We are living in a world which is undergoing profound changes brought about by rapid advances in science and technology. Among such changes, the most visible are those that relate to what is popularly referred to as the information revolution. Among the familiar examples are smart appliances, smart cameras, smart robots and smart software for browsing, diagnosis, fraud detection and quality control. The information and intelligent systems revolution are in a symbiotic relationship.
Intelligence requires information and vice-versa.
The confluence of intelligent systems and information systems leads to intelligent information systems. An essential aspect of soft computing is that its constituent methodologies are, for the most part, complementary and symbiotic rather than competitive and exclusive. It is important to have a clear understanding of the unique roles which the methodologies of FL, NC, EC and PC play in soft computing. I will have more to say about granular computing and granular logic at a later point. Such systems are frequently referred to as systems with a connectionist architecture or, more simply, as connectionist systems.