I am much interested and impressed by Dr Sifeng Liu and Dr Yi Lin's recently published monograph on grey information, dealing with the theory and practical applications.
This book encompasses many aspects of mathematics under the aegis of uncertain information. I am greatly in favour of this attitude, concerning the uncertainty of information, which has been mine since a long time ago. Also, this book focuses on practice and aims at explorations of new knowledge. It is a comprehensive, all‐in‐one exposition, detailing not only with the theoretical foundation but also real‐life applications. Because of this characteristic of quality and usefulness, Liu and Lin's book possesses the value of the widest possible range of reference by the workers and practitioners from all corners of natural and social sciences and technology.
In this book, Liu and Lin present the theory of grey information and systems starting on such background information as the relevant history, an attempt to establish a unified information theory, the basics of grey elements, and reaching all the most advanced topics of the theory. Complemented by many first‐hand and practical project‐successes, the authors developed an organic theory and methodology of grey information and grey systems, dealing with errors. In fact, there is much more to tell about error than about truth. Error (inexactitude) can be met everywhere and truth (exactitude) nowhere. But inexactitude contains a part of the truth. Greyness is the field we live in. Extremes, as whiteness and blackness, are inaccessible, but very useful, ideal concepts.
With the publication of such a book that contains not only a theory, aspects of magnificent real‐life implications and explorations of new research, but also the history, the theorization of various difficult concepts, and directions for future works, there is no doubt that Drs. Liu and Lin have made a remarkable contribution to the development and applications of systems science.
