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No / Real-world data collections are often heterogeneous (represented by a set of mixed attributes data types: numerical, categorical and fuzzy); since most available similarity measures can only be applied to one type of data, it becomes essential to construct an appropriate similarity measure for comparing such complex data. In this paper, a framework of new and unified similarity measures is proposed for comparing heterogeneous objects described by numerical, categorical and fuzzy attributes. Examples are used to illustrate, compare and discuss the applications and efficiency of the proposed approach to heterogeneous data comparison and clustering.

This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge in the fi eld of data objects' comparison where the objects are described by attributes of fuzzy or heterogeneous (numeric and symbolic) data types. Many real world database systems and applications require information management components that provide support for managing such imperfect and heterogeneous data objects. For example, with new online information made available from various sources, in semi-structured, structured or unstructured representations, new information usage and search algorithms must consider where such data collections may contain objects/records with di fferent types of data: fuzzy, numerical and categorical for the same attributes. New approaches of similarity have been presented in this research to support such data comparison. A generalisation of both geometric and set theoretical similarity models has enabled propose new similarity measures presented in this thesis, to handle the vagueness (fuzzy data type) within data objects. A framework of new and unif ied similarity measures for comparing heterogeneous objects described by numerical, categorical and fuzzy attributes has also been introduced. Examples are used to illustrate, compare and discuss the applications and e fficiency of the proposed approaches to heterogeneous data comparison.

This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge in the fi eld of data objects' comparison where the objects are described by attributes of fuzzy or heterogeneous (numeric and symbolic) data types. Many real world database systems and applications require information management components that provide support for managing such imperfect and heterogeneous data objects. For example, with new online information made available from various sources, in semi-structured, structured or unstructured representations, new information usage and search algorithms must consider where such data collections may contain objects/records with di fferent types of data: fuzzy, numerical and categorical for the same attributes. New approaches of similarity have been presented in this research to support such data comparison. A generalisation of both geometric and set theoretical similarity models has enabled propose new similarity measures presented in this thesis, to handle the vagueness (fuzzy data type) within data objects. A framework of new and unif ied similarity measures for comparing heterogeneous objects described by numerical, categorical and fuzzy attributes has also been introduced. Examples are used to illustrate, compare and discuss the applications and e fficiency of the proposed approaches to heterogeneous data comparison. / Libyan Embassy