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Article
Publication date: 2 March 2015

Hamed Maleki and Mohammad Taghi Taghavi Fard

The time required for a certain task to be performed normally reduces on its frequent completion, as more units are produced over time, it is expected to have an increase in the…

Abstract

Purpose

The time required for a certain task to be performed normally reduces on its frequent completion, as more units are produced over time, it is expected to have an increase in the total worker’s output performance. Learning curve (LC) is a mathematical representation to estimate the time of tasks which occurs repeatedly. The parameter prediction is considered a major disadvantage from which LC suffers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate grey systems theory as a method for the standard time.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed method starts with data which are obtained by traditional time study and then, models LC for an assembling activity of Electrogen Company. The paper studies the grey evaluation method based on triangular whitenization weight functions which includes two classes: endpoint triangular whitenization functions and center-point triangular whitenization functions. The grey system results are compared with those of the LC.

Findings

The results show that the standard time given by grey systems theory is closer than the standard time given by LC to standard time with 100 per cent performance level.

Originality/value

Scheduling problems are complex and uncertain, and it is very rare for such systems to be exactly determined in all their complexity. According to grey systems theory, the job processing time can be considered as the object that extension is definite but intension is uncertain. Consequently, grey systems theory with its focus on the uncertainty problems of small samples and incomplete information is proposed in the paper.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Scarlat Emil and Virginia Mărăcine

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how tacit and explicit knowledge determine grey knowledge and how these are stimulated through interactions within networks, forming the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how tacit and explicit knowledge determine grey knowledge and how these are stimulated through interactions within networks, forming the grey hybrid intelligent systems (HISs). The feedback processes and mechanisms between internal and external knowledge determine the apparition of grey knowledge into an intelligent system (IS). The extension of ISs is determined by the ubiquity of the internet but, in our framework, the grey knowledge flows assure the viability and effectiveness of these systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Some characteristics of the Hybrid Intelligent Knowledge Systems are put forward along with a series of models of hybrid computational intelligence architectures. More, relevant examples from the literature related to the hybrid systems architectures are presented, underlying their main advantages and disadvantages.

Findings

Due to the lack of a common framework it remains often difficult to compare the various HISs conceptually and evaluate their performance comparatively. Different applications in different areas are needed for establishing the best combinations between models that are designed using grey, fuzzy, neural network, genetic, evolutionist and other methods. But all these systems are knowledge dependent, the main flow that is used in all parts of every kind of system being the knowledge. Grey knowledge is an important part of the real systems and the study of its proprieties using the methods and techniques of grey system theory remains an important direction of the researches.

Originality/value

The paper discusses the differences among the three types of knowledge and how they and the grey systems theory can be used in different hybrid architectures.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Jun Liu and Jian-Zhong Qiao

Due to the limitation of acknowledgment, the complexity of software system and the interference of noises, this paper aims to solve the traditional problem: traditional software…

380

Abstract

Purpose

Due to the limitation of acknowledgment, the complexity of software system and the interference of noises, this paper aims to solve the traditional problem: traditional software cost estimation methods face the challenge of poor and uncertain inputs.

Design/methodology/approach

Under such circumstances, different cost estimation methods vary greatly on estimation accuracy and effectiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to perform evaluation and selection on estimation methods against a poor information database. This paper presents a grey rough set model by introducing grey system theory into rough set based analysis, aiming for a better choice of software cost estimation method on accuracy and effectiveness.

Findings

The results are very encouraging in the sense of comparison among four machine learning techniques and thus indicate it an effective approach to evaluate software cost estimation method where insufficient information is provided.

Practical implications

Based on the grey rough set model, the decision targets can be classified approximately. Furthermore, the grey of information and the limitation of cognition can be overcome during the use of the grey rough interval correlation cluster method.

Originality/value

This paper proposed the grey rough set model combining grey system theory with rough set for software cost estimation method evaluation and selection.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2012

Deborah Lim, Patricia Anthony and Ho Chong Mun

As the demand for online auctions increases, the process of monitoring multiple auction houses, deciding which auction to participate in and making the right bids, become…

Abstract

Purpose

As the demand for online auctions increases, the process of monitoring multiple auction houses, deciding which auction to participate in and making the right bids, become challenging tasks for consumers. Hence, knowing the closing price of a given auction would be an advantage, since this information will ensure a win in a given auction. However, predicting a closing price for an auction is not easy, since it is dependent on many factors. The purpose of this paper is to report on a predictor agent that utilises grey system theory to predict the closing price for a given auction.

