CONCLUSIONS

We wish to add a few concluding comments. It is first necessary to stress that even the rather broad range

of applications and examples presented in this book is not, and cannot be, exhaustive in any respect. For this reason we have tended to indicate, by way of examples, the basic features of the method of mathematical-logical modelling, particularly its very wide applicability. In our opinion this makes the method a powerful tool for improving the quality of the decision-making process at various management levels (and certainly not only in mining).

From the point of view of the practical needs of decision-making and management, it is of major significance that the method has been systematically developed and gradually ex­tended in two important directions: — as regards the possibilities and means for modelling an

exceptionally broad spread of real conditions, situations, and systems; and

- in creating extensive and reliable computer software. However, the wide applicability and flexibility of the methods

discussed are shown not only by the outstanding possibilities of fitting given descriptions and modelling real phenomena and systems. There are also favourable opportunities for their combination with various other modelling approaches throughout the entire modelling process.

In this book, however, it was possible to touch this question only very briefly.

Nevertheless, readers with experience in some fields of mathematical modelling may themselves have anticipated some such advantageous combinations. Let us at least mention, more

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or less at random, some combinations of the tools of mathematical-logical modelling presented — with the approach based on the theory of fuzzy sets [99], — with certain procedures applied in the theory of decision-

making under uncertainty. Particularly interesting possibilities follow from the logical

structure of the method described, as indicated by some works concluded only after the completion of this book. Specifically, we have in mind the possibility of applying this method to the fields of artificial intelligence, expert systems, programming theory, and logical programming. In our opinion, an interesting example is provided by the possibilities of combining our method with the PROLOG programming language. Continuing research effort in this direction promises new results, significant for the theory as well as for the practical needs of management and decision-making.

Finally, we have the pleasant obligation to thank the referees, Academicians Oldfich Hajkr and Martin Vavro. By their many helpful suggestions, both contributed significantly to improvements in the quality of the exposition.