The Journal of Fuzzy Mathematics Vol.22, No.

1, 2014 197
Los Angeles

On Fuzzy Boundary

J. Mahanta and P. K. Das

Department of Mathematics NERIST, Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh, 791109, India

Email: jm_nerist@yahoo.in (J. Mahanta), pkd_ma@yahoo.com (P. K. Das)

Abstract:
In this paper, we introduce a new type fuzzy boundary and study some related set
theoretic identities. Further, this new type of fuzzy boundary is compared with different
existing fuzzy boundaries.
Keywords:
Fuzzy boundary, Fuzzy topology.

1. Introduction

From general topology, we know crisp boundary of a set is the set of elements which
are both in the closure of the set and closure of its complement. But in many real life
situations, crisp boundary of a situation may not be well defined. For instance, boundary
of ocean shared by two or more countries and boundary of the states in India to be
recognized from satellite pictures etc. Such boundaries may be termed as fuzzy
boundaries. Further, the importance of fuzzy boundary is found in generalization of
modem control theory as discussed in [5] and [6].
Fuzzy boundary in the context of fuzzy topological space was defined by Warren [7],
which was later modified by Cuchillo-Ibanez and Tarres in [3]. Subsequently, Pu and
Lie [4] have defined fuzzy boundary as a generalization of the crisp boundary in general
topology. Below are some definitions and results as discussed in [3], [4] and [7].

Definition 1.1 [7]. Let A be a fuzzy set in an FTS (X ,t ) . The fuzzy boundary of
A is defined as the infimum of all closed fuzzy sets D in X with the property that
(
D (x) ≥ cl (A (x)) for all x Œ X for which cl (A ) Ÿ cl A c ( )) (x ) > 0 . We shall denote
such boundary by bd1A .
Warren verified the following properties of the fuzzy boundary:
(1) The boundary is closed.
(2) The closure is the supremum of the interior and boundary.
__________________________
Received February, 2013
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© 2014 International Fuzzy Mathematics Institute
Los Angeles
198 J. Mahanta and P. K. Das

(3) The boundary reduces to the usual topological boundary when all fuzzy sets are
crisp.
(4) The boundary operator is an equivalent way of defining a fuzzy topology.
However, Warren’s definition lacks the following properties:
(5) The boundary of a fuzzy set is identical to the boundary of the complement of the
set.
(6) If a fuzzy set is closed (or open), then the interior of the boundary is empty.
(7) If a fuzzy set both open and closed then the boundary is empty.

Definition 1.2 [4]. Fuzzy boundary of a fuzzy set A is bd11A = cl (A ) Ÿ cl Ac . ( )

Definition 1.3 [3]. Let A be a fuzzy set in an FTS (X ,t ) . The fuzzy boundary of
A is defined as the infimum of all closed fuzzy sets D in X with the property that
D (x) ≥ cl (A (x)) for all x Œ X for which (cl (A ) - int (A )) (x) > 0 . We shall denote it
by bd111A .
Cuchillo-ibanez and tarres established that their definition of fuzzy boundary satisfies
the properties (1)-(4) and (7).
Later, Athar and Ahmad ([1], [2]) introduced and studied fuzzy semiboundary by
generalizing fuzzy boundary through fuzzy semi-closed sets.

2. Fuzzy boundary

In this section, we introduce a new type of fuzzy boundary using the concepts of fuzzy
closure and fuzzy interior. Our aim behind introducing the new definition is to move
close to exactness.

Definition 2.1. Let A be a fuzzy set in an FTS (X ,t ) . The boundary of A , denoted

by bdA is a fuzzy set defined as bdA = int clA Ÿ cl int A .
From the definition, followings can easily be concluded:
∑ bd0X = 0X and bd1X = 1X .
∑ If a fuzzy set is clopen then the boundary is equal to itself.
∑ Boundary is not necessarily a closed fuzzy set.
∑ If the closure and interiors of two fuzzy sets are equal then their boundaries are
also equal.

Example 2.2. Let X = {a, b} and t = {0X , {a0.8 , b0.4 } , {a0.3 , b0.2 } , {a0.3 , b0.4 } ,
{a0.2 , b0.2 } ,1X } be a fuzzy topology on X . Then boundary of the fuzzy set {a0.4 , b0.3 } is
{a0.3 , b0.4 } , which is not fuzzy closed.
Now we discuss some set theoretic properties which are satisfied by the newly defined
fuzzy boundary.

Theorem 2.3. For any two fuzzy sets A and B in an FTS (X ,t ) , the following
results hold.
 On Fuzzy Boundary 199

(i) bd (A ⁄ B ) ≥ bdA ⁄ bdB ;

