Heuristic Search Applied to Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Learning

Fuzzy Cognitive Maps were initially proposed by Kosko [1–3], as an extension of cognitive maps proposed by Axelrod [4]. FCM is a graph used for representing causal relationships among concepts that stand for the states and variables of the system, emulating the cognitive knowledge of experts on a specific area. FCM can be interpreted as a combination of Fuzzy Logic and Neural Networks, because it combines the sense rules of Fuzzy Logic with the learning of the Neural Networks. A FCM describes the behavior of a knowledge based system in terms of concepts, where each concept represents an entity, a state, a variable, or a characteristic of the system. The human knowledge and experience about the system determines the type and the number of the nodes as well as the initial conditions of the FCM.