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Abstract: In this paper, an online soft computing model based on an integration between the fuzzy ARTMAP (FAM) neural network and the classification and regression tree (CART) for undertaking data classification problems is presented. Online FAM network is useful for conducting incremental learning with data samples, whereas the CART model prevails in depicting the knowledge learned explicitly in a tree structure. Capitalizing on their respective advantages, the hybrid FAM‐CART model is capable of learning incrementally while explaining its predictions with knowledge elicited from data samples. To evaluate the usefulness of FAM‐CART, 2 sets of benchmark experiments with a total of 12 problems are used in both offline and online learning modes. The results are examined and compared with those published in the literature. The experimental outcome positively indicates that the online FAM‐CART model is useful for tackling data classification tasks. In addition, a decision tree is produced to allow users in understanding the predictions, which is an important property of the hybrid FAM‐CART model in supporting decision‐making tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a hybrid model consisting of the fuzzy ARTMAP (FAM) neural network and the classification and regression tree (CART) is formulated. FAM is useful for tackling the stability-plasticity dilemma pertaining to data-based learning systems, while CART is useful for depicting its learned knowledge explicitly in a tree structure. By combining the benefits of both models, FAM-CART is capable of learning data samples stably and, at the same time, explaining its predictions with a set of decision rules. In other words, FAM-CART possesses two important properties of an intelligent system, i.e., learning in a stable manner (by overcoming the stability-plasticity dilemma) and extracting useful explanatory rules (by overcoming the opaqueness issue). To evaluate the usefulness of FAM-CART, six benchmark medical data sets from the UCI repository of machine learning and a real-world medical data classification problem are used for evaluation. For performance comparison, a number of performance metrics which include accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and the area under the receiver operation characteristic curve are computed. The results are quantified with statistical indicators and compared with those reported in the literature. The outcomes positively indicate that FAM-CART is effective for undertaking data classification tasks. In addition to producing good results, it provides justifications of the predictions in the form of a decision tree so that domain users can easily understand the predictions, therefore making it a useful decision support tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A hybrid intelligent system is proposed for medical data classification tasks. [•] The proposed system is able to learn incrementally and explain its predictions. [•] Benchmark medical data sets are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. [•] The results ascertain the usefulness of the system for medical decision support. [•] The knowledge base is presented as a decision tree for interpretation by users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]