Roughness and entropy measures of a soft set
Pith reviewed 2026-05-21 08:57 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Soft sets can be assigned two new roughness measures and six entropy measures while preserving their original definition.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Two roughness measures and six entropy measures are introduced for soft sets. These are investigated for their properties through theoretical analysis and computational techniques. The framework is shown to be novel with respect to roughness characterization while strictly preserving the foundational principles of soft set theory established by Molodtsov, and a comparison with classical rough set theory is provided.
What carries the argument
The two roughness measures defined in distinct conceptual frameworks together with the six entropy measures, which quantify uncertainty while respecting the attribute-parameterized structure of soft sets.
If this is right
- The measures support systematic theoretical and computational study of roughness in soft sets.
- Entropy functions provide quantifiable uncertainty assessments that remain consistent with soft set axioms.
- Comparative distinctions from classical rough sets clarify the added value of the attribute-oriented approach.
- The framework can be applied directly in domains already using soft sets for decision problems.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- These measures could be tested on real attribute datasets from social sciences to check whether they produce more stable rankings than existing soft set methods.
- Integration with hybrid models that combine soft sets with other uncertainty calculi becomes possible once the new entropy values are available.
- The computational validation steps in the paper suggest a route for implementing the measures in software for larger parameter spaces.
Load-bearing premise
The foundational principles of soft set theory as established by Molodtsov are strictly preserved throughout the development of the measures.
What would settle it
A concrete soft set example in which one of the proposed roughness measures violates monotonicity under inclusion of the parameter sets or fails to reduce to a known rough set case when the soft set is crisp would disprove the claims.
Figures
read the original abstract
Soft set theory is an important and emerging area within soft computing, owing to its attribute-oriented mathematical framework and its wide applicability in diverse domains, including science and social sciences. The theoretical constraints associated with the selection of subsets of the sets of attributes in soft set theory have further motivated the development of hybrid and extended theoretical models. In this paper, we introduce two distinct roughness measures and six entropy measures for soft sets and systematically investigate their properties using both theoretical analysis and computational techniques. The proposed roughness measures are defined within two distinct conceptual frameworks. Throughout the development of these measures and the corresponding results, the foundational principles of soft set theory, as established by Molodtsov, are strictly preserved. Furthermore, the proposed framework is shown to be novel with respect to roughness characterization, and a comparative analysis with classical rough set theory is presented to highlight the theoretical distinctions and contributions of this work.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript introduces two distinct roughness measures and six entropy measures for soft sets. It systematically investigates their properties using theoretical analysis and computational techniques while strictly preserving the foundational principles of soft set theory as established by Molodtsov. A comparative analysis with classical rough set theory is presented to highlight theoretical distinctions and the novelty of the roughness characterization.
Significance. If the definitions, properties, and computational verifications hold as described, the work could provide useful extensions for uncertainty quantification in soft computing applications such as decision-making under attribute-based uncertainty. The explicit preservation of Molodtsov's axioms and the side-by-side comparison with rough sets are strengths that help position the contribution as compatible with existing soft-set literature while offering distinct roughness tools.
minor comments (2)
- Abstract: the repeated reference to 'theoretical analysis and computational techniques' could be streamlined to improve conciseness without loss of meaning.
- The manuscript would benefit from a brief explicit statement (perhaps in the introduction or a dedicated subsection) of the specific computational methods or software employed to verify the proposed measures, to aid reproducibility.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the positive summary, significance assessment, and recommendation of minor revision. We appreciate the recognition that our work preserves Molodtsov's foundational principles while offering novel roughness and entropy measures for soft sets, along with the comparison to classical rough set theory.
