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Baku Azerbaijan Shahnaz N.
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Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing
Shahnaz N. Shahbazova
Janusz Kacprzyk
Valentina Emilia Balas
Vladik Kreinovich Editors
Recent Developments
and the New Direction
in Soft-Computing
Foundations and
Applications
Selected Papers from the 7th World
Conference on Soft Computing,
May 29–31, 2018, Baku, Azerbaijan
Volume 393
Series Editor
Janusz Kacprzyk, Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Warsaw, Poland
The series “Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing” contains publications on
various topics in the area of soft computing, which include fuzzy sets, rough sets,
neural networks, evolutionary computation, probabilistic and evidential reasoning,
multi-valued logic, and related fields. The publications within “Studies in Fuzziness
and Soft Computing” are primarily monographs and edited volumes. They cover
significant recent developments in the field, both of a foundational and applicable
character. An important feature of the series is its short publication time and
world-wide distribution. This permits a rapid and broad dissemination of research
results.
Indexed by ISI, DBLP and Ulrichs, SCOPUS, Zentralblatt Math, GeoRef, Current
Mathematical Publications, IngentaConnect, MetaPress and Springerlink. The books
of the series are submitted for indexing to Web of Science.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/2941

Shahnaz N. Shahbazova Janusz Kacprzyk
• •
Valentina Emilia Balas Vladik Kreinovich

•
Editors
Recent Developments
and the New Direction
in Soft-Computing
Foundations
and Applications
Selected Papers from the 7th World
Conference on Soft Computing, May 29–31,
2018, Baku, Azerbaijan
123
Editors
Shahnaz N. Shahbazova Janusz Kacprzyk
Department of Information Technology Systems Research Institute
and Programming Polish Academy of Sciences
Azerbaijan Technical University Warsaw, Poland
Baku, Azerbaijan
Vladik Kreinovich
Valentina Emilia Balas Department of Computer Science
Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad University of Texas at El Paso
Arad, Romania El Paso, TX, USA
ISSN 1434-9922 ISSN 1860-0808 (electronic)

ISBN 978-3-030-47123-1 ISBN 978-3-030-47124-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47124-8
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
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Contents
Big Date and Fuzzy Pattern Recognition

Big Data and Fuzzy Based Techniques in Analysis of Social
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Shahnaz N. Shahbazova and Sabina Shahbazzade
Application of Fuzzy Pattern Recognition in the Recruitment
of IT Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Masuma Mammadova and Zarifa Jabrayilova
Recognition of Sarcastic Sentences in Sentiment Analysis of a Text
that Describes the Appearance of a Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
A. V. Dolbin, V. L. Rozaliev, Y. A. Orlova, and A. V. Zaboleeva-Zotova
Cognitive Knowledge Seeding Using Collective Uncertainty
Shaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Nasibeh Rady Raz and Mohammad R. Akbarzadeh-T
Data Processing, Uncertainty and Type-2

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Dynamic Parameter Adaptation in Bee Colony
Optimization for Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Oscar Castillo
Type-2 Fuzzy Analysis Explains Ubiquity of Triangular
and Trapezoid Membership Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich, and Shahnaz Shahbazova
SCR-Apriori for Mining ‘Sets of Contrasting Rules’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Marharyta Aleksandrova and Oleg Chertov
When Is Data Processing Under Interval and Fuzzy Uncertainty
Feasible: What if Few Inputs Interact? Does Feasibility Depend
on How We Describe Interaction? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Milan Hladík, Michal Černý, and Vladik Kreinovich
v
vi Contents
Optimization of Quadratic Forms and t-norm Forms on Interval

Domain and Computational Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Milan Hladík, Michal Černý, and Vladik Kreinovich
Fuzzy Knowledge and Fuzzy Estemation

Asymptotically Optimal Learning in Fuzzy Environments . . . . . . . . . . . 111
V. L. Stefanuk
Multi-source Fusion Using Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms
Towards Ego-Lane Estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Jan-Ole Perschewski, Tran Tuan Nguyen, Jens Spehr, Jonas Krüsemann,
Sebastian Zug, and Rudolf Kruse
Two Phase Approach to Detection of Software Projects with Similar
Architecture Based on Clustering and Ontological Methods . . . . . . . . . 131
Nadezhda Yarushkina, Pavel Dudarin, and Gleb Guskov
Development of a System Based on a Fuzzy Knowledge Base Filled
from Various Formats Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Nadezhda Yarushkina, A. A. Filippov, V. S. Moshkin, and Gleb Guskov
A Probabilistic Fuzzy Table Lookup Scheme with Negation Logic . . . . 161
Amir Samadi, Hamed Rafiei, and Mohammad-R. Akbarzadeh-T
Evolutionary Algorithm for Fine-Tuning Perceptual Computer
for Grading Mathematics Tests Within Bilingual Education
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Dan Tavrov, Liudmyla Kovalchuk-Khymiuk, Olena Temnikova,
and Nazar-Mykola Kaminskyi
Soft Computing and Fuzzy Controllers

Which t-Norm Is Most Appropriate for Bellman-Zadeh
Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Vladik Kreinovich, Olga Kosheleva, and Shahnaz Shahbazova
Soft Computing Analytic Models for Multiplication of Asymmetrical
Fuzzy Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Yuriy P. Kondratenko and Nina Y. Kondratenko
Combined Fuzzy Controllers with Embedded Model for Automation
of Complex Industrial Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Yuriy P. Kondratenko and Oleksiy V. Kozlov
System Identification Using Monotonic Fuzzy Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Petr Hušek
Contents vii
Conceptual Framework for Measuring Project Benefits

Using Belief—Plausibility and Type 1 Fuzzy Inference System . . . . . . . 243
A. Ghildyal, D. Ru, E. Chang, K. Joiner, M. Saberi, and A. Despande
An Efficient Hybrid Meta-heuristic Algorithm for Solving the Open
Vehicle Routing Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Ali Asghar Rahmani Hosseinabadi, Atekeh Zolfagharian,
and Pouya Alinezhad
Fuzzy Regression and Modeling

Modeling Objects and Processes in GIS by Fuzzy Temporal Graphs . . . 277
Alexander Bozhenyuk, Stanislav Belyakov, and Margarita Knyazeva
Method for Object Allocation to the Intermediate Resource Center
Based on Fuzzy Estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Alexander Bozhenyuk, Olesiya Kosenko, and Margarita Knyazeva
Outlier Detection in Fuzzy Regressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Jalal Chachi and S. Mahmoud Taheri
A Robust Variable-Spread Fuzzy Regression Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
S. Mahmoud Taheri and Jalal Chachi
Robust Modeling of Acceptance Control Chart to Specify Best
Design Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Samrad Jafarian-Namin, Mohammad Saber Fallah Nezhad,
Reza Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, and Mehrdad Mirzabaghi
Fuzzy Modeling of Dynamic Multistage Process
with Non-linear Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Alexander Galkin, Pavel Saraev, Natalia Zhbanova, and Sam Blyumin
Fuzzy Algorithms and Fuzzy Cognitive Map

The Effects of Preprocessing on Colorectal Polyp Detecting
by Fuzzy Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Brigita Sziová, Szilvia Nagy, and László T. Kóczy
Stability of Fixed-Point Values in Reduced Fuzzy Cognitive
Map Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Miklós F. Hatwágner and László T. Kóczy
FUZIPS: Fuzzy v2 Based Algorithm for Automatic Switching
from GPS Based Location Services to the Indoor
Positioning Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Farid Orujov, Rytis Maskeliūnas, and Robertas Damaševičius
viii Contents
Neural Networks
From Traditional Neural Networks to Deep Learning: Towards
Mathematical Foundations of Empirical Successes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Vladik Kreinovich
Dimensionality Reduction: From Fuzzy Partitions to F-Transforms . . . 399
Irina Perfilieva
Development of Methodological and Functional Principles
of the Intelligent Demographic Forecasting System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Correlation Between Low Level Properties of Image and Semantic
Using Algorithm BP Neural Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Guschin Roman, Rozaliev Vladimir, Orlova Yulia,
and Zaboleeva-Zotova Alla
Granular Computing and Relations

Piecewise Multi-linear Model Based Lookup Table Controller
for Nonlinear Systems with Input Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Tadanari Taniguchi and Michio Sugeno
Difference of Spatiotemporal Human Brain Activities on Recalling
Some Fruit Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Koji Sugimoto, Takahiro Yamanoi, Hisashi Toyoshima, Mika Otuki,
Shin-ichi Ohnishi, and Toshimasa Yamazaki
A Granular Computing Based Approach for Improving
the Consistency of Intuitionistic Reciprocal Preference Relations . . . . . . 457
F. J. Cabrerizo, I. J. Pérez, J. A. Morente-Molinera, S. Alonso,
and E. Herrera-Viedma
Method for Proactive Quality Control of Aviation Security of Airports
Using Inverse Interval Weighted Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Dan Tavrov, Olena Temnikova, and Volodymyr Temnikov
Towards Automatic Textual Summarization of Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Chang Liu, Mark Last, and Armin Shmilovici
Fuzzy Control Applications

Zadehian Paradigms Shaping 21st Century Artificial Intelligence . . . . . 495
B. E. Bărbat
The Development of Interval Data Type for Analytical Information
Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
A. K. Pogodaev, Alexander Galkin, Pavel Saraev,
and A. I. Miroshnikov
Contents ix
How to Monitor Possible Side Effects of Enhanced Oil Recovery

Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Jose Manuel Dominguez Esquivel, Solymar Ayala Cortez, Aaron Velasco,
and Vladik Kreinovich
Customer and Product Clustering in Retail Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Ondřej Sokol, Vladimír Holý, and Tomáš Cipra
Analysis of Word Embeddings Using Fuzzy Clustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Shahin Atakishiyev and Marek Z. Reformat
Project Management on Base Analysis of Fuzzy Time Series of Project
Activity Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
I. A. Timina, S. K. Kiselev, and E. N. Egov
Fuzzy-Interpolative Control for Intelligent Roof-Top Greenhouse
Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
M. M. Balas, Valentina Emilia Balas, R. Lile, and S. V. Balas
Big Date and Fuzzy Pattern Recognition
Big Data and Fuzzy Based Techniques
in Analysis of Social Networks
Shahnaz N. Shahbazova and Sabina Shahbazzade
Abstract Social networks—a phenomenon of an early 21st century—is perceived

as a source of data generated by users about users themselves and things and dealings
related to them. Because of that social networks are treated as an object of many aca-
demic, corporate and industrial research activities leading to a better understanding
of individuals’ behavior, (dis)likes and needs, as well as events and issues important
for them. A very active involvement of individuals in social network means that
every day millions of new pieces of information is generated. Analysis of this vast
amount of available data requires methods and approaches taken from the domain
of big data. The theory of fuzzy sets and systems, introduced in 1965, provides
the researchers with techniques that are able to cope with imprecise information
expressed linguistically. This theory constitutes a basis for designing and developing
methodologies of processing data that are able to identify and understand views and
judgments expressed in a unique, human way – the core of information generated by
the users of social networks. The paper tries to recognize a few important example of
extracting value from social network data that can benefit from application of fuzzy
set and systems methodology.
Keywords Fuzzy sets · Social network · Data-driven manufacturing · Statistical

approaches · Graph based approaches · Summarization · Sentiment analysis ·
Event detection
1 Introduction
More and more often social networks, or shall we say data generated by its users,
is an object of research activities being conducted by variety of organization and
S. N. Shahbazova (B)
Azerbaijan Technical University, Baku AZ1073, Azerbaijan
e-mail: shahbazova@gmail.com; shahbazova@berkeley.edu
S. Shahbazzade
The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
e-mail: shahbazzade@gwu.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 3

