A note on variable threshold concept lattices: Threshold-based operators are reducible to classical concept-forming operators

The present paper deals with formal concept analysis of data with fuzzy attributes. We clarify several points of a new approach of [S.Q. Fan, W.X. Zhang, Variable threshold concept lattice, Inf. Sci., accepted for publication] which is based on using thresholds in concept-forming operators. We show that the extentand intent-forming operators from [S.Q. Fan, W.X. Zhang, Inf. Sci., accepted for publication] can be defined in terms of basic fuzzy set operations and the original operators as introduced and studied e.g. in [R. Belohlavek, Fuzzy Galois connections, Math. Logic Quarterly 45 (4) (1999) 497–504; R. Belohlavek, Concept lattices and order in fuzzy logic, Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 128 (2004) 277–298; S. Pollandt, Fuzzy Begriffe, Springer-Verlag, Berlin/Heidelberg, 1997]. As a consequence, main properties of the new operators from [S.Q. Fan, W.X. Zhang, Inf. Sci., accepted for publication], including the properties studied in [S.Q. Fan, W.X. Zhang, Inf. Sci., accepted for publication], can be obtained as consequences of the original operators from [R. Belohlavek, 1999; R. Belohlavek, 2004; S. Pollandt, 1997]. Ó 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.