A fuzzy genetic programming-based algorithm for subgroup discovery and the application to one problem of pathogenesis of acute sore throat conditions in humans

This paper proposes a novel algorithm for subgroup discovery task based on genetic programming and fuzzy logic called Fuzzy Genetic Programming-based for Subgroup Discovery (FuGePSD). The genetic programming allows to learn compact expressions with the main objective to obtain rules for describing simple, interesting and interpretable subgroups. This algorithm incorporates specific operators in the search process to promote the diversity between the individuals. The evolutionary scheme of FuGePSD is codified through the genetic cooperative-competitive approach promoting the competition and cooperation between the individuals of the population in order to find out the optimal solutions for the SD task.FuGePSD displays its potential with high-quality results in a wide experimental study performed with respect to others evolutionary algorithms for subgroup discovery. Moreover, the quality of this proposal is applied to a case study related to acute sore throat problems.