S. N. Shahbazova et al. (eds.), Recent Developments and the New Direction
in Soft-Computing Foundations and Applications, Studies in Fuzziness and Soft
Computing 393, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47124-8_1
4 S. N. Shahbazova and S. Shahbazzade
corporations in order to extract information and knowledge about multiple aspects

characterizing activities, behavior, as well as interests and likes of users and group of
users. We can find multiple examples of corporations and agencies putting enormous
effort to analyze and understand data that is generated by actions, interactions, and
conversations involving users, as well as by the users’ views and opinions on almost
everything what happens in their lives and surroundings.
Varieties of techniques are used to process data generated by users in social net-
works: statistical approaches, graph based approaches, and many others [8, 13, 20, 21,
22, 26]. However, a human nature is present in the social networks. This means that
the networks are human-like—full of imprecise relations and connections between
individuals, vague terms, groups and individuals with indefinite descriptions and
characteristics of interests. It seems that many aspects of social networks resemble
the ones of their users.
In the light of these statements, we would like to state that techniques of pro-
cessing social networks of users and groups should reflect such human facets. These
techniques should be based on a human-like methodology, and the theory of fuzzy
sets and systems [29] is suitable for such a purpose. Its ability to deal with ambigu-
ous data and facts, its ability to describe things in a human manner, and its ability
to handle imprecision and ambiguity make fuzzy sets [11] one of the best tools for
analyzing social network [17].
2 Analysis of Social Networks: Targeted Area
The nature of data generated by users of social networks allows us to identify multiple
areas of human life, as well as industrial and corporate activities that could benefit
from analyzing social network data. In the following subsections we describe just a
few of them in the wide category of issues contributing to improvements in: quality
of human life, manufacturing, and corporate visions and goals.
2.1 Quality of Life
The user’s ability to observe and quickly react to different events—would they be
positive or not—mean that analysis of data can be an important element of sophisti-
cated and intelligent Disaster Management systems. An early detection of disasters,
for example earthquakes or floods, would enable quick interventions that increase
changes of minimizing or even mitigating the effects of disasters. Tools that allow
visualization of social media data would allow for better understanding of dynamics
of investigated calamities. They would allow for close, real-time monitoring of dis-
asters and their progress, and also estimating effectiveness of preventing actions and
provided help. This is closely related to another very important area that could ben-
efit form data analysis: Health Care. In this case, application of big data techniques
Big Data and Fuzzy Based Techniques in Analysis … 5
would have an enormous impact on coping with diseases—better understanding of

their origin, better knowledge about their spreading, as well as better understanding
of their impact on human behavior and actions. Systems for detecting diseases and
tracking them could be of great importance.
Education is yet another domain where preforming big data analysis on social
network data could play an important role. For example, it is already known that
analysis of posts generated by pupils and students can lead to detecting bullying and
even preventing tragedies caused by such a behavior. Development of systems mon-
itoring and analyzing variety of issues related to ways of study as well as problems
and issues encountered by students would mean creation of a better environment for
education. Such an environment would increase effectiveness of education systems
and contribute to better-educated societies.
Analysis of social network data could also lead to a more effective Criminal
Justice system. More information extracted from social data that is related to actions
violating laws and by-laws would definitely change the way law enforcement agen-
cies work. Ability to detect undesired behaviors as well as presence of dangerous
individuals would lead to safer communities.
2.2 Manufacturing and Industrial Activities
Facebook [32], Twitter [34], Pinterest [33] and other social sites continue to gen-
erate and provide an uninterrupted stream of data. Development of methods and
approaches that analyze this data from a perspective of the users’ opinions on dif-
ferent products and services will allow companies to identify the customers’ prefer-
ences, as well as their needs and likes. This would lead to a so-called data-driven
manufacturing—a scenario where existing and potential customers influence what
is being manufactured. Analysis of the users’ data would also help identifying weak-
nesses and strengths of manufactured goods. Social media sentiment investigations
could determine if users intent to purchase specific products or if they dislike these
products. All this would provide insight that can be explored and acted upon. Such
analyses could also assess consumers’ interest in a product before it is launched.
Introduction of tools and systems analyzing social network data would affect vari-
ety of service and utility companies. Such systems could change the way companies
provide services to the users, and how these systems could react to changes in the
demand and needs. For example, General Electric (GE) is about to release a system
that uses analysis of social media to support estimation of potential problems in
an electrical grid—it is called Grid IQ [35]. Many aspects of individuals’ lives are
being discussed on the forum of social networks therefore any company that provides
services would benefit a lot from social network data. Another interesting aspect is
related to a so-called geo-tagging where many aspects of collected data is location
sensitive—and this alone will bring valuable information to be analyzed.
2.3 Corporate Visions and Goals
Understanding of the users’ needs and their attitude to multiple services and products
offered by companies are key elements of building corporate strategies and plans
for future. Also here, vast amounts of data collected during the users’ activities
could provide corporations with valuable information. In such areas like advertising
and marketing any indications regarding the users’ moods, attitudes and opinions
expressed directly or indirectly would be able to change policies and strategies of
companies. The analysis would provide companies with indicators of their social
presence, their ranking, and popularity among users.
One of the most interesting and intriguing aspects of analysis of social network
data could be related to strategies and operations of insurance and financial com-
panies. Information—in a form of opinions, facts or evaluations—that describe the
users’ behaviors, patterns and rules of actions would be of great interest to insur-
ance companies. They could adopt and customize their policies and offer insurance
packages to variety of customers trying to fit their specific needs. Financial compa-
nies could use social media data to improve returns on investment—analysis of the
users’ discussions and posts from the point of few of sentiments and attitudes towards
investment and associated with it expectations can lead to identification of trends,
patterns and motivations of the users. All this would translate into better strategies
and policies of investment polices of companies.
3 Discussions and Conclusion
The above section provides a just few examples of areas that can benefit from pro-
cessing, analyzing and modeling social network data. At this stage we would like to
foresee how synthesis of big data methods with fuzzy technologies could contribute
to analysis of social networks.
Most of the work dedicated to analysis of network data is targeting structural
information of networks. The interconnection and relations between actors have been
the main source of information [1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 15]. Some works [4, 6, 7, 14, 19, 23,
27, 28] show an attempt to use additional information that brings different aspects of
analysis. It is well known that each of the nodes/actors as well as connections/relation
is associated with supplementary information. It seems very reasonable that including
that information in analysis procedure and methods would increase the scope of
analysis and allow looking and discovering new insights regarding the users and
their behavior.
A very important aspect of analysis of network data is to look into posts, com-
ments, tweets, or any form of text generated by the users. They contain enormous
amounts of information about users: what is being currently discussed, what are
moods among people, what they like, what types of things invoke positive responses,
what type of things are perceived as negative. It seems critical to be armed with
Big Data and Fuzzy Based Techniques in Analysis … 7
the ability to find answers to these questions—this would result in detecting trends,
popular and/or important topics, determine users’ requirements and expectations
regarding variety of items and events. In such a context, we would like to state that
application of fuzzy-based approaches will enhance the capabilities of data analyt-
ical methods, will enable deeper and more semantic oriented analysis, and what is
also essential will make the obtained outcomes more human-like. Fuzzy methods
targeting summarization of texts [16], sentiment analysis [24, 25], trust inference
and propagation [10, 12], and event detection [18, 30, 31], are just a few examples
of research topics that constitute important issues that can be addressed with, and
will benefit from application of fuzzy-based techniques and methods.
Acknowledgements This scientific work was supported by Grant a Science Development Foun-
dation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ministry of Communications and High
Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to support projects aimed at the development
of ICT for Grants for 2013 for the 2nd joint ICT Contest (SDF-MCI-MQM-2/ICT-2-2013-7 (13)).
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Application of Fuzzy Pattern Recognition
in the Recruitment of IT Specialists
Abstract The article the task of the management of the IT specialists market reduced
to decision-making on selecting the policy for the coordination of supply and demand.
The fuzzy situational models for supply and demand are proposed. Decision support
methods for the recruitment of IT specialists based on fuzzy pattern recognition
taking into account the multivariate nature of the coordination of supply and demand
is developed.
Keywords IT specialist · Fuzzy situational model · Decision-making methods ·

Fuzzy pattern recognition · Fuzzy similarity
1 Introduction
The emergence of information as a global resource has resulted in a sharply increased

demand for IT specialists in the labor market, which is still significantly exceeding
the supply in many countries [1–4].
The new demands on IT specialists emphasize a strong ability to adapt to
change and innovations, flexibility, multifaceted skills, mobility, and ability to switch
between different areas of activity, which correspondingly require continuous updat-
ing of professional knowledge and skills by means of both formal and informal
education [5].
However, academic publications have failed to properly focus on the system anal-
ysis of the IT labor maker and the development of adequate technology and support
techniques for managerial decision making in reconciling the supply and demand to
reflect the specific features of this sector of the economy and the preferences of its
main factors.
M. Mammadova · Z. Jabrayilova (B)

Institute of Information Technology, National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan, Baku,
Azerbaijan
e-mail: djabrailova_z@mail.ru
M. Mammadova
e-mail: mmg51@mail.ru
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 9

S. N. Shahbazova et al. (eds.), Recent Developments and the New Direction
in Soft-Computing Foundations and Applications, Studies in Fuzziness and Soft
Computing 393, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47124-8_2
10 M. Mammadova and Z. Jabrayilova
The specific features of the IT labor market, the uncertainty of information flows
about its state, the much-varied profile of data on IT specialists and the difficulties
of measuring it, and the ambiguity of indicators characterizing it predetermine the
variety of possible fuzzy states of supply and demand for IT specialists and the multi-
option pattern of reconciling them. Comparisons and evaluations of these conditions
and the choice of the reconciliation policy can be efficiently accomplished with the
use of intellectual methods and technologies [6–8]. The latter help to integrate the
versatile information on the supply and demand conditions and facilitate the devel-
opment of a set of alternatives for managerial decisions and the selection of the most
efficient one among them. Management in such systems is considered as a process
of identification of the demand and supply condition at a given point in time and
decision making suitable in the current situation.
The listed features identify the problem of management of the labor market of IT
specialists as semi-structured and difficultly formalized tasks [9–11]. Obviously, for
the solution of such problems, the use of intelligent methods and technologies is the
most effective. In this interpretation, solution of the management problem of the IT
specialists market assumes:
• development of situational models of supply and demand for IT specialists;
• comparison and evaluation of fuzzy situation of supply and demand in the current
situation;
• deciding on the choice of a policy for their harmonization [4].
For the most flexible expression of continuously changing management situa-
tions and the correlation of supply and demand, we use the model of fuzzy pattern
recognition.
The study develops decision support methods for the recruitment of IT special-
ist on the multivariate coordination of supply and demand based on fuzzy pattern
recognition.
2 Formulation of the Problem
Assume are two sets of fuzzy situations describing the conditions of demand Ṽk and
supply S̃q in the IT specialist labor market [4]:

