Fuzzy Rule Based Classification Systems versus crisp robust learners trained in presence of class noise's effects: A case of study

The presence of noise is common in any real-world dataset and may adversely affect the accuracy, construction time and complexity of the classifiers in this context. Traditionally, many algorithms have incorporated mechanisms to deal with noisy problems and reduce noise's effects on performance; they are called robust learners. The C4.5 crisp algorithm is a well-known example of this group of methods. On the other hand, models built by Fuzzy Rule Based Classification Systems are widely recognized for their robustness to imperfect data, but also for their interpretability. The aim of this contribution is to analyze the good behavior and robustness of Fuzzy Rule Based Classification Systems when noise is present in the examples' class labels, especially versus robust learners. In order to accomplish this study, a large number of datasets are created by introducing different levels of noise into the class labels in the training sets. We compare a Fuzzy Rule Based Classification System, the Fuzzy Unordered Rule Induction Algorithm, with respect to the C4.5 classic robust learner which is considered tolerant to noise. From the results obtained it is possible to observe that Fuzzy Rule Based Classification Systems have a good tolerance, in comparison to the C4.5 algorithm, to class noise.