Circularity Check
No significant circularity; measures defined independently within Molodtsov framework
full rationale
The paper introduces two roughness measures and six entropy measures for soft sets while explicitly preserving Molodtsov's foundational axioms (external reference, not self-citation). Properties are investigated via theoretical analysis and computational techniques, with explicit comparison to classical rough set theory to highlight distinctions. No equations or definitions reduce by construction to fitted inputs, prior self-citations, or renamed known results. The derivation chain remains self-contained against external benchmarks, with novelty claimed through direct contrast rather than internal redefinition.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (1)
- domain assumption Foundational principles of soft set theory as established by Molodtsov are strictly preserved.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Zadeh, L. A. (1965). Fuzzy sets. Information and control, 8(3), 338-353
work page 1965
-
[2]
Bellman, R., Kalaba, R., Zadeh, L. A. (1964). Abstraction and pattern classification. Journal of Mathe- matical Analysis and Applications, 13(1), 1-7
work page 1964
-
[3]
Zadeh, L. A. (1977). Fuzzy sets and their application to pattern classification and clustering analysis. In Classification and clustering (pp. 251-299). Academic press
work page 1977
- [4]
-
[5]
Zadeh, L. A. (1997). Toward a theory of fuzzy information granulation and its centrality in human reasoning and fuzzy logic. Fuzzy sets and systems, 90(2), 111-127
work page 1997
-
[6]
Pawlak, Z. (1982). Rough sets. International journal of computer & information sciences, 11(5), 341- 356
work page 1982
-
[7]
Skowron, A., Rauszer, C. (1992). The discernibility matrices and functions in information systems. In Intelligent decision support: handbook of applications and advances of the rough sets theory (pp. 331-362). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands
work page 1992
-
[8]
Chakraborty, D., Shankar, B. U., Pal, S. K. (2013). Granulation, rough entropy and spatiotemporal moving object detection. Applied Soft Computing, 13(9), 4001-4009. 35
work page 2013
-
[10]
Pal, S. K., Mitra, P. (2004). Case generation using rough sets with fuzzy representation. IEEE Transac- tions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, 16(3), 293-300
work page 2004
-
[11]
Pal, S. K. (2020). Granular mining and big data analytics: rough models and challenges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section A: Physical Sciences, 90(2), 193-208
work page 2020
-
[12]
Molodtsov, D. (1999). Soft set theory—first results. Computers & mathematics with applications, 37(4- 5), 19-31
work page 1999
-
[13]
Molodtsov, D. A. (2004). Soft set theory (In Russian). URSS Press
work page 2004
-
[14]
Acharjee, S., Oza, A. (2023). Correct structures and similarity measures of soft sets along with his- toric comments of Prof. D. A. Molodtsov. Vestnik Udmurtskogo Universiteta. Matematika. Mekhanika. Komp’yuternye Nauki, 33(1), 32–53
work page 2023
-
[15]
Molodtsov, D. A. (2017). Structure of soft sets. Fuzzy Systems and Soft Computing, 12(1), 5-18
work page 2017
-
[16]
Molodtsov, D. A. (2018). Equivalence and correct operations for soft sets. International Robotics and Automation Journal, 4(1), 18-21
work page 2018
-
[17]
Acharjee, S., Molodtsov, D. A. (2021). Soft rational line integral. Vestnik Udmurtskogo Universiteta. Matematika. Mekhanika. Komp’yuternye Nauki, 31(4), 578–596
work page 2021
-
[18]
Molodtsov, D. A. (2011). Soft portfolio control. Automation and Remote Control, 72(8), 1705-1717
work page 2011
-
[19]
Molodtsov, D. A. (2016). Dimension in soft topological space. Fuzzy Systems and Soft Computing, 11(1), 5-18
work page 2016
-
[20]
Feng, F., Li, C., Davvaz, B., Ali, M. I. (2010). Soft sets combined with fuzzy sets and rough sets: a tentative approach. Soft computing, 14(9), 899-911
work page 2010
-
[21]
Ali, M. I. (2011). A note on soft sets, rough soft sets and fuzzy soft sets. Applied soft computing, 11(4), 3329-3332
work page 2011
-
[22]
Shabir, M., Ali, M. I., Shaheen, T. (2013). Another approach to soft rough sets. Knowledge-Based Systems, 40, 72-80
work page 2013
-
[23]
Alcantud, J. C. R., Feng, F., Yager, R. R. (2019). AnN-soft set approach to rough sets. IEEE Transac- tions on Fuzzy Systems, 28(11), 2996-3007
work page 2019
-
[24]
Zeeman, E. C., Buneman, O. P. (2017). Tolerance spaces and the brain. In The Origin of Life (pp. 140-151). Routledge. 36
work page 2017
-
[25]
Simon, H. A. (1955). A behavioral model of rational choice. The quarterly journal of economics, 99- 118
work page 1955
-
[26]
Tian, Y ., Wang, H., Zhu, X., Guo, H. (2025). A Review of the Image Segmentation Methods Using Rough Sets. IET Image Processing, 19(1), e70141
work page 2025
-
[27]
Bobylev, V . N., Egorova, E. K., Leonov, V . Y . (2024). Soft sets review. Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International, 63(4), 704-709
work page 2024
-
[28]
Van Heel, M. (1987). Similarity measures between images. Ultramicroscopy, 21(1), 95-100
work page 1987
-
[29]
Sagi, E., Gentner, D., Lovett, A. (2012). What difference reveals about similarity. Cognitive science, 36(6), 1019-1050
work page 2012
-
[30]