Ṽi = < μl j (Vi ) >, < μcr (Vi ) >, < μu z (Vi ) > = μVi (y) y

S̃g = < μl j Sg >, < μcr Sg >, < μu z Sg > = μ Sg (y) y
Here:
• μl j (Vi ) : V × L → [0, 1]—the degree of conformity of the vacancy V i by the indi-
cators L and L = {l1 , l2 , . . . , ln }—is the set of personal features (characteristics)
required in a candidate to a particular position (job, workplace);
Application of Fuzzy Pattern Recognition in the Recruitment … 11
• μc f (Vi ) : V × C → [0, 1]—the degree of conformity of the vacancy V i by the

indicators C and C = {c1 , c2 , . . . , cm }—is the set of competencies sought to fill
the IT vacancy;
• μu iγ (Vi ) : V × U → [0, 1]—the degree of conformity of the vacancy V i by the

indicators U and U = u 1 , u 2 , . . . , u p —is the set of conditions offered to the
applicants
to vacant IT jobs;
• μl j Sg : S × L → [0, 1]—the degree of a competency by a certain IT specialist
Sg by the indicators L and L = {li }, j = 1, n is the set of actual competencies
characterizing
the IT specialists;
• μcg f Sg : S × C → [0, 1] —the degree of a competency by a certain IT

specialist Sg by the indicators C and C = c f , f = 1, m is the set of actual
competencies in each individual applicant to a vacancy;
• μu gγ (Sg ) : S ×U → [0, 1]—the degree of a competency by a certain IT specialist

Sg by the indicators U and U = u γ , γ = 1, p is the set of preferences of the
ITl specialist expressed as his or her requirements for the vacancy.

The set Ṽk = μVk (y) y , i = 1, k accounts for fuzzy reference situation (fuzzy

reference image), and set S̃q = μ Sq (y) y g = 1, q accounts for fuzzy real
situation (fuzzy real image).
The problem is to find the most acceptable pair of “fuzzy reference image—
fuzzy real image” in terms of real search patterns sets of IT specialists (supply) and
reference search patterns of the query (demand).
3 Problem Solution
For the intelligent management of supply and demand in the IT specialists labor
market, the problem of the supply and demand conformity decision can be posed as
a task of fuzzy pattern recognition. The problem of pattern recognition is based on
a fuzzy situational analysis and determination of the degree of similarity of fuzzy
situations.
The procedure of pattern recognition involves the following steps:
• real situations are determined (search patterns of IT specialists) in accordance
with the indicator’s values that characterize each applicant for the announced
vacancy;
• reference situations are determined (search patterns of requests) in accordance
with the indicators’ values that characterize the employer’s requirements to the
applicant for the vacancy;
• calculate the degree of fuzzy similarity of the reference situation to each real situ-
ation in accordance with the chosen measure of assessment of similarity between
two fuzzy situations;
• real situation is revealed, which has the greatest proximity rate with the refer-
ence situation. In other words, a decision is made to hire a IT specialist (supply)
for the announced vacancy (demand), which most closely corresponds to the
requirements of the employer.
The works [10, 12] review various measures to determine proximity rate between
two fuzzy situations, involving single-stage or multistage measurement procedures.
The case study uses the degree fuzzy inclusion of situation S̃g in fuzzy situation
Ṽi , and the degree of fuzzy equality of S̃g and Ṽi as the measure of identifying the
proximity rate of fuzzy real and reference situations [12].
4 Multi-scenario Approach to Decision-Making

on the Coordination of Demand and Supply to IT
Specialists
In the work [4], the authors identified possible scenarios for coordinating supply and
demand for IT specialists during the recruitment. Hence, after the completion of the
process of recognizing the most acceptable pair of “fuzzy reference image—fuzzy
real image” in terms of proximity rate, there may be several possible scenarios among
the sets of real search patterns of IT specialists (supply) and reference search patterns
of the query (demand):
Scenario 1
One vacancy (employer’s request)—one applicant (IT specialist), i.e. “one fuzzy
reference image—one fuzzy real image”.
Method for decision making. In this case, if the degree of fuzzy similarity of the
two situations (i.e. S̃g and Ṽi ) is not less than the threshold accepted by the employer
(for example, ψ∈ [0,6; 1]), then a hiring decision is made.
The degree of fuzzy inclusion of a fuzzy situation S̃g in a situation Ṽi is determined
based on the following formula:
μ( S̃g , Ṽi ) =&μ(μ Sg (y), μVi (y)) = & (max(1

y∈Y
− μ Sg (y), μVi (y))) = min (max (1 − μ Sg (y), μVi (y))) (1)
The situation S̃g is considered fuzzy inclusive in the situation Ṽi (..⊂Ṽi ), if the
∼
degree of inclusion of S̃g in a situation Ṽi is not less than the inclusion threshold (ψ∈
[0,6; 1] determined by the management conditions), i.e. μ ( S̃g , Ṽi ) ≥ ψ.
The degree of fuzzy equality Ṽi and S̃g is defined by the following formula:
μ( S̃g , Ṽi ) = ∨( S̃g , Ṽi )& ∨ (Ṽi , S̃g ) = & μ(μ Sg (y), μVi (y)

= min min(max(1 − μ Sg (y), μVi (y)), max(1 − μVi (y), μ Sg (y))) (2)
y∈Y
Situations S̃g and Ṽi are considered to be fuzzy equal S̃g ≈ Ṽi , if μ( S̃g , Ṽi ) ≥
ψ, ψ ∈ [0, 7; 1], where ψ is a certain threshold of fuzzy equality of situations.
Scenario 2
A few applicants (IT specialists) are eligible to the employer in accordance with the
accepted measure of the similarity of the two fuzzy situations, i.e. “one fuzzy refer-
ence image—more fuzzy real image”. The applicants form subset of fuzzy situations
(alternatives), the one of which must be chosen that corresponds to the most suitable
candidate.
Therefore, there is a set μ( S̃g , Ṽi ), g = 1, η, η ≤ q) , the elements of which
satisfy the following condition: (μ( S̃g , Ṽi ), g = 1, η ) ≥ ψ.
In this case, the employer, acting as an expert (DM), can be offered various
methods for decision making:
Scenario 2.1. The task of decision making is reduced to the comparison of simi-
larity of reference and real situations by the degree of possessing the criteria charac-
terizing the applicants for the vacancy. The best alternative (applicant) is that, who
has the greatest proximity rate by coincidence of criteria and the degree of their
possession.
Method for decision making. In this case, the sought is the real situation, which
provides the maximum value in terms of the degree of reference similarity. I.e.:
μ( S̃d , Ṽi )∗ = max(μ( S̃g , Ṽi ), g = 1, η , S̃d ∈ S̃g , g = 1, η .
Scenario 2.2. The task of decision making is reduced to a multicriterion choice

of the best solution (alternative), taking into account the relative importance of the
criteria characterizing the IT specialists [7, 13–16].
Method for decision making. In this case, the task of decision-making is
implemented in accordance with the following stages:
Step 1. The coefficients of relative importance of the indicators shall be defined
[17, 18].
Assume that:
• ω j , j = 1, n—coefficients of relative importance of indicators characterizing
the criterion L;
• ω f , f = 1, m—coefficients of relative importance of indicators characterizing
the criterion C;
• ωγ , γ = 1, p—coefficients of relative importance of indicators characterizing
the criterion U.
Step 2. Based on the aggregation of the degrees of possession of individual
indicators (i.e)
μlg j S̃g , Ṽi , j = 1, n, μcg f S̃g , Ṽi , f = 1, m, μu gγ S̃g , Ṽi , γ = 1, p

the specific IT specialists determine the degree of fuzzy similarity of fuzzy real
situations with the reference situation by the following step [19]:
(a) Based on the “convolution” μlg j S̃g , Ṽi , j = 1, n, the degree of fuzzy
similarity between real and reference situations is determined by personal
characteristics (L):
n
μ L S̃g , Ṽi = w j μl j S̃g , Ṽi .
j=1
(b) Based on the “convolution” μcg f S̃g , Ṽi , f = 1, m—the degree of fuzzy
similarity between real and reference situations is determined in terms of
competences (C):
m
μC S̃g , Ṽi = w f μc f S̃g , Ṽi .
f =1
(c) Based on the “convolution” μu gγ S̃g , Ṽi , γ = 1, p—the degree of fuzzy

similarity between real and reference situations is determined through the prism
of the requirements for the vacancy U:
p
μU S̃g , Ṽi = w γ μu γ S̃g , Ṽi .
γ =1
(d) Based on the obtained results and coefficients of relative importance L, C and
U—wL , wC , wU , the similarity rates of the real situation with the reference ones
are determined:
μw S̃g , Ṽi = ω L · μ L S̃g , Ṽi + ωC · μC S̃g , Ṽi + ωU · μU S̃g , Ṽi .
Step 3. Fuzzy real situation with the maximum value is chosen:

∗
φ S̃g , Ṽi = max φ S̃g , Ṽi , g = 1, η
The selected fuzzy real situation corresponds to the search pattern of the applicant,
who has the greatest degree of fuzzy similarity with the reference pattern of the
vacancy, and is accepted as the best solution.
Scenario 2.3. The list of evaluation criteria is extended, and the input situations
are re-defined (re-examined) and the recognition procedures are repeated.
Scenario 3
Several employers are identified, who are interested in hiring one IT specialist, i.e.
“more fuzzy reference image—one fuzzy real image”.
In this case, there is an inverse task: a subset of fuzzy reference situations (alter-
natives) is presented, which is represented by the vacancies with the corresponding
hiring conditions, among which a IT specialist has to make a choice according to
his/her preferences. According to the preferences of the latter, there can be the variants
of scenario 3 listed below.
Scenario 3.1. The proximity rate of the claims of the IT specialist with the criteria
characterizing the conditions of employment shall be compared, and decision shall
be made on the greatest coincidence of the degree of possession of the criteria.
Method for decision making. The task of decision making is reduced to the compar-
ison of the similarities between real and standard situations in terms of the similarity
rate of the conditions offered by employers and the claims of the applicant. The best
vacancy has the greatest degree of similarity by the coincidence of the criteria that
characterize the conditions offered by employers, and the applicant’s claims. Thus,
assume that:
μ( S̃d , Ṽz ) = max μ( S̃g , Ṽz ), z = 1, f, g = 1, q

