Feature selection for fuzzy classifier using the spider monkey algorithm

In this paper, we discuss the construction of fuzzy classifiers by dividing the task into the three following stages: the generation of a fuzzy rule base, the selection of relevant features, and the parameter optimization of membership functions for fuzzy rules. The structure of the fuzzy classifier is generated by forming the fuzzy rule base with use of the minimum and maximum feature values in each class. This allows us to generate the rule base with the minimum number of rules, which corresponds to the number of class labels in the dataset to be classified. Feature selection is carried out by a binary spider monkey optimization (BSMO) algorithm, which is a wrapper method. As a data preprocessing procedure, feature selection not only improves the efficiency of training algorithms but also enhances their generalization capability. In the process of feature selection, we investigate the dynamics of changes in classification accuracy, iteration by iteration, for various parameter values of the binary algorithm and analyze the effect of its parameters on its convergence rate. The parameter optimization of fuzzy rule antecedents uses another spider monkey optimization (SMO) algorithm that processes continuous numerical data. The performance of the fuzzy classifiers based on the rules and features selected by these algorithms is tested on some datasets from the KEEL repository. Comparison with two competitor algorithms on the same datasets is carried out. It is shown that fuzzy classifiers with the minimum number of rules and a significantly reduced number of features can be developed with their accuracy being statistically similar to that of the competitor classifiers.