Yao, Y . Y . (2010). Notes on rough set approximations and associated measures. Journal of zhejiang ocean university (natural science), 29(5), 399-410
work page 2010
-
[31]
Marek, W., Pawlak, Z. (1976). Information storage and retrieval systems: Mathematical foundations. Theoretical Computer Science, 1(4), 331-354
work page 1976
-
[32]
Shannon, C. E. (1948). A mathematical theory of communication. The Bell system technical journal, 27(3), 379-423
work page 1948
-
[33]
Düntsch, I., Gediga, G. (1998). Uncertainty measures of rough set prediction. Artificial intelligence, 106(1), 109-137
work page 1998
-
[34]
Wierman, M. J. (1999). Measuring uncertainty in rough set theory. International Journal of General System, 28(4-5), 283-297
work page 1999
-
[35]
Jiye, L., Zongben, X. (2000, June). Uncertainty measures of roughness of knowledge and rough sets in incomplete information systems. In Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation (Cat. No. 00EX393) (V ol. 4, pp. 2526-2529). IEEE
work page 2000
-
[36]
Liang, J., Shi, Z. (2004). The information entropy, rough entropy and knowledge granulation in rough set theory. International journal of uncertainty, fuzziness and knowledge-based systems, 12(01), 37-46
work page 2004
-
[37]
Qian, Y ., Liang, J. (2006, July). Combination entropy and combination granulation in incomplete infor- mation system. In International Conference on Rough Sets and Knowledge Technology (pp. 184-190). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
work page 2006
-
[38]
Liang, J., Shi, Z., Li, D., Wierman, M. J. (2006). Information entropy, rough entropy and knowledge granulation in incomplete information systems. International Journal of general systems, 35(6), 641- 654. 37
work page 2006
-
[39]
Liang, J., Wang, J., Qian, Y . (2009). A new measure of uncertainty based on knowledge granulation for rough sets. Information Sciences, 179(4), 458-470
work page 2009
-
[40]
Dai, J., Huang, D., Su, H., Tian, H., Yang, T. (2014). Uncertainty measurement for covering rough sets. International Journal of Uncertainty, Fuzziness and Knowledge-Based Systems, 22(02), 217-233
work page 2014
-
[41]
Tang, J., Wang, J., Wu, C., Ou, G. (2020). On uncertainty measure issues in rough set theory. IEEE Access, 8, 91089-91102
work page 2020
-
[42]
Pal, N. R., Pal, S. K. (1989). Entropic thresholding. Signal processing, 16(2), 97-108
work page 1989
-
[43]
Pal, N. R., Pal, S. K. (1991). Entropy: A new definition and its applications. IEEE transactions on systems, man, and cybernetics, 21(5), 1260-1270
work page 1991
-
[44]
Pal, N. R., Pal, S. K. (1989). Object-background segmentation using new definitions of entropy. IEEE Proceedings (Computers and Digital Techniques), 136(4), 284-295
work page 1989
-
[45]
Pal, N. R., Pal, S. K. (1992). Some properties of the exponential entropy. Information Sciences, 66(1-2), 119-137
work page 1992
-
[46]
Pal, S. K., Shankar, B. U., Mitra, P. (2005). Granular computing, rough entropy and object extraction. Pattern recognition letters, 26(16), 2509-2517
work page 2005
-
[47]
Sen, D., Pal, S. K. (2009). Generalized rough sets, entropy, and image ambiguity measures. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part B (Cybernetics), 39(1), 117-128
work page 2009
-
[48]
Sen, D., Pal, S. K. (2008). Measuring ambiguities in images using rough and fuzzy set theory. In 2008 International Conference on Signal Processing, Communications and Networking (pp. 333-338). IEEE
work page 2008
-
[49]
Shan, S., Wang, G. G. (2004). Space exploration and global optimization for computationally intensive design problems: a rough set based approach. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 28(6), 427-441
work page 2004
-
[50]
Shan, S., Wang, G. G. (2003). Introducing rough set for design space exploration and optimization. In International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineer- ing Conference (V ol. 37009, pp. 555-565)
work page 2003
-
[51]
Wojcik, Z. M. (2000). Detecting spots for NASA space programs using rough sets. In International Con- ference on Rough Sets and Current Trends in Computing (pp. 569-576). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
work page 2000
-
[52]
Suwinski, P., Liesch, A., Liu, B., Schnitzer, F., Kohlsmann, T., Janschek, K. (2024). Image based landing site detection on planetary surfaces by vision transformers and nested convolutional neural networks. In AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum (p. 1745). 38
work page 2024
-
[53]
Suwinski, P., Liesch, A., Liu, B., Schnitzer, F., Kohlsmann, T., Janschek, K. (2024). Image based landing site detection on planetary surfaces by vision transformers and nested convolutional neural networks. In AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum (p. 1745)
work page 2024
-
[54]
S., Cipollone, R., De Vittori, A., Di Lizia, P., Massari, M
Rizzuto, S. S., Cipollone, R., De Vittori, A., Di Lizia, P., Massari, M. (2025). Object detection on space- based optical images leveraging machine learning techniques. Neural Computing and Applications, 37(22), 17153-17177
work page 2025
-
[55]
Bhamare, A. R., Baral, A., Agarwal, S. (2021). Analysis of kepler objects of interest using machine learning for exoplanet identification. In 2021 International Conference on Intelligent Technologies (CONIT) (pp. 1-8). IEEE. 39
work page 2021
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.