Vz ∈ Vi , i = 1, k , Sd ∈ Sg , g = 1, q , 2 ≤ f < k.
In this case, the pair with the maximum value of the degree of fuzzy similarity
situations is defined by the following formula:
μ( S̃d , Ṽβ )∗ = max μU ( S̃d , Ṽz ), z = 1, f . Vβ ∈ Ṽz , z = 1, f .
The fuzzy reference situation is accepted as the best solution, which is corre-
sponding to the search pattern of the vacancy that has the greatest degree of fuzzy
similarity with the applicant’s real pattern.
Scenario 3.2. The task of decisions making shall be reduced to the multi-objective
task of choosing the best solution, taking into account the relative importance of the
criteria that characterize workplaces.
Method for decision making. The task of decisions making shall be reduced to the
multi-objective task of choosing the best solution, taking into account the relative
importance of the indicators characterizing the preferences of the IT specialist (U),
expressed in terms of his/her requirements for a IT profile vacancy.
If ωγ , γ = 1, p—the coefficients of the relative importance of the indicators
characterizing the criterion U, then a fuzzy reference situation that has the greatest
degree of fuzzy similarity with the applicant’s real image is determined based on the
following formula:
⎧ ⎫
⎨ p ⎬
μ( S̃d , Ṽz )∗ = max wγ · μu γ ( S̃d , Ṽz ), z = 1, f .
⎩ ⎭
γ =1
The selected pair is taken as the best solution.

Scenario 3.3. The list of criteria for the workplace assessment shall be expanded,
furthermore, the input situations shall be re-defined (re-examined) and the recogni-
tion procedure shall be repeated using formulas (1) or (2).
5 Implementation of the Coordination of Supply

and Demand for IT Professionals Based
on the Calculation of the Fuzzy Equality Degree
of Situations
A phased implementation of the fuzzy equality method of two fuzzy situations is

shown below in the example of solving the problem of real recruitment and hiring
IT professionals for the specific vacancies.
Assume that there are two vacancies of “programmer” position V = {V1 , V2 }
for which 4 candidates S = {S1 , S2 , S3 , S4 } are applying V 1 —programmer; V 2 —
system administrator with advanced knowledge in networks. The implementation
stages of the task of recruiting the candidates for these three vacancies out of four
applicants using their fuzzy equality degree to determine the proximity of the two
situations.
Stage 1: Determination of the reference situation model of the vacancy, which
is reduced to the selecting of the indicators characterizing the employers’ require-
ments for vacancies. To create a system of indicators that characterize the demand
(employer’s requirements), the IT vacancies in the Internet-recruiting environment
are analyzed [20–22].
The indicators system for the vacancy of programmer V1:
– personal qualities (L): communication skills (l1 ); responsibility (l2 ); self-
development (l3 ); analytical thinking (l 4 ).
– competences, knowledge and skills (C): practical experience of using program-
ming languages PL/SQL and JAVA (c1 ); knowledge of intrabank processes (c2 );
work experience and knowledge on development/projects (c3 ).
– requirements and conditions for applicants for a vacancy (U): higher technical
education (u1 ); ability, if necessary, to work under busy schedule (u2 ); certificate
in programming (u3 ).
– Indicators system for vacancy V 2 : personal qualities (L): teamwork ability (l1 );
energetic, purposeful (l2 ); desire to grow and develop (l3 ); stress-resistant (l4 ).
– competences, knowledge and skills (C): administrating the Microsoft Windows

servers (c1 ); administrating the Linux and Unix servers (c2 ); knowledge of virtu-
alization systems (VMware, MS Hyper-V) (c3 ); knowledge of administration and
configuration of network equipment (switches, routers and Wi-Fi access points)
(c4 );
– Job requirements and conditions (U): experience in storage systems (u1 );
experience in backup systems (u2 ); experience in the field of IP-Telephony (u3 ).
Stage 2: To determine the degree of matching the separate indicators, which are
describing the vacancies, by the applicants, the indicators must be formed. As follows
from the above requirements for the vacancies, most of the indicators are specified
at the verbal level (semantic concepts). This imposes the use of linguistic variables
and their values in the form of verbal assessment scales for the formalization of such
indicators [23, 24].
The latter reflect the increasing intensity of the representation of the indicators
(excellent, good, medium, satisfactory, poor). The formal task of both the candidates
for the vacancies and the employers’ requirements for them makes it possible to model
the interrelation between supply and demand and their matching for the employment
task.
Table 1 demonstrates the 5-level values of the linguistic variable “Practical expe-
rience of using programming languages PL/SQL and JAVA” and the corresponding
ranges of the variation of fuzzy degrees of matching this indicator in the interval [0,
1].
Stage 3: The linguistic assessments of the applicants for the vacancy V1 are
illustrated in Table 2.
Fuzzy degrees of matching the indicators, which are characterizing the vacancy
V1 :
μ L j (Si ) → [0, 1] , j = 1, 4, μC f (Si ) → [0, 1], f = 1, 3, μUγ (Si ) →
[0, 1], γ = 1, 3 are given in Table 3.
According to Table 3, fuzzy real situations are formed, i.e. fuzzy descriptions of
the job applicants V1 :
Table 1 Fuzzification of the indicator “Practical experience of using programming languages

PL/SQL and JAVA”
Gradation of the indicator Linguistic assessment The range of variation of fuzzy
“Practical experience in degrees in the interval [0; 1]
programming languages PL/SQL
and JAVA”
Wide-ranging experience Excellent [0.95–1]
Extensive experience Good [0.8–0.94]
Sufficient experience Medium [0.5–0.79]
Little experience Satisfactory [0.26–0.49]
No experience Poor [0–0.25]
Table 2 Linguistic assessments of the Applicants for the vacancy V1

Indicators (V 1 ) S1 S2 S3 S4
l1 Excellent Satisfactory Satisfactory Excellent
l2 Good Good Good Good
l3 Good Good Satisfactory Good
l4 Good Satisfactory Good Good
c1 Excellent Excellent Good Good
c2 Satisfactory Good Satisfactory Satisfactory
c3 Satisfactory Good Satisfactory Good
u1 Excellent Good Excellent Excellent
u2 Excellent Satisfactory Satisfactory Excellent
u3 Excellent Poor Excellent Good
Table 3 Fuzzy degrees of matching the indicators, which are characterizing the vacancy V1 , by
the applicants
L, C, U S1 S2 S3 S4
l1 0.97 0.75 0.78 0.97
l2 0.9 0.84 0.82 0.90
l3 0.92 0.86 0.72 0.88
l4 0.9 0.77 0.9 0.85
c1 0.94 0.98 0.92 0.93
c2 0.79 0.93 0.78 0.7
c3 0.77 0.93 0.65 0.8
u1 0.98 0.90 0.95 0.95
u2 0.97 0.65 0.7 0.95
u3 0.95 0.49 0.97 0.9

0.97 l1 ; 0.9/l2 ; 0.92/l3 ; 0.9/l4 ; 0.94/c1 ; 0.79/c2 ;
S̃1 =
0.77/c3 ; 0.98/u 1 ; 0.97/u 2 ; 0.95/u 3

0.75 l1 ; 0.84/l2 ; 0.86/l3 ; 0.77/l4 ; 0.98/c1 ;
S̃2 =
0.93/c2 ; 0.93/c3 ; 0.9/u 1 ; 0.65/u 2 ; 0.69/u 3

0.78 l1 ; 0.82/l2 ; 0.72/l3 ; 0.9/l4 ; 0.92/c1 ; 0.78/c2 ;
S̃3 =
0.65/c3 ; 0.95/u 1 ; 0.7/u 2 ; 0.97/u 3

0.97 l1 ; 0.9/l2 ; 0.88/l3 ; 0.85/l4 ; 0.93/c1 ;
S̃4 =
0.7/c2 ; 0.8/c3 ; 0.95/u 1 ; 0.95/u 2 ; 0.9/u 3
The reference fuzzy description of the vacancy V1 is defined as follows:


0.97 l1 ; 0.98/l2 ; 0.99/l3 ; 0.96/l4 ; 0.98/c1 ; 0.98/c2 ; 0.96/c3 ;
Ṽ1 =
0.98/u 1 ; 0.99/u 2 ; 0.96/u 3
Stage 4: Using the formula (2) fuzzy equality degrees of the reference Ṽ1 and real
situations S̃1 , S̃2 , S̃3 , S̃4 are determined: (a) by personal indicators (L); (b) in terms
of competences (C); and (c) from the prism of the requirements for the vacancy (U):
Determination of the fuzzy equality degree of the reference Ṽ1 and real situations
S̃1 , S̃2 , S̃3 , S̃4 , according to the personal indicators (L):
μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = min(max(1 − 0.97, 0.97), max(0.97, 1 − 0.97))

& min(max(1 − 0.98, 0.9), max(0.96, 1 − 0.9))&& min(max(1 − 0.99, 0.92),
max(0.99, 1 − 0.92))& min(max(1 − 0.96, 0.9), max(0.96, 1 − 0.9))
= min(0.97, 0.97)& min(0.9, 0.98)& min(0.92, 0.99)& min(0.9, 0.96)
= 0.97&0.9&0.92&0.9 = 0.9
μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = min(max(1 − 0.97, 0.97), max(0.97, 1 − 0.97))& min(max(1 − 0.98, 0.9),
max(0.96, 1 − 0.9))&& min(max(1 − 0.99, 0.92), max(0.99, 1 − 0.92))
& min(max(1 − 0.96, 0.9), max(0.96, 1 − 0.9)) = min(0.97, 0.97)& min(0.9, 0.98)
& min(0.92, 0.99)& min(0.9, 0.96) = 0.97&0.9&0.92&0.9 = 0.9
μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃2 ) = 0.75&0.84&0.86&0.77 = 0.75
μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃3 ) = 0.78&0.82&0.72&0.9 = 0.72
μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃4 ) = 0.97&0.9&0.88&0.85 = 0.85
Determination of the fuzzy equality (similarity) degree of the applicants with the
vacancy requirements V 1 in terms of their competencies (C):
μC (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = 0.94&0.79&0.77 = 0.77
μC (Ṽ1 , S̃2 ) = 0.98&0.93&0.93 = 0.93
μC (Ṽ1 , S̃3 ) = 0.92&0.78&0.65 = 0.65
μC (Ṽ1 , S̃4 ) = 0.93&0.7&0.8 = 0.7
Determination of the fuzzy equality degree of the applicants’ parameters (the

search image of the offer) with the parameters of the vacancy V 1 (the search image
of the request) by the indicators characterizing the requirements and conditions
presented by the employer:
μU (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = 0.98&0.97&0.95 = 0.95
μU (Ṽ1 , S̃2 ) = 0.9&0.65&0.46 = 0.49
μU (Ṽ1 , S̃3 ) = 0.95&0.7&0.97 = 0.7
μU (Ṽ1 , S̃4 ) = 0.95&0.95&0.9 = 0.9
In accordance with the obtained results taking into account all indicators, fuzzy
equality degree φ(Ṽ1 , S̃g ), g = 1, 4 of the reference V 1 and search images of the
real situations S̃1 , S̃2 , S̃3 , S̃4 is determined:
μ(Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃1 )&μC (Ṽ1 , S̃1 )&μU (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = 0.9&0.77&0.95 = 0.77
Step 5: Correspondingly, fuzzy equality degree of the real situations

