, it has successful applications in many countries of the world, and has achieved a large number of achievements. However, it still needs a long way to go for further developments and improvements.
At the recent conference on grey systems and uncertainty analysis, many of our colleagues suggested that we should present definitions of key terms in grey systems theory because there are several different definitions of some terms in grey systems theory. They thought that unified definitions of key terms would be beneficial. Therefore, we have prepared the definitions of key terms. It includes 100 terms and divided into nine parts:
concepts and fundamental principles of grey systems;
grey numbers and its operations;
sequence operators and grey data mining;
grey incidence analysis models;
grey clustering evaluation models;
grey forecasting models;
combined grey models;
grey models for decision making; and
grey control system.
Further reading
Deng, J.L. (1985), Grey Control Systems, Press of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (in Chinese).
Deng, J.L. (1990), A Course in Grey Systems Theory, Press of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (in Chinese).
Liu, S., Tao, L., Xie, N. and Yang, Y. (2016a), “On the new model System and framework of grey system theory”, The Journal of Grey System, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 1-15.
Liu, S., Yingjie, Y., Naiming, X. and Jeffrey, F. (2016), “New progress of grey system theory in the new millennium”, Grey Systems Theory and Application, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 2-31.
Liu, S.F. (2016b), Grey System Theory and its Application, 8th ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Liu, S.F. and Guo, T.B. (1991), Grey Systems Theory and Applications, Press of Henan University, Kaifeng.
Liu, S.F. and Lin, Y. (1998), An Introduction to Grey Systems: Foundations, Methodology and Applications, IIGSS Academic publisher, Grove City, PA.
Liu, S.F. and Lin, Y. (2006), Grey Information: Theory and Practical Applications, Springer-Verlag, London Ltd, London.
Liu, S.F. and Lin, Y. (2010), Advance in Grey Systems Research, Springer-Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg.
Liu, S.F. and Lin, Y. (2011), Grey Systems Theory and Applications, Springer-Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg.
Liu, S.F. and Xie, N.M. (2008), Grey System Theory and its Application, 4th ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Liu, S.F. and Xie, N.M. (2012), Grey System Theory and its Application, 6th ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Liu, S.F., Dang, Y.G. and Fang, Z.G. (2004), Grey System Theory and its Application, 3rd ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Liu, S.F., Guo, T.B. and Dang, Y.G. (1999), Grey Systems Theory and Applications, 2nd ed., Science Press, Beijing.
Liu, S.F., Yang, Y.J. and Wu, L.F. (2014), Grey System Theory and its Application, 7th ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Liu, S.F., Dang, Y.G., Fang, Z.G. and Xie, N.M. (2010), Grey System Theory and its Application, 5th ed., Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Sifeng, L., Jeffrey, F. and Yingjie, Y. (2015), “Grey system: thinking, methods, and models with applications”, in Zhou, M., Li, H. and Weijnen, M. (Eds), Contemporary Issues in Systems Science and Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 153-224.
Sifeng, L., Yingjie, Y. and Jeffrey, F. (2016), Grey Data Analysis: Methods, Models and Applications, Springer-Verlag, Singapore.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship under the seventh Framework Programme of the European Union, entitled “Grey systems and its application to data mining and decision support” (Grant No. FP7-PEOPLE-IIF-GA-2013-629051). It is also supported by a joint project of both the NSFC and the RS of the UK entitled “Grey system theory and computational intelligence” (71111130211), a project of the Leverhulme Trust International Network entitled “Grey systems and its applications” (IN-2014-020), and projects linked to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71671091, 91324003, 90924022, 70473037, 70971064). Also, the authors would like to acknowledge the support provided by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (NP2015208), the Foundation for National Outstanding Teaching Group of China (No. 10td128), the Foundation for Doctoral Programs (Grant No. 20020287001, 200802870020, 20093218120032) and the Key Project of Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK2003211). The Science Foundation for the Excellent and Creative group in Science and Technology (on Grey System) of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Jiangsu Province (No.Y0553-091), and the Foundation for the Excellent Young Scientists in Henan Province (No. 964040600) have also provided their support. Over the years, the research has been highly commended by many first class scholars, such as Julong Deng, the founder of grey system theory, L.A. Zadeh, the Founder of fuzzy mathematics, Hermann Haken, the Founder of Synergetics, James Tien, Former Vice-President of IEEE and Member of the American Academy of Engineering, Robert Vallee, the President of the World Organization of Cybernetics and Systems and a Member of the French-Speaking Academy of Engineers, K.W. Hipel, the President of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada, Jifa Gu, Former President of the International Federation for Systems Research, and Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, such as Qun Lin, Da Chen, Chunsheng Zhao, Haiyan Hu, Suzi Yang, Youlun Xiong, Zhongtuo Wang, Shanlin Yang, Guozhi Xu, and others. Xuesen Qian, a world renowned scientist, has also congratulated the author for the achievements in this area of research. Indeed, such positive feedback on the work has given to the author the impetus to develop this work. Many colleagues and administrators have supported the author in the process of the research, as the authors have consulted many scholars and a wide range of relevant published literature throughout the development of this project. In particular, they are deeply in debt to John Barrett, who proofread all definitions of terms in grey systems theory.