(ii) bd (A Ÿ B ) ≥ bdA Ÿ bdB ;
(iii) int A ⁄ bdA = bdA ;
(iv) bdA £ clA ;
(v) If A is clopen then bd (bdA ) = A ;
(vi) bd (clA ) ≥ bdA ;
(vii) bd (int A ) £ bdA ;
(viii) If A £ B then bdA < bdB ;
(ix) A ⁄ bdA £ clA ;
(x) If int A = int clA then bd (clA ) = bdA ;
(xi) If clA = cl int A then bd (int A ) = bdA ;
(xii) A is closed fi bdA £ A .
Proof. Let us consider fuzzy sets A and B in an FTS (X ,t ) . Then
(i) bd (A ⁄ B ) = int cl (A ⁄ B ) Ÿ cl int (A ⁄ B ) ≥ ÈÎint (clA ⁄ clB )˘˚ Ÿ ÈÎ cl (int A ⁄ int B ) ˘˚
≥ [int clA ⁄ int clB ] Ÿ [cl int A ⁄ cl int B ] = [int clA Ÿ cl int A] ⁄ [int clB Ÿ cl int B ]
⁄ [int clA Ÿ cl int B ] ⁄ [int clB Ÿ cl int A] ≥ bdA ⁄ bdB .
(ii) bd (AŸB )=ÈÎint cl (AŸB ) ˘˚ Ÿ ÈÎ cl int (AŸB ) ˘˚ £ ÈÎint (clAŸclB ) ˘˚ŸÈÎ cl (int AŸint B ) ˘˚
£ [int clA Ÿ int clB ] Ÿ [cl int A Ÿ cl int B ] = [int clA Ÿ cl int A] Ÿ [int clB Ÿ cl int B]
= bdA Ÿ bdB .
(iii) int A ⁄ bdA = int A ⁄ [int clA ⁄ cl int A] = int clA ⁄ cl int A (since int A £
cl int A ) = bdA .
(iv) We know, int clA £ clA and int A £ A fi cl int A £ clA i.e., int clA Ÿ cl int A £
clA .
(v) As A is clopen, bdA = A fi bd (bdA ) = bdA = A .
(vi) bd (clA ) = int cl (clA ) ⁄ cl int (clA ) = int clA Ÿ cl int clA ≥ int clA Ÿ cl int A
= bdA .
(vii) bd (int A ) = int cl (int A ) ⁄ cl int (int A ) = int cl int A Ÿ cl int A £ int clA Ÿ cl int A
= bdA .
(viii) A £ B fi clA £ clB and int A £ int B .
So, int clA £ int clB and cl int A £ cl int B . fi bdA £ bdB .
(ix) Follows from bdA £ clA and A £ bdA .
(x) Straightforward.
(xi) Straightforward.
(xii) A is closed fi clA = A fi int clA = int A £ A and cl int A £ clA = A fi bdA
£ A.

3. Comparative study
200 J. Mahanta and P. K. Das

In this section, we compare the fuzzy boundary defined here with the different fuzzy
boundaries which already exist.

Theorem 3.1. For any fuzzy set A , bdA £ bd11A .

( )
c
Proof. For any fuzzy set A , int clA £ clA and cl int A = cl clAc = int clA c £ clAc .
So, int clA Ÿ cl int A £ clA Ÿ clAc i.e., bdA £ bd11A .

Theorem 3.2. For any fuzzy set A ,

( )
i (bdA )(x) £ (bd1A ) (x) if . clA Ÿ clAc (x) > 0 or (clA )(x) = 0 ;

(
i (bd1A ) (x) £ (bdA )(x) if clA c
) (x ) = 0 .
( )
Proof. We have (bd1A ) (x ) = (clA )(x ) if clA Ÿ clAc (x) > 0 and (bd1A ) (x ) = 0 if

(clA Ÿ clA ) (x) = 0 . From Theorem 2.4.(iv), (bdA)(x) £ (clA)(x) . Hence (bdA)(x) £
c

(bd A) (x) if (clA Ÿ clA ) (x) > 0 . Now (clA Ÿ clA ) (x) = 0 fi either (clA)(x) = 0 or
1
c c

(clA ) (x) = 0
c

i (bdA )(x) = 0 fi (int clA Ÿ cl int A )(x) = 0 fi (bdA )(x)= 0 fi (bdA )(x) = (bd1A )(x) .

i (bdA ) (x) = 0 fi (int clA ) (x) = 0 fi ((int A) ) (x) = 0 fi

c c c
(cl int A)c (x) = 0 fi
(cl int A)(x) = 1
Next A c (x)£ (clA c ) (x) fi(int A c ) (x)£ (int clA c ) (x) fi(clA ) (x)£ 0 fi
c
(cl (clA) )
c

(x)£ 0 fi(int clA)c (x) £ 0 fi(int clA)(x) ≥1 fi(bdA )(x) = 1 . So (bd1A ) (x) £ (bdA )(x) .

Theorem 3.3. For any fuzzy set A .

(
i (bdA )(x ) £ (bdIII A ) (x ) if . clA - int Ac (x) > 0 ; )
i (bdIII A ) (x ) £ (bdA )(x ) if (clA - int A )(x ) = 0 .

Proof. We have (bdIII A ) (x) = (clA )(x) if (clA - int A ) > 0 and (bdIII A ) (x) = 0 if
(clA - int A) = 0 . From Theorem 2.4.(iv), (bdA)(x) £ (clA)(x) . Hence (bdA)(x) £
(bdIII A) (x) if (clA - int Ac ) (x) > 0 . Next (clA - int A)(x) = 0 fi A is clopen fi
(bdA)(x) = A (x) fi (bdIII A) (x) £ (bdA)(x) bd111A = clA .

4. Conclusion

In this paper, we introduced a new type of fuzzy boundary and studied a few
properties of this fuzzy boundary. It is also concluded that, this fuzzy boundary is the
smallest among different existing fuzzy boundaries. However, the components of
exactness will be more in case of this new fuzzy boundary in fuzzy topological space. It
 On Fuzzy Boundary 201

is expected that the comparative study and the various set theoretic identities of this
fuzzy boundary will throw light on the relative area of applicability.

References

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