S̃1 , S̃2 , S̃3 , S̃4 (search images of the applicants) in the reference situation Ṽ2 (the
search image of the employer’s request) is determined.
The results are summarized in Table 4.
As seen from Table 4, in terms of the fuzzy equality degree of the requirements of
the vacancy V 1 , the applicant S 1 is the most suitable (μ(Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = 0.77), whereas the
applicant S 4 is the most suitable for the parameters of the vacancy V 2 (μ(Ṽ1 , S̃4 ) =
0.7).
Table 4 Fuzzy equality

μ(Ṽ1 , S̃g ) , g = 1, 4 μ(Ṽ2 , S̃g ) , g = 1, 4
degrees μ(Ṽ1 , S̃g ), g = 1, 4
S1 0.77 0.59
and μ(Ṽ2 , S̃g ), g = 1, 4 S2 0.49 0.49
S3 0.65 0.62
S4 0.70 0.70
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are so evident to his people that one can scarcely wonder at their
fixed belief in his omnipresent power for good, and at his unsullied
reputation of their sole benefactor.
The scheme of public and private worship has evidently been
modelled on features found in Pagan, Mohammedan and Christian
religious systems. The brief prayer to the Sun's majesty, which I
have quoted elsewhere, that is uttered by all on their knees at the
hours of sunrise and sunset, savours in principle of the terse
invocations to Allah, deemed by Mahomet as most suitable to the
human temperament and understanding. On the other hand, the
weekly obligatory holiday derives probably from Jewish tradition.
Again, the elaborate ceremonies held annually in the principal
temple whereat the King offers incense in public at the crystal altar of
the Sun seem to recall the mediæval pageants of the Roman
Church, though possibly they may be copied from much older forms
of worship on the Earth. But in contrast with these strictly spiritual
forms, it is noteworthy that the occasions of births, deaths and
marriages are treated in a civilian spirit, if I may so express it. Births
are merely registered or reported to the appointed members of the
council or their itinerant officials; marriage is almost wholly a
betrothal within the family circle, and consists of an exchange of
rings between the bride and bridegroom in the presence of their
respective relations. Death is accompanied with small display of
ceremony. Cremation is compulsory here, and after the corpse has
been duly prepared, a pyre is made either in the garden of the
deceased's home or else in a public enclosure utilised for the
purpose. In aristocratic or wealthy families the ashes are generally
preserved within the family chapel or mausoleum; those who are
poor or indifferent merely leave the little urn in the public
columbarium. There are regular charges by the Government for the
performance of cremation, varying with the opulence or poverty of
the family applying. Death is never attended with any demonstration
of woe or wailing, or indeed by any sort of openly expressed
mourning, except in the case of widows and orphans, who usually
hold themselves in retirement for a month or so after the event. To
mourn loudly or to give vent to excessive grief is regarded as ill-bred,
at any rate in the upper classes, as also indicating the fear lest the
departed one may not through his life have earned the full benefits of
the Hereafter, which is the due reward of every well-behaved citizen.
Of course, genuine sorrow and desolation are not scorned or
mocked; such feelings are respected by those outside, but it is the
custom and aim of the Meleagrians to conceal their feelings as
assiduously as possible; and indeed to hide a stricken heart under a
smiling face is accounted no small virtue in itself, and in the nobility a
necessary proof of gentle manners.
Death is universally regarded as the portal to another life, which may
be either material in the form of a reincarnation on the planet itself,
or of a spiritual or higher phase of existence in the mystical realm of
the Sun-god. In any case, it is held that the continuity of personal
existence is not interrupted by the accident of death, though there is
no definite opinion or belief as to the nature of the new life that
succeeds. Having no literature in print or script, naturally all such
theories of the Hereafter are very nebulous, so that numerous views
as to the nature of the future life are held, though all such views are
variable rather than contradictory or combative. Thus many aver that
the Meleagrian never really dies, but that a death in one spot merely
connotes a birth in another; and that the individual is born again and
again, each time into a different social sphere, till finally he becomes
a member of the hierarchy, whose priests when they expire are
absorbed directly into the family of the Sun-god.
And here I may state that, paradoxical though it may appear, the
theory of the Hereafter is apparently held as firmly by the hierarchy
as by the people at large. Of course the opinions of these
enlightened persons differ fundamentally from those of the ignorant
mass of the Meleagrians, whose easy-going theory of transmigration
of soul, or rather of vital personality, is naturally repugnant and
absurd to their educated minds. Their aspirations are necessarily
more lofty, though what their actual fixed belief is I cannot tell, and I
much doubt whether any member of the hierarchy could explain it
satisfactorily himself. For these councillors have full cognizance of all
the faiths and creeds, to say nothing of the numerous forms of un-
faith and philosophic doubt, that flourish on our Earth, to guide or
hinder them in their choice of a definite religion; yet I am assured,
and I believe the assurance, they all cling to the belief of the
Hereafter in spite of the knowledge of their own Great Imposture and
their close acquaintance with terrestrial ethics. Probably the simple
but precise religious education of their childhood produces a mental
soil wherein agnosticism and infidelity positively refuse to take root
and flourish; and though they must have received a most painful
rebuff in the total destruction of their early religious teaching, yet
their minds are so attuned thereby that they merely cast about with
more or less success to find some suitable theory or form of belief
that will fill the aching void created by the recent revelation of The
Secret and all that it implies. That any one of them has actually been
converted to any Herthian creed, I very gravely doubt. From
generation to generation for some two thousand years these
councillors have watched so many prophets and messiahs arise in
all corners of our Earth, and again they have noted the beginning,
the rise, the zenith, the decline and the extinction of so many cults;—
how can they possibly assert which is or was the genuine form of
belief? Their conclusions, if conclusions they can be called, remain
as a sealed book to me; and though I have taken part in many
arguments on this weighty subject with the Arch-priest and also with
other members of the hierarchy, I shall never really catch a firm grip
of this elusive religious fata morgana of the Meleagrian intellectuals.
In one important respect however I have learned that the councillors
are pretty unanimous—namely, in extolling the expressed opinion of
St Paul that the blessing of the Hereafter is not necessarily an
inalienable gift to man. "The wages of sin is death," and "What shall
it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?" are, I
know, maxims that are admitted and approved by these all-knowing
members of the hierarchy. Sin, they hold, is any disobedience or
treachery in connection with their sacred trust of ruling the people of
Meleager for their own good; and the failure or omission to perform
plain duty brings its own punishment in the shape of Death, not the
casual death of the body but a complete blotting out and annihilation
of the soul, the termination of progressive personality both now and
for ever. This view of their responsibilities acts as a warning voice in
the ear of each councillor, who may ever be tempted to a possible
betrayal of his trust either towards his own order or towards the
Meleagrian people; and it is perhaps this sense of an automatic
obliterating Nemesis that makes the elaborate machine of
Meleagrian state craft work so smoothly in the hands of those who
are alike strictly accountable both as rulers and servants of the
community.
XIII
Although I have described the three estates of the realm as being
clearly delineated by their social boundaries, yet there is one
element of union betwixt them all that I have so far left unnoticed.
This I may call the intellectual bond that in some degree seems to
weld together these three well-defined classes. There is, of course,
no literature in the accepted term amongst the Meleagrians, for they
own neither books nor manuscripts, the power to read and write
being vested solely in the educated hierarchy. On the other hand, the
brains of the people are at least as quick and comprehensive as are
those of Earth-dwellers, whilst the tenacity of memory in the more
gifted individuals is amazing. In our English life, even in this
generation of compulsory popular education, it is no uncommon
thing to meet with persons in the humbler ranks of society who
despite all these modern boasted advantages have for one reason or
another failed to acquire or to remember the arts of reading and
writing. Some proportion of such illiterates is undoubtedly of inferior
mentality, but a large fraction also consists of persons whose minds
are conspicuously acute and retentive. Again and again when on the
Earth have I been struck by the marked ability of invention and
memory displayed by certain individuals who cannot decipher a
journal nor write a letter. On the other hand, the mass of the semi-
educated, who are all voracious readers of the trashy or
unwholesome printed stuff of the present time, are appallingly,
hopelessly ignorant of all things that are worth learning or
remembering. In Meleager, with its literary limitations, intellect is
shown not in a smattering of ill-digested education, but in natural
taste, in the exercise of memory, and in exceptional powers of
invention. One reads in works belonging to the past of the
improvvisatori of Italy, of the bards of mediæval Wales, of the
minnesinger of Germany, of the troubadours of Provence, and it is
this obsolete type of self-culture that dominates and guides the
aspiring Meleagrian mind. There exists hardly a family or household
in each estate that does not possess at least one member who is
born with a definite taste or instinct for mental prowess, which is
shown in his capacity to learn and retain in youth the myths or
poems repeated to him by his elders. From these early and simple
efforts of the mind such an one passes to the higher plane of
invention and of composition. A stripling so endowed is almost
always persuaded to persevere; his tales or verses are listened to
and discussed with all seriousness by his friends and family; and if
his efforts come to find favour he may by degrees win a reputation
that will tend to spread. The popular class in particular produces
many such orators, whether they declaim original matter or the
works of others. These persons are in frequent demand at all
gatherings in their immediate circle, whilst a certain proportion of
them are able to obtain a wider notoriety and to gain their living from
the fees they receive for their powers of entertainment. In these
successful instances the poet or entertainer, if he be of humble
origin, will often be invited to appear and recite in the houses of his
superiors; and if his good luck or genuine talents lead him yet further,
it is not unlikely he may eventually, if he be so minded, obtain a
species of social adoption into a higher sphere than that of his birth.
It is no very uncommon thing for an improvvisatore so endowed to
be finally elected into the estate of the nobility, and to be allowed the
use of the crimson robe, though such a privilege is never extended
to his wife or family. Having once attained to this eminence, in spite
of his plebeian origin he is of course eligible to be entered as a
neophyte, which is the first step towards ultimate admission to the
ranks of the hierarchy.
This then is the ladder that has occasionally assisted certain
naturally gifted members of the lower social orders to ascend even to
the council of state; thus it is that the intellectual cream of the
Meleagrian populace is enabled to rise to the surface. No doubt the
proportion of plebeians in that exclusive assembly is very small; still
such a consummation is shown to be not wholly unattainable, and
the hope of so exalted an honour, however remote and improbable,
acts as a spur to such persons of the middle and lower classes as
own exceptional abilities and possess the ambition to serve their
country in this wise.
Meleagrian poetry, to which I am of necessity or politeness
compelled to sit a constant listener, seems to me to be at least on a
level with that of my former country; whilst the tales, be they
amorous, didactic, gruesome or comical, are often delightful in
themselves and are moreover always related with a charm and
restraint of manner that might well be adopted by our own
professional lecturers who have the backing of innumerable libraries
behind them. There is in fact an enormous quantity of what I may call
floating unwritten literature of considerable value; for any tale or
poem which happens to hit the taste of an audience soon becomes
public property, and is learned by rote and repeated by other less
successful orators, so that the author's fame becomes widespread. I
have only to add that the ear, the wit and the memory of this illiterate
race are all so delicately adjusted and attuned that it is no easy
matter for the average would-be entertainer to acquire popularity and
high recompense in his self-chosen profession. It is only a very few
who rise to general esteem and to high honour and affluence; whilst
of the others a large proportion are content to cultivate a good
method and modest style of recitation, and only to declaim the works
of such as have already attained a definite celebrity.
XIV
Since I wrote these pages I have met with an extraordinary but most
fortunate experience, which I have been able to turn to my own profit
with regard to the safe delivery of my manuscript. I shall relate the
circumstances as briefly as I can, for I have not overmuch space left
on this scroll, and I find my message must be limited to one piece.
Yesterday, being the holiday of the week, I rode out a-hunting with
Hiridia and other members of my Court amid the hilly region of forest
that lies behind the city. We were engaged in hotly pursuing a
wounded doe, and in the course of our chase came upon a wide
open plateau in the midst of the woods. Across this we all galloped,
and my mount being far fleeter than those of my companions, I soon
outstripped them all and rushed forward into the forest beyond. I am
not usually very intent on hounding down a stricken animal, but on
this occasion I continued to charge wildly ahead, dodging the many
trunks and branches in a manner that would have done credit to a
colonial Bushman. The hot lust of the chase for once fired my blood,
and I felt the true afflatus of the eager sportsman in my brain, as I
tore madly onward, recking nothing of the surrounding danger or the
possibility of getting lost. Suddenly I was stopped in my headlong
career by the bough of a tree striking me full across the breast with
considerable force. A quick struggle to retain my saddle and stirrups,
an unusually fierce plunge from my excited horse, and a moment
later I found myself clinging with both arms to the opposing branch
with my steed escaping from under me. I watched his quarters