Design/methodology/approach

The focus of the research is on grey system agent. This paper reports on the development of a predictor agent that attempts to predict the online auction closing price in order to maximise the bidder's profit. The performance of this predictor agent is compared with two well‐known techniques, the Simple Exponential Function and the Time Series, in a simulated auction environment and in the eBay auction.

Findings

The grey theory agent gives a better result when less input data are made, while the Time Series Agent can be used with the availability of a lot of information. Although the Simple Exponential Function Agent is able to predict well with less input data, it is not an appropriate method to be applied in the prediction model since its formula is not realistic and applicable in predicting the online auction closing price. The experimental results also showed that using moving historical data produces a higher accuracy rate than using fixed historical data for all three agents.

Originality/value

Grey system theory prediction model, GM(1, 1) has not been applied in online auction prediction. In this paper the authors have applied grey theory into an agent to predict the closing price of an online auction, in order to increase the profit of bidders in the bidding stage. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the grey prediction model is more then 90 per cent, with less then eight historical data inputs.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 December 2021

Tooraj Karimi and Yalda Yahyazade

Risk management is one of the most influential parts of project management that has a major impact on the success or failure of projects. Due to the increasing use of information…

Abstract

Purpose

Risk management is one of the most influential parts of project management that has a major impact on the success or failure of projects. Due to the increasing use of information technology in all fields and the high failure rate of software development projects, it is essential to predict the risk level of each project effectively before starting. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is proposing an expert system to infer about the risk of new banking software development project.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the risk of software developing projects is considered from four dimensions including risk of cost deviation, time deviation, quality deviation and scope deviation, which is examined by rough set theory (RST). The most important variables affecting the cost, time, quality and scope of projects are identified as condition attributes and four initial decision systems are constructed. Grey system theory is used to cluster the condition attributes and after data discretizing, eight rule models for each dimension of risk as a decision attribute are extracted using RST. The most validated model for each decision attribute is selected as an inference engine of the expert system, and finally a simple user interface is designed in order to predict the risk level of any new project by inserting the data of project attributes

Findings

In this paper, a high accuracy expert system is designed based on the combination of the grey clustering method and rough set modeling to predict the risks of each project before starting. Cross-validation of different rule models shows that the best model for determining cost deviation is Manual/Jonson/ORR model, and the most validated models for predicting the risk of time, quality and scope of projects are Entropy/Genetic/ORR, Manual/Genetic/FOR and Entropy/Genetic/ORR models; all of which are more than 90% accurate

Research limitations/implications

It is essential to gather data of previous cases to design a validated expert system. Since data documentation in the field of software development projects is not complete enough, grey set theory (GST) and RST are combined to improve the validity of the rule model. The proposed expert system can be used for risk assessment of new banking software projects

Originality/value

The risk assessment of software developing projects based on RST is a new approach in the field of risk management. Furthermore, using the grey clustering for combining the condition attributes is a novel solution for improving the accuracy of the rule models.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Sifeng Liu, Keqin Sheng and Jeffrey Forrest

The purpose of this paper is to show which models, uncertain or certain, simple or complicated, are more suitable when they are faced with incomplete information and inaccurate…

495

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show which models, uncertain or certain, simple or complicated, are more suitable when they are faced with incomplete information and inaccurate data.

Design/methodology/approach

The characteristics of fuzzy mathematics, grey system theory, rough set theory and the basic characteristics of incomplete information and inaccurate data in uncertain systems are analysed.

Findings

The similarities and differences among fuzzy mathematics, grey system theory, rough set theory and probability statistics are compared. The principle of simplicity of scientific theories, methods, and models are discussed.

Practical implications

It is suggested that the tendency to concentrate on a complicated model isn't always necessary when faced with the condition of incomplete information and inaccurate data.

Originality/value

The paper shows that a more satisfied result can be obtained with an uncertain model than with a meticulous model on a certain situation.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 41 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 June 2022

Surya Prakash, Anubhav Agrawal, Ranbir Singh, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Divya Zindani

Grey Systems: Theory and Application (GSTA) journal started publication in 2011 and completed a decade in 2021. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed bibliometric…

Abstract

Purpose

Grey Systems: Theory and Application (GSTA) journal started publication in 2011 and completed a decade in 2021. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed bibliometric analysis of the articles published in GSTA and their content primary trends and themes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the Web of Science (WoS) database to analyze the content of published articles. A range of bibliometric analyses and indicators are applied to analyze the GSTA article content using science mapping tools of the Bibliometrix package in the R environment.

