Survey of Fuzzy Min–Max Neural Network for Pattern Classification Variants and Applications

Over the last few decades, pattern classification has become one of the most important fields of artificial intelligence because it constitutes an essential component in many different real-world applications. Artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic are two most widely used models in pattern classification. To build an efficient and powerful model, researchers have introduced hybrid models that combine both fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks. Among the hybrid models, the fuzzy min-max (FMM) neural network has been proven to be a premier model for undertaking pattern classification problems. While FMM is useful in terms of its capability of online learning, it suffers from several limitations in the learning procedure. Therefore, over the past years, researchers have proposed numerous improvements to overcome the limitations of the original FMM model. This paper carries out a comprehensive survey of the developments conducted on the FMM model for pattern classification. In order to assist recent researchers in selecting the most suitable FMM variant and to provide proper guidance for future developments, this study divides the variants of FMM into two main board categories, namely FMM variants with and without contraction. This division facilitates understanding of the developments conducted by researchers on the original FMM neural network, as well as provides the scope to identify the limitations that still exist in the FMM models. This paper also summarizes the use of FMM and its variants in solving different benchmark and real-world problems. Finally, the possible future trends are highlighted.