disappear into the enveloping scrub, and for a few seconds could
distinguish the crackling sound of his tearing through the
undergrowth till all was silent. I now dropped cautiously to the ground
below, where I found myself none the worse for my misadventure,
save for a few scratches and bruises. My plight, if disagreeable and
untimely, was not in the least fraught with danger, for I was sure to
be sought and discovered by my comrades at any rate before many
hours could pass. I felt however no inclination to lie quietly where I
had fallen, so I decided to retrace my steps in the direction whither I
imagined my friends to be approaching. So I rose and began
guessing my way by means of the broken twigs and trampled grass
caused by my horse's late gallop in the forest. But I must evidently
have soon strayed from the desired direction, for after a time I lighted
upon a well-defined track or pad, such as used to be familiar to me in
the Australian bush; and thinking this track would certainly lead me
towards some habitation, I followed its meanderings beneath the tall
trees, whose leafy heads served to exclude a good deal of the
waning afternoon light. Having threaded this little path for no small
distance I suddenly found it emerge from the woodlands into a
charming secluded little valley, watered by a clear purling stream
trickling through bright green pastures that were thickly set with
masses of the fragrant yellow narcissus. Beyond the brook and
facing me stood a house of some size, recalling one of the
mysterious Algerian koubbas with its plain white-washed walls and
its low cupolas. I hastened forward with the intention of demanding
assistance, and had already leaped the narrow stream and was
ankle-deep amongst the perfumed yellow blossoms, when I caught
sight of a figure in long white draperies seated in a chair that was set
on the usual low gallery outside the house. As I drew near enough to
distinguish the man's countenance, I was seized with a sudden
spasm of intense astonishment, for the white-robed senator sitting
there full in the golden light of the setting sun was no other than my
old acquaintance on Earth—Arrigo d'Aragno!
But if real surprise were manifested (as I have no doubt must have
been the case) on my own visage, I am sure I never saw terror,
genuine abject terror, ever depicted so plainly on any face before.
Some hideous apparition or the sudden realisation of an impending
doom could alone have produced that look on any countenance.
D'Aragno's complexion turned ashy-grey, his thick lower lip fell, his
eyes took on a glassy stare, as they surveyed my approaching form;
yet so stupefied was the poor man from shock that he was obviously
unable to arouse himself. Naturally, I was the quicker to recover from
the effects of this unexpected meeting, and with a voice fairly well
under control I merely remarked in English: "Have you no word of
greeting, Signor d'Aragno, for your King, who stands in some slight
need of your help?" My words seem to have brought the required
force to break the spell of temporary paralysis, for the poor fellow,
half-rising from his seat, began to blurt out some incoherent
sentences. I drew still nearer, and my advance, whilst certainly
increasing his horror, at least served to render d'Aragno more active
in his movements, for hurriedly bestirring himself and casting a
furtive look round the peaceful empty scene, he motioned to me to
enter the house by an open doorway just behind his chair. When we
were both inside the room, he hurriedly bolted the door, and then
sank utterly exhausted on to a couch, whereon I feared for a moment
he was about to indulge in a prolonged, or perhaps even a fatal,
fainting fit. Presently however, to my relief, he exhibited signs of
recovery, whilst I stood motionless at a little distance from him,
patiently waiting for him to speak and feeling to my intense inward
satisfaction that somehow or other I had in this unsought and
unexpected interview the advantage over my late captor on Earth.
"Why, why have you entered my house? How have you managed to
find me? Who can have told you of my whereabouts?" Such were
the first questions the prostrate d'Aragno contrived to hiss out from
his swollen purple lips. But I continued to maintain my calm not to
say haughty attitude, and thus allowed the unhappy councillor for
some time longer to imagine that I had found my way hither with the
special purpose of his discomfiture, for from his confused and
disjointed ejaculations I grew quickly to comprehend that our strange
encounter was liable to prove a fatal catastrophe for him, d'Aragno.
After keeping silence thus for several minutes, with a contemptuous
smile of amusement and pity, I told him of my accident out hunting
and how I had wandered hither by the merest chance. My
statements seemed at first slightly to mollify his alarm, but an instant
later he was again in contortions of renewed terror lest my comrades
should trace me to this spot and report the matter to the hierarchy. I
began to grow impatient and rather angry with this unedifying
exhibition of selfish cowardice, so I spoke at last sharply to the
agonised senator. But I need not trouble my readers with a detailed
account of our lengthy conversation, beyond that its salient points
were these, and very interesting they were to me. It seems that
d'Aragno did accompany me in my strange aerial voyage to
Meleager, which terminated (as I had so often expected) at the
temple on Mount Crystal. From that time up till the present moment
he had been living in strict retirement in this remote sequestered
valley, in accordance with the inexorable rule of the hierarchy, which
positively forbids under pain of immediate death any meeting or
communication whatsoever between the Earth-born King of
Meleager and the envoy who has selected him for that royal office.
And now in truth a deadly bolt had fallen out of the blue into the quiet
existence which d'Aragno looked to enjoy for the remainder of his
days in this pleasant place of hiding. I could not repress some
qualms of sympathy for my unwilling host; still, such feelings were
not a little tempered by the secret sense of gratified vengeance,
when I reflected on the dictatorial advice and threatening attitude of
which I had had experience some few years ago in London.
However I brushed aside my rancour, and assuming a cheerful
countenance I patted the lamenting senator familiarly on the back,
bidding him take courage, as my courtiers were not likely to seek me
in his house, and even if perchance they did come this way, what
was to prevent the concealment of my presence here? So we fell to
less dismal discourse, and likewise to food, for I was very hungry
and insisted on my host supplying me with a substantial meal, which
he fetched himself. I sat down to eat with a good appetite, the while
poor d'Aragno, too agitated to ply a knife and fork, watched me do
justice to the cold meats, rolls, fruits and excellent home-grown wine
he had placed before me.
During this time d'Aragno gave me information on several points that
had hitherto puzzled me. I learned from him that the Meleagrians
always keep two ambassadors on the Earth, who are replaced from
time to time, and need nevermore repeat their excursion thither. I
also gathered—indirectly, it is true, for d'Aragno was discreet to the
verge of obstinacy—that constant intercommunication is maintained
between their envoys on the Earth and the hierarchy in Meleager by
means of crystal-gazing globes, whose properties allow of a code of
signalling, no matter what the intervening space may be. Possibly
there are other sources of mutual information between the two
planets, but this use of crystal-gazing I conclude to be one of their
principal means employed. On the subject of my own levitation or
conveyance whilst in an unconscious state to Meleager, d'Aragno
simply pursed his lips and steadfastly refused to reply; so seeing any
attempt on this head would prove idle, I finally turned the
conversation. In the matter of his own position and safety in
Meleager, my host was more communicative. He was, he said,
treated with the greatest distinction by the whole hierarchy, with
whom he was in constant touch, by means of a subterranean
passage running from his chosen place of retirement to the Temple
of the Sun in Tamarida. He assisted at all the more important
meetings of the inner ring of the council, and was frequently visited
by members of the hierarchy in his country home. Nevertheless, this
sword of Damocles, in the shape of the ancient stern enactment,
ever hung above his honoured head, should he by any evil chance,
such as the present, come into personal contact with the monarch he
had himself enticed and brought to reign in Meleager. Any collusion
or meeting, so he informed me, between these two personages, was
if discovered to be followed by the immediate death of the hapless
envoy, no matter how innocent he might be, nor how accidental and
unforeseen his encounter with the Child of the Sun. This death
penalty was a fundamental law, which could never be broken nor
abrogated. I suppose the very notion of a combination between
these two persons seemed so fraught with danger to the state as to
have been the original cause of so savage and sweeping an edict.
No wonder then that poor d'Aragno, who was obviously in no hurry
to terminate his quiet but highly agreeable evening of life, seemed
overwhelmed with fear at the unlooked-for apparition of myself. I
perceived a distinct cooling of my recent dislike towards him as he
proceeded to tell me of the pleasant years he hoped to spend in this
delicious retreat, where he was served by attendants who were deaf
and dumb. He showed me with affectionate pride the many rolls of
manuscript filled by his own pen with choice passages from our
worldly authors that had lain embedded in his marvellous and highly
trained memory, which he daily continued to transcribe. With a sly
expression he also rose and slid aside a panel of the wall, revealing
within a small space, that sheltered about a dozen tiny volumes of
printed matter, which (so I conjectured) he had brought away with
him from the Earth hidden on his person to his final destination.
These consisted chiefly of English and Italian classics, and amongst
their number I can recall the Shakespearean Plays, the Essays of
Montaigne and Bacon, the Divine Comedy of Dante, the Faust of
Goethe and the Travels of Gulliver. These books were of very small
size and of such minute print that their owner confessed they
required to be studied through a magnifying glass. For a moment I
paused to wonder whether these treasures were ever produced in
the presence of any of those white-robed brethren of the council who
were in the habit of paying d'Aragno visits in his home of honourable
exile. Nor could I resist asking d'Aragno, as I fingered these
mementoes of his sojourn on our Earth, whether he had included in
his library any of my own works, seeing how extravagantly he had
praised them during our interviews in London; but my host gravely
shook his head, for a sense of humour is rather rare amongst the
more exalted members of the hierarchy.
At length I came to business, the business I stoutly intended to
transact ere ever I quitted this secluded house, the business which a
lucky chance had thrown in my way towards a possible fulfilment of
my present desire. "And now," began I, "Signor d'Aragno, for I know
you by no other title, pray what return do you propose to render me,
if I do not immediately on my arrival at Tamarida inform the Arch-
priest of this delightful but altogether informal meeting between us?"
My hearer's fat face waxed pale and puffy as he almost cringed
before me at the bare thought of the possibility of such a
catastrophe. "What is your wish?" proceeded as a hoarse whisper
from between his bloodless lips. I thereupon set to explain to him the
exact nature of the boon I demanded—namely, the safe transmission
of my message to Earth; and I also declared to him that it was the
ambition to overcome what all the wiseacres of our planet would
deem insuperable that largely prompted my intention. At first
d'Aragno's face betokened blank dismay at my request, yet when I
went on to tell him that I had no wish for my packet to be delivered to
any particular individual, but that I was fully content for it to be
deposited on the Earth's surface, provided only it were dropped on
dry land, he assumed a less despondent bearing.
After a pause for meditation d'Aragno replied: "Your scheme is not
altogether incapable of accomplishment, for I who brought you hither
own at least the means of conveying an object of moderate compass
to your Earth. I am implicitly trusted here, and as to any missive I
may care to dispatch to Earth no question will be asked, and it will be
sent on the next occasion. But remember, I can only undertake to do
this once, and once for all. If therefore you will hand over to me your
manuscript, written closely as you will but confined within one
solitary sheet of our vellum, I will engage to have it conveyed whither
you ask. You, however, on your part must swear never to divulge the
incident of our chance encounter to-day, and for this mutual
exchange of oaths it is expedient for us both to have recourse to the
Meleagrian formula in its most solemn aspect. And I must notify you
here that we in Meleager are all believers in the Hereafter, which we
hold is arranged for us according to our merits in this our present life.
We all (and I am no exception) build much on the Hereafter, albeit
we may seem overmuch attached to life itself; we therefore dread
the forfeiture of our future prospects in the mysterious world to come,
however uncertain we may feel of their precise nature or degree.
Now we hold also that the breaking of a formal oath of special
sanctity on the part of a councillor of Meleager of itself brings this
punishment or disability in its train, so by binding myself by this most
sacred rite I run the risk of losing what I deem of intense value—
namely, every chance of spiritual growth in the Hereafter. You, on
your side, must also perform your share of the contract faithfully, and
for that joint purpose I now propose that we two participate in the
sacred act of an interchange of oaths. Have I your consent to this?"
I agreed, being anxious to learn the nature of this solemn binding
covenant, whose rupture is regarded as the prelude to such serious
spiritual losses and disadvantages. I therefore closely watched
d'Aragno busy himself with the necessary preliminaries. First he
fetched a vase of gold into which he stuck a few thin rods, that he
subsequently lighted to the accompaniment of a prayer, whereupon
a strong aromatic odour began to pervade the room. He then bade
me stand opposite to him and at the same time bend over the vase
so that we obtained the benefit of the pungent incense smoke full in
our nostrils. He next clasped both my hands in his, entwining our
respective fingers, and then pressed his forehead against mine. This
attitude, however sacrosanct and traditional, rather tickled my natural
propensity to mirth, as I noted the incongruity in this close semi-
embrace between my own six feet four inches and squat d'Aragno's
five feet and little over. Nothing however in this pose seemed to
strike my host in a humorous light, for he continued with the most
serious expression to clutch me with all his force till the drops of
sweat were pouring from his face. Meantime he kept muttering
prayers or threats with ceaseless energy in an undertone, until, when
I myself was almost wearied out with my stiff and stooping attitude,
he suddenly with a final burst of imprecation snatched the burning
