UTSA brings 'father of fuzzy logic' to San Antonio for World Conference on Soft Computing

Lotfi Zadeh

By KC Gonzalez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Dec. 9, 2013) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), the Republic of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and the Azerbaijan Technical University are partnering to host the Third Annual World Conference on Soft Computing, Dec. 16-18 at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk.

The conference will draw participants from 18 nations to hear keynote presentations from eight scholars on soft computing and to honor Lotfi A. Zadeh, the "Father of Fuzzy Logic," and his wife, Fay Zadeh.

Mo Jamshidi, UTSA Lutcher Brown Endowed Distinguished Chair Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and primary organizer of the conference, has known Zadeh since 1968 and is his close friend and colleague.

"We are thrilled to welcome this soft-computing legend to the Alamo City," said Jamshidi. "Lotfi has led a fascinating life truly dedicated to advancing his theory of fuzzy sets, which is felt in the realm of every basic science."

Introduced by Zadeh in 1965, fuzzy set theory is used to make decisions when information is incomplete, vague or uncertain. More concretely, it is a way to program computers so they can mimic the imprecise way humans make decisions. This technology is now found in many real-life applications and commercial products including cars that virtually drive themselves, washing machines that automatically pick the right wash cycles and water temperature, and HVAC systems that adjust the temperature based on the number of people in a room.

Zadeh’s 1965 paper on fuzzy sets has received 48,600 citations as of December 4, 2013 and several thousand patents have been filed using his fuzzy set theory.

Lotfi A. Zadeh, age 92, is a mathematician, electrical engineer, computer scientist, artificial intelligence researcher and professor emeritus of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.

Events

March 16-20

Early Voting for Primary Runoffs

UTSA students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to raise their voices and participate in the upcoming joint primary runoff election. Any registered Bexar County voter may vote at the H-E-B Student Union Bexar Room (HSU 1.102).

Bexar Room (HSU 1.102), H-E-B Student Union, Main Campus

Friday, May 20, 8:00 a.m.

Kathleen R. Keil Memorial Golf Tournament

Join fellow UTSA accounting alumni for this fun-filled event that includes breakfast, a round of golf, an awards luncheon and great prizes. All proceeds from the tournament benefit student scholarships.

Canyon Springs Golf Club, 24405 Wilderness Oak, San Antonio, TX 78260

Tuesday, May 24, 7:00 a.m.

Election Day

UTSA students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to raise their voices and participate in the upcoming joint primary runoff election. Election day is Tuesday, May 24. Any registered Bexar County voter may vote at the H-E-B Student Union Bexar Room (HSU 1.102).

Bexar Room (HSU 1.102), H-E-B Student Union, Main Campus

Wednesday, May 25, 5:00 p.m.

REDKE: Identifying Strengths to Increase Opportunities with Department of Defense Funding

Please join us Wednesday, May 25, 2022 for a discussion with Colonel (ret) Michael Davis, MD, FACS, FRCS (Hon), former Director of the U.S. Combat Casualty Care Research Program. Dr. Davis will discuss how to best identify strengths at UTSA that can be effectively leveraged for funding proposals to the Department of Defense.

UTSA Business Building University Room (2.06.04), Main Campus

Tuesday, May 31, 12:00 p.m.

Orientation to RowdyFlex: Explore Flexible Teaching & Learning Spaces

UTSA is excited to introduce new flexible learning spaces available to the Roadrunner community. During this orientation, interested faculty will be guided through examples of innovative learning activities supported by these spaces and provided with an overview of relevant technical features.

Virtual Event

Wednesday, June 1, 11:00 a.m.

Compassion Fatigue Training

Do you find yourself more worried than usual about our students? Would you like to feel more confident in your ability to provide support or assistance to them? We are pleased to announce this new brownbag professional development opportunity for you, Compassion Fatigue Training, that will be offered June 1, 2022.

Faculty Center Large Conference Room (JPL 4.04.12C), Main Campus

Wednesday, June 1, 3:00 p.m.

Faculty Coffee Hour

The Faculty Coffee Chat is designed to provide faculty members the space to discuss current issues they are facing in an inclusive and supportive environment.

Virtual Event

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