pClass: An Effective Classifier for Streaming Examples

In this paper, a novel evolving fuzzy-rule-based classifier, termed parsimonious classifier (pClass), is proposed. pClass can drive its learning engine from scratch with an empty rule base or initially trained fuzzy models. It adopts an open structure and plug and play concept where automatic knowledge building, rule-based simplification, knowledge recall mechanism, and soft feature reduction can be carried out on the fly with limited expert knowledge and without prior assumptions to underlying data distribution. In this paper, three state-of-the-art classifier architectures engaging multi-input-multi-output, multimodel, and round robin architectures are also critically analyzed. The efficacy of the pClass has been numerically validated by means of real-world and synthetic streaming data, possessing various concept drifts, noisy learning environments, and dynamic class attributes. In addition, comparative studies with prominent algorithms using comprehensive statistical tests have confirmed that the pClass delivers more superior performance in terms of classification rate, number of fuzzy rules, and number of rule-base parameters.