Fuzzy Methods on the Web: A Critical Discussion.

Gradual concepts abound in many web-related domains, ranging from the notion of relevance in information retrieval, to the strength of connection in online social networks. As a result, fuzzy set theory is often a natural choice in implementing web systems. In this chapter, we give an overview of applications of fuzzy set theory in this area, focusing in particular on information retrieval, the semantic web, and recommender systems. In each case, we contrast fuzzy methods with other approaches, analyzing why and how the ideas of fuzzy set theory may be beneficial.