Citation
Liu, S. (2011), "Editorial", Grey Systems: Theory and Application, Vol. 1 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/gs.2011.51901aaa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: Grey Systems: Theory and Application, Volume 1, Issue 1
Grey Systems: Theory and Application is an international academic publication sponsored by Emerald and edited by Institute for Grey Systems Studies, for the purpose of promoting the development of grey system research and practical applications in all nations of the world, extending academic exchanges among scholars and extending the influence of grey system theory.
The grey systems theory, established by Julong Deng in 1982, is a new methodology that focuses on the study of problems involving small samples and poor information. It deals with uncertain systems with partially known information through generating, excavating, and extracting useful information from what is available. The grey systems theory becomes a powerful tool to deal with uncertain information. In the natural world, uncertain systems with small samples and poor information exist commonly. That fact determines the wide range of applicability of grey systems theory.
On the basis of dividing the spectrum of scientific and technological endeavors into finer sections, the overall development of modern science has shown the tendency of synthesis at a higher level. This higher level synthesis has caused the appearance of the various studies of systems science with their specific methodological and epistemological significance. Systems science reveals the much deeper and more intrinsic connections and interlockings of objects and events and has greatly enriched the overall progress of science and technology. Many of the historically difficult problems in different scientific fields have been resolved successfully along with the appearance of systems science and its specific branches. And because of the emergence of various new areas in systems science, our understanding of nature and the laws that govern objective evolutions has been gradually deepened. At the end of the 1940s, there appeared systems theory, information theory, and cybernetics. Toward the end of 1960s and the start of 1970s, there appeared the theory of dissipative structures, synergics, catastrophe, and bifurcations. During the middle and toward the end of the 1970s, there appeared one by one such new transfield and interfiled theories of systems science as the ultracircular theory, dynamic systems, pansystems, etc.
When investigating systems, due to both the existence of internal and external disturbances and the limitation of our understanding, the available information tends to contain various kinds of uncertainty and noises. Along with the development of science and technology and the progress of the mankind, our understanding of uncertainties of systems has been gradually deepened and the research on uncertain systems has reached at a new height. During the second half of the twentieth century, in the areas of systems science and systems engineering, the seemingly non-stoppable emergence of various theories and methodologies of unascertained systems has been a great scene. For instance, L.A. Zadeh established fuzzy mathematics in the 1960s, Julong Deng developed grey systems theory and Z. Pawlak advanced rough set theory in the 1980s, Guongyun Wang created uncertainty mathematics in the 1990s, etc. All these works represent some of the most important efforts in the research of uncertain systems of this time period. From different angles, these works provide the theories and methodologies for describing and dealing with uncertain information.
Grey Systems: Theory and Application aims the fostering of professional exchanges between scientists and practitioners who are interested in the foundations and applications of grey systems. Through the pioneering work on grey systems by Prof. Julong Deng and many others during the past years, grey systems theory has become an important ingredient in the development of information processing. The grey systems theory now encompasses a rich corpus including algorithm of grey numbers and grey algebraic system, operator of grey series, grey incidence analysis, grey cluster evaluation, grey prediction, grey decision making, grey programming, and grey control. Papers that appear in the journal contain theory and application of grey systems as well as various contributions of hybrid approaches combining grey systems with other theories or models for tackling uncertain information more effectively and efficiently.
The proposed journal is a forum of the highest professional quality for both scientists and practitioners to exchange ideas and publish new discoveries on a vast array of topics and issues in grey systems theory. It aims to bring forth anything from either innovative to known theories or practical applications in grey systems. It provides everyone opportunities to present, criticize, and discuss their findings, theories, and ideas with others.
So far, we have received an active respond from the community and we are indeed grateful to our colleagues who submitted manuscripts and/or collaborate as referees and advisors. In a few months, we have received dozens of papers and this first issue of the journal includes just a few of them. Some others are still under revision and will be published in the following issues. Unfortunately, some of the papers were rejected in order to meet quality standards.
As long as the researchers or practitioners in the field of grey systems believe in their work and are willing to show their results, our journal will work hard to be a reliable gateway for their entry to the world of publications and to make their research available to the rest of the scientific community. It is a common responsibility of editors, authors and readers to run the journal well.
The sea can hold the water from hundreds of rivers; it is big because of its capacity. I wish for the journal to become a window and a garden plot for grey systems research; a bridge and a tie to link colleagues of academic circles. I hope that the journal makes a contribution to the development and flourishing of grey systems research, and for the development and flourishing modern science and technology.
Sifeng LiuEditor-in-Chief