Optimization techniques have been widely adopted to implement various data mining algorithms. In addition to well-known Support Vector Machines (SVMs) (which are based on quadratic programming), different versions of Multiple Criteria Programming (MCP) have been extensively used in data separations. Since optimization based data mining methods differ from statistics, decision tree induction, and neural networks, their theoretical inspiration has attracted many researchers who are interested in algorithm development of data mining.

Optimization based Data Mining: Theory and Applications, mainly focuses on MCP and SVM especially their recent theoretical progress and real-life applications in various fields. These include finance, web services, bio-informatics and petroleum engineering, which has triggered the interest of practitioners who look for new methods to improve the results of data mining for knowledge discovery.

Most of the material in this book is directly from the research and application activities that the authors’ research group has conducted over the last ten years. Aimed at practitioners and graduates who have a fundamental knowledge in data mining, it demonstrates the basic concepts and foundations on how to use optimization techniques to deal with data mining problems.

This book provides cutting-edge research results and application experiences from researchers and practitioners in multiple criteria decision making areas. It consists of three parts: MCDM Foundation and Theory, MCDM Methodology, and MCDM Applications. In Part I, it covers the historical MCDM development, the influence of MCDM on technology, society and policy, Pareto optimization, and analytical hierarchy process. In Part II, the book presents different MCDM algorithms based on techniques of robust estimating, evolutionary multiobjective optimization, Choquet integrals, and genetic search. In Part III, this book demonstrates a variety of MCDM applications, including project management, financial investment, credit risk analysis, railway transportation, online advertising, transport infrastructure, environmental pollution, chemical industry, and regional economy. The 17 papers of the book have been selected out of the 121 accepted papers at the 20th International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making "New State of MCDM in 21st Century", held at Chengdu, China, in 2009. The 35 contributors of these papers stem from 10 countries.

This book investigates the DeGroot model in social network contexts, and proposes the social network DeGroot (SNDG) model. Specifically, this book focuses on two core research problems in the SNDG model: (i) Social network structures to reach a stable state (consensus, polarization, or fragmentation); and (ii) the convergence rate to reach a stable state. Furthermore, the authors generalize the SNDG model in an uncertain context, showing the effects of interval opinions on the SNDG model. In this book, the authors also discuss the applications of the SNDG model to support group decision making, including consensus reaching through adding minimum interactions, trust relationships manipulations, and risk control issues in the social network. Apart from theoretical analysis, detailed experimental simulations with real and random data will be applied to validate our research.

This book is the first to connect opinion dynamics, social network and group decision making. The resultsreported can help us understand the evolution of public opinions in social network contexts and provide new tools to support consensus reaching in group decision making.

Optimization techniques have been widely adopted to implement various data mining algorithms. In addition to well-known Support Vector Machines (SVMs) (which are based on quadratic programming), different versions of Multiple Criteria Programming (MCP) have been extensively used in data separations. Since optimization based data mining methods differ from statistics, decision tree induction, and neural networks, their theoretical inspiration has attracted many researchers who are interested in algorithm development of data mining.

Optimization based Data Mining: Theory and Applications, mainly focuses on MCP and SVM especially their recent theoretical progress and real-life applications in various fields. These include finance, web services, bio-informatics and petroleum engineering, which has triggered the interest of practitioners who look for new methods to improve the results of data mining for knowledge discovery.

Most of the material in this book is directly from the research and application activities that the authors’ research group has conducted over the last ten years. Aimed at practitioners and graduates who have a fundamental knowledge in data mining, it demonstrates the basic concepts and foundations on how to use optimization techniques to deal with data mining problems.

This book provides cutting-edge research results and application experiences from researchers and practitioners in multiple criteria decision making areas. It consists of three parts: MCDM Foundation and Theory, MCDM Methodology, and MCDM Applications. In Part I, it covers the historical MCDM development, the influence of MCDM on technology, society and policy, Pareto optimization, and analytical hierarchy process. In Part II, the book presents different MCDM algorithms based on techniques of robust estimating, evolutionary multiobjective optimization, Choquet integrals, and genetic search. In Part III, this book demonstrates a variety of MCDM applications, including project management, financial investment, credit risk analysis, railway transportation, online advertising, transport infrastructure, environmental pollution, chemical industry, and regional economy. The 17 papers of the book have been selected out of the 121 accepted papers at the 20th International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making "New State of MCDM in 21st Century", held at Chengdu, China, in 2009. The 35 contributors of these papers stem from 10 countries.

This book investigates the DeGroot model in social network contexts, and proposes the social network DeGroot (SNDG) model. Specifically, this book focuses on two core research problems in the SNDG model: (i) Social network structures to reach a stable state (consensus, polarization, or fragmentation); and (ii) the convergence rate to reach a stable state. Furthermore, the authors generalize the SNDG model in an uncertain context, showing the effects of interval opinions on the SNDG model. In this book, the authors also discuss the applications of the SNDG model to support group decision making, including consensus reaching through adding minimum interactions, trust relationships manipulations, and risk control issues in the social network. Apart from theoretical analysis, detailed experimental simulations with real and random data will be applied to validate our research.

This book is the first to connect opinion dynamics, social network and group decision making. The resultsreported can help us understand the evolution of public opinions in social network contexts and provide new tools to support consensus reaching in group decision making.