incense sticks from the vase and trampled them vigorously underfoot
till they had ceased to smoke. The compact, or rite, or oath was now
completed, so that we were mutually bound, I to the strictest secrecy
and silence, and he to the task of dispatching my scroll of manuscript
to Earth. D'Aragno now unfolded his plan of campaign to me. "In
your own private garden at the palace," said he; "beneath a group of
seven tall palms stands a marble seat where I am told you are often
in the habit of sitting in meditation. Behind that same seat is a
flagstone of the paved terrace which has a copper ring inset. Bring
your piece of parchment concealed in your mantle to this spot when
there will be none to observe your actions, for the palace spies do
not penetrate thither. Pull up the ring, which will yield easily to your
effort, and then throw down the scroll into the hollow that exists
beneath. That is all, but see that you do this on the seventh day from
to-day between the sixth and seventh hours. I shall be waiting in the
gallery below, which ramifies from the underground passage that
connects the temple with my place of retreat. For three days in
succession I shall come to this spot below the marble bench; but if
by the third day no scroll is thrown down to me, I shall deem myself
absolved of my oath, for I dare not attend thus more than three days
running. But you may rely on my punctuality and good faith. Having
duly obtained your scroll, I shall encase it in a metal cylinder and it
shall then be transmitted to Earth on the first opportunity, which
ought to occur within the next few weeks. The case with your
manuscript enclosed will be dropped in some lonely place inland,
where it may or may not be ultimately discovered, brought to a
civilised city, deciphered, studied, discussed and published. For
myself, I fail to grasp your evident sense of satisfaction in so trivial
and futile a scheme; but it is clear you are obstinately bent on your
purpose, and by my recent oath I am bound under the severest
spiritual penalties to aid you. Yet who on your Earth will ever be
found to believe in your fantastic story? And even if it were held
worthy of credence, of what value would it prove to your fellow-men?
Or again, what possible tittle of benefit would you gain by stirring up
Herthian interest in this account of your adventures in Meleager?"
And d'Aragno's face for a moment took on the quizzical yet
imperious look I had noted when he was addressing me at length in
the parlour of the great London hotel some five years ago.
By this time darkness had fallen outside, and this circumstance now
urged my host to speed my departure. Quickly leaving the house in
the obscurity of the encroaching nightfall, together we crossed the
glen with its murmuring brook, and scaled the opposite bank to enter
the depths of the enclosing forest. Following a rough path we
advanced for some time without exchanging a word, till at last we
debouched into a wide open space where we halted. The sharp
dewy freshness of the night air was now upon us, whilst the hooting
of distant owls and other nocturnal sounds filled our ears, as we
stood gazing into the dark blue vault overhead. The stars glistened
with the peculiar brilliance associated with a touch of frost, and
shining above the tree-tops was a conspicuous planet far surpassing
its companion stars in size and lustre. D'Aragno paused, and
pointing towards the ascending orb quietly informed me it was the
Earth, my old domicile; and somehow this piece of information
caused in me an indefinable thrill, so that I could not repress a slight
shiver, as I fixed my eyes on my far-away abandoned home. At the
same time a curious tale of my childhood leaped, as it were, into my
memory, for I began to understand with a greater clarity than ever
before the extraordinary nature of the fate that had befallen me.
I recalled the story, the conceit of a long-forgotten evangelical writer
whose works were popular with my parents, of how a certain
inhabitant of the Evening Star was so struck by the surpassing
beauty of the planet we call the Earth that he prayed to his Deity for
permission to visit this unknown world. His entreaty was granted, but
upon one condition—namely, that on his being translated thither he
should never return, but should share in whatever conditions and
laws of existence might prevail on the star of his choice. He eagerly
consented to this pact, so overwhelming was his desire or his
curiosity; and falling into a deep slumber he was transported (much
as I had myself been conveyed) to his elected sphere, wherein he
awoke to find himself in an ancient city of the Levant. The strange
visitor was well received by the reigning sultan and the citizens of the
place, who did all that lay in their power to make life pleasant for
their interesting guest, whose unique story they thoroughly believed.
Time sped by agreeably enough amid these novel surroundings, so
that the stranger daily grew fonder of his environment till one
evening, when he chanced to stroll by himself without the city walls
and to enter an attractive garden that was filled with curious
erections of stone and marble set amid masses of flowers and
shaded by lofty trees. It seemed a peaceful spot, but the Stranger
was so puzzled by the solitude of the garden that on his return to the
city he asked the sultan whose property was the beautiful shady
enclosure with the carved monuments and the groves of cypresses,
and for what purpose was it used. The monarch looked astonished
at the question, but told his guest it must have been a cemetery, a
burial-ground, the garden and final home of the Dead. Again the
Stranger was perplexed: "And what are the Dead?" Then the sultan
tried to describe death and the common lot of all the sons and
daughters of Adam to his listener, who grew more and more amazed
as he endeavoured to grasp the prince's unfamiliar explanations.
"But will you yourself die also?" he finally asked the sultan. "Most
assuredly," answered the latter; "all of us, from the highest to the
least, king and beggar, man, woman and child, we must perforce all
obey the summons of Death when it comes." Without speaking
another word, the Stranger quitted the palace in profound silence
and with head bent in cogitation over this astounding law of nature
he had just heard for the first time. It took him many days of further
inquiry and self-communing before he could realise this sudden
compulsory cessation of active life which inevitably awaited himself,
sooner or later, whether as the result of disease, of accident, of
violence or of decay. Long did he reflect, and finally he came to the
conclusion that, seeing how soon and how suddenly Death might call
him, Life itself so far as its pleasures and its interests and its
intrigues were concerned was but a step on the road to Death, which
was the final goal with its vista of eternal joy or pain or oblivion.
Naturally, the pious writer of this ingenious allegory had sought
therefrom to point a lesson of the vanity of all worldly pleasures and
success, and of the consequent need of preparation for the after-life,
which alone matters; but I had always loved the simple conceit for its
own sake without troubling myself much about the inevitable moral.
And as I continued to gaze upward at the scintillating orb slowly
rising over the topmost branches, I could not refrain from a
comparison between my own conditions in Meleager and those of
the mysterious stranger in the Oriental city of his adoption. It seemed
a notable coincidence, and I vaguely wondered whether the author
had really possessed a true inkling of the possibility of such an
exchange of planets as had been suggested in the tale.
D'Aragno's harsh whisper recalled me from my reverie, and from the
contemplation of my former sphere to that of tangible objects in my
present abode. He bade me follow him across the open starlit glade,
all gleaming with heavy dewdrops, and so led the way up-hill to a
point whence there was a wide open view bounded by the sea. Far
away below us against the misty horizon I could discern two specks
of pale yellow light, and I scarcely needed my companion's
information to make me realise that these were the twin lanterns of
the lighthouses guarding the entrance of the harbour of Tamarida.
We were standing also on a fairly wide pathway, apparently a bullock
track, and I saw that d'Aragno had led me to one of the chief inland
routes of traffic, which I had merely to follow down-hill in order to
descend directly into Tamarida. He bade me farewell with some
slight show of approval, even stooping so far as to imprint a
perfunctory kiss on my hand, the while he pointed out the guiding
beacons beneath me. He now bade me farewell and a safe arrival
before turning from me with rapid steps. I watched his dwindling
white-robed figure cross the exposed glade and then disappear, a
tiny luminous speck, into the enclosing forest, and that was my last
glimpse of d'Aragno.
Left to myself I strolled leisurely along the stony but clearly
perceptible track, which from this elevation began to wind down the
mountain slope towards the coast. I had not walked much above a
mile when a sound, at first faint but ever growing in intensity, smote
upon my alert ears. I stood still to listen, and soon recognised voices
calling in unison, together with the barking and yapping of dogs. It
was evidently the search-party that was on its way to rescue me in
the forest. Calmly I proceeded, and at a turn in the pathway I could
just detect the advancing throng of men, both mounted and a-foot.
So soon as these had realised the identity of the figure approaching
in the subdued starlight, the whole band halted an instant as if struck
stupid, and then from their midst rushed forth Hiridia with a shrill cry
of delight and threw himself on the rough ground at my feet, which
he covered with kisses. The other members of the party now hurried
towards me to show their joy and relief in a manner fully as rapturous
if more restrained. I received their felicitations and answered their
questions in an indifferent tone, making light of my late misadventure
and only expressing concern for the loss of my favourite horse,
which however they assured me had been caught riderless in the
woods. Apparently the notion of the wild beasts roaming in the
thickets had chiefly aroused their anxiety for me, but this last
suggestion I repudiated with quiet scorn. "What has the Child of the
Sun," I asked, "to fear from his Father's humblest subjects, the
beasts of the forest? Would they have dared to approach his sacred
person save to crouch at his feet and lick them in token of his
divinity?" At this rebuke all my attendants stood crestfallen and
ashamed. Nevertheless, they ventured to express concern for my
presumed state of hunger—the Meleagrian is invariably a good and
frequent trencherman—but I merely remarked that in no wise was I
suffering from want of food: a state of things by the way which was
by no means so remarkable as it appeared to my devoted retainers,
in view of the hearty meal I had swallowed at d'Aragno's house, that
I naturally forbore to mention. Altogether the genuine pleasure and
the awestruck feelings wherewith I had been received by my
followers afforded me no little satisfaction, as, mounted on a pony
with Hiridia proudly holding my bridle, I was escorted by this adoring
throng down the steep circling path that led towards the capital. The
night was well advanced when finally we arrived at our destination,
where I found the whole household in a condition of intense alarm,
which speedily was converted into a frantic demonstration of joy on
the news of my safe return and the subsequent sight of myself in
their midst. I thought it prudent to attend the public supper in the
great hall despite the lateness of the hour, although after my recent
refreshment at d'Aragno's I had little appetite left.
The ensuing morning I was visited by the Arch-priest, to whose ears
had been brought tidings of my mishap of the previous day. He came
ostensibly to inquire for my health, but his face betrayed not a little
anxiety. I was able to soothe him however, telling him the story of my
accident had been grossly exaggerated by the palace servants, and
that I was none the worse for a few hours' solitary wandering on foot
in the woods, and that I had already chanced upon the right path
before ever I had met with the party of searchers. By thus truthfully
reciting the half (in this case so much more valuable than the whole!)
of my late movements, I was easily enabled to set his fears or
suspicions at rest, and after some further conversation on other
topics he left my apartment wholly satisfied with his interview.
XV
I am writing these last few lines by the light of my flickering lamp, as I
sit in my favourite gallery that overlooks the city and the harbour of
Tamarida. There is a multitude of things I still dearly long to add to
what I have already written, but the swift flight of time and this
closely covered scroll forbid any such intention on my part. There
are, however, two matters, one of public and the other of personal
concern, that I should like to hint at before I finally consign my
manuscript to its appointed bourne within the next few hours.
First of all, in my bald, inadequate account of the people and polity of
Meleager, I fear I have not dwelt sufficiently on the unswerving
loyalty of the hierarchy to their own order and to their fixed devotion
to what they consider the perfect common-weal; to the general
happiness and content of the whole population, and to the universal
sense of peace and plenty that prevails here. But remember, I
neither praise nor blame, neither approve nor condemn the system
that produces ends so desirable in themselves, which form the
recognised aim of every conscientious statesman. I have merely
described things in Meleager as I have found them. I have made no
comment thereon, but only suggest to the thinkers and politicians of
the Earth to discover better and more honourable methods of
attaining equal results.
The other question that vexes my mind is purely personal, or rather
egoistic. I wonder greatly whether my present plight in Meleager will
excite feelings of pity, of contempt or of envy in the minds of my
readers. As to the first, I am cut off from all domestic ties and
affections; I am unspeakably lonely with the oppressive sense of
solitude in a crowd; in certain lights I may even be regarded as a
prisoner on parole; I am perpetually spied upon, and every action on
my part, however innocent or well-intentioned, is apt to be regarded
with uneasy suspicion by those who are my real masters. Again I am
in the position of a conscious participant in that gigantic scheme of
fraud, The Secret, by means of which all the state craft of Meleager
is worked. I am also, to fit me for the continuance of my royal office,
subjected at fairly short intervals to a series of personal indignities
that may endow me with the requisite strength and youth at the
moment when my body is beginning to exhibit signs of languor and
dissolution. In compensation for these trials and disadvantages, I
enjoy perfect health; I dwell in a magnificent palace surrounded by
adoring courtiers and servants; I even experience the inestimable
delight of performing public duties which are gratefully and
rapturously accepted by my deluded subjects; I taste the sweets of
divine honours, and at the same time can gratify some of the natural
tastes of a mortal man. It amuses me to leave to others I shall never
meet the solution of a question I cannot answer for myself!
As I lift my eyes from my parchment, I note a thin streak of oriflamme