Findings

The GSTA publishes around 28 articles each year with citations of this work steadily growing over time. The impact of these publications is measured as total mean citations which increased from 0 to 11. The journal has attracted contributors from around the globe, most often affiliated with China, India and Europe. Thematic evolution of the journal's themes reveals that it has expanded its scope to include topics such as relational analysis, decision making, incidence analysis, and forecasting, hybrid grey-fuzzy or grey-rough modeling, etc.

Research limitations/implications

The study is majorly based on GSTA data available on the WoS database.

Originality/value

This study provides the first overview of GSTA's publication and citation trends as well as the evolution of its thematic structure. It also suggests future directions that the journal might take to strengthen its position.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 June 2020

Davood Darvishi, Sifeng Liu and Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest

The purpose of this paper is to survey and express the advantages and disadvantages of the existing approaches for solving grey linear programming in decision-making problems.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to survey and express the advantages and disadvantages of the existing approaches for solving grey linear programming in decision-making problems.

Design/methodology/approach

After presenting the concepts of grey systems and grey numbers, this paper surveys existing approaches for solving grey linear programming problems and applications. Also, methods and approaches for solving grey linear programming are classified, and its advantages and disadvantages are expressed.

Findings

The progress of grey programming has been expressed from past to present. The main methods for solving the grey linear programming problem can be categorized as Best-Worst model, Confidence degree, Whitening parameters, Prediction model, Positioned solution, Genetic algorithm, Covered solution, Multi-objective, Simplex and dual theory methods. This survey investigates the developments of various solving grey programming methods and its applications.

Originality/value

Different methods for solving grey linear programming problems are presented, where each of them has disadvantages and advantages in providing results of grey linear programming problems. This study attempted to review papers published during 35 years (1985–2020) about grey linear programming solving and applications. The review also helps clarify the important advantages, disadvantages and distinctions between different approaches and algorithms such as weakness of solving linear programming with grey numbers in constraints, inappropriate results with the lower bound is greater than upper bound, out of feasible region solutions and so on.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Rafal Mierzwiak, Naiming Xie and Marcin Nowak

Considering current development of Grey Systems Theory (GST), we can come up with the following thesis: practical applications are a dominant subject of research. Thus, what seems…

Abstract

Purpose

Considering current development of Grey Systems Theory (GST), we can come up with the following thesis: practical applications are a dominant subject of research. Thus, what seems to be symptomatic for relatively young knowledge disciplines, the authors observe the presence of imbalance between the development of GST application tools and theory’s epistemological and methodological background. As for GST, epistemological and methodological problems are becoming visible especially in the issues of determining a clear criterion of demarcation of this kind of a theory from others. In other words, this problem can be reduced to the issue of a precise determination of what the category of a grey system and grey information is. This problem is of great importance for further development and popularisation of GST in the world of science. Realising its significance, the purpose of this paper is to create a general overview of Grey Systems epistemology and afterwards create axiomatic and formal frames for a category of greyness.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to achieve set goals, two research approaches were accepted. In the area of inference about epistemology of GST an approach characteristic of an analytical philosophy was used, whereas in the case of axiomatic and formal frames for a category of greyness the authors referred to terms of a set theory and the principles of a pragmatic logic.

Findings

The result of research is to formulate a concept of a grey system and a concept of grey information in the context of a process of cognition. Moreover, a function of greyness and other fundamental categories of GST will be defined in an axiomatic way.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new consistent frame for the issues of methodological and epistemological backgrounds of GST. An original concept is to refer in considerations to a newly proposed grey space. This space was used for a formal justification of such elementary categories as grey numbers, a weight function of whitenization or grey sequences. The value of achievements shown in the paper is underlined by the fact that proposed theoretical constructions require further development and they can potentially open up new research trends in the GST.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2011

Cui Wei and Cui Jun‐fu

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility and necessity of using grey system theory in neuropsychological studies.

350

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility and necessity of using grey system theory in neuropsychological studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a logical analysis approach.

Findings

There are three characteristics of neuropsychological studies: the particularity of the study subjects; the specialty of the study scheme; and insufficient data from traditional statistical methods. Grey system theory is appropriate for analyzing the data collected in neuropsychological studies.

Originality/value

After several years' significant development, grey system theory has been applied in various subjects successfully. However, the application in psychology and medicine is still a rarity.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 1 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

21 – 30 of over 24000