above the eastern horizon, and I know that very soon the new-born
day will be heralded by clarion and cannon from the battlements of
the great temple overhead. I have but time and space left me to add
the word Farewell and the name I bore on Earth....

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Recent Developments and the New

Direction in Soft Computing

Recent Developments and New Direction in Soft Computing

Soft Computing Applications Proceedings of the 8th

Soft Computing Applications Proceedings of the 8th

Soft Computing Applications: Proceedings of the 7th

Soft Computing Systems Second International Conference

Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on

10th International Conference on Soft Computing Models

Soft Computing Applications: Proceedings of the 6th

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/2941

Valentina Emilia Balas Vladik Kreinovich

ISSN 1434-9922 ISSN 1860-0808 (electronic)

Big Date and Fuzzy Pattern Recognition

Data Processing, Uncertainty and Type-2

Optimization of Quadratic Forms and t-norm Forms on Interval

Fuzzy Knowledge and Fuzzy Estemation

Soft Computing and Fuzzy Controllers

Conceptual Framework for Measuring Project Beneﬁts

Fuzzy Regression and Modeling

Fuzzy Algorithms and Fuzzy Cognitive Map

Granular Computing and Relations

Fuzzy Control Applications

How to Monitor Possible Side Effects of Enhanced Oil Recovery

Shahnaz N. Shahbazova and Sabina Shahbazzade

Abstract Social networks—a phenomenon of an early 21st century—is perceived

Keywords Fuzzy sets · Social network · Data-driven manufacturing · Statistical

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 3

corporations in order to extract information and knowledge about multiple aspects

2 Analysis of Social Networks: Targeted Area

2.1 Quality of Life

would have an enormous impact on coping with diseases—better understanding of

2.2 Manufacturing and Industrial Activities

2.3 Corporate Visions and Goals

3 Discussions and Conclusion

Masuma Mammadova and Zarifa Jabrayilova

Keywords IT specialist · Fuzzy situational model · Decision-making methods ·

The emergence of information as a global resource has resulted in a sharply increased

M. Mammadova · Z. Jabrayilova (B)

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 9

2 Formulation of the Problem

• μc f (Vi ) : V × C → [0, 1]—the degree of conformity of the vacancy V i by the

4 Multi-scenario Approach to Decision-Making

μ( S̃g , Ṽi ) =&μ(μ Sg (y), μVi (y)) = & (max(1

− μ Sg (y), μVi (y))) = min (max (1 − μ Sg (y), μVi (y))) (1)

μ( S̃d , Ṽi )∗ = max(μ( S̃g , Ṽi ), g = 1, η , S̃d ∈ S̃g , g = 1, η .

Scenario 2.2. The task of decision making is reduced to a multicriterion choice

μlg j S̃g , Ṽi , j = 1, n, μcg f S̃g , Ṽi , f = 1, m, μu gγ S̃g , Ṽi , γ = 1, p

(c) Based on the “convolution” μu gγ S̃g , Ṽi , γ = 1, p—the degree of fuzzy

μw S̃g , Ṽi = ω L · μ L S̃g , Ṽi + ωC · μC S̃g , Ṽi + ωU · μU S̃g , Ṽi .

Step 3. Fuzzy real situation with the maximum value is chosen:

μ( S̃d , Ṽz ) = max μ( S̃g , Ṽz ), z = 1, f, g = 1, q

μ( S̃d , Ṽβ )∗ = max μU ( S̃d , Ṽz ), z = 1, f . Vβ ∈ Ṽz , z = 1, f .

The selected pair is taken as the best solution.

5 Implementation of the Coordination of Supply

A phased implementation of the fuzzy equality method of two fuzzy situations is

– competences, knowledge and skills (C): administrating the Microsoft Windows

Table 1 Fuzzification of the indicator “Practical experience of using programming languages

Table 2 Linguistic assessments of the Applicants for the vacancy V1

The reference fuzzy description of the vacancy V1 is defined as follows:

μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃1 ) = min(max(1 − 0.97, 0.97), max(0.97, 1 − 0.97))

μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃2 ) = 0.75&0.84&0.86&0.77 = 0.75

μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃3 ) = 0.78&0.82&0.72&0.9 = 0.72

μ L (Ṽ1 , S̃4 ) = 0.97&0.9&0.88&0.85 = 0.85