Database mining using soft computing techniques. An integrated neural network-fuzzy logic-genetic algorithm approach.

Two different soft computing (SC) techniques (a competitive learning neural network and an integrated neural network-fuzzy logic-genetic algorithm approach) are employed in the analysis of a database subset obtained from the Cambridge Structural Database. The chemical problem chosen for study is relevant to the relationship between various metric parameters in transition metal imido (LnMdNZ, Z = carbon-based substituent) complexes and the chemical consequences of such relationships. The SC techniques confirmed and quantified the suspected relationship between the metal-nitrogen bond length and the metal-nitrogen-substituent bond angle for transition metal imidos: increased metal-nitrogen-carbon angles correlate with shortened metal-nitrogen distances. The mining effort also yielded an unexpected correlation between the NC distance and the MNC angle-shorter NC correlate with larger MNC. A fuzzy inference system is used to construct an MNred-NC-MNC hypersurface. This hypersurface suggests a complicated interdependence among NC, MNred, and the angle subtended by these two bonds. Also, major portions of the hypersurface are very flat, in regions where MNC is approaching linearity. The relationships are also seen to be influenced by whether the imido substituent is an alkyl or aryl group. Computationally, the present results are of particular interest in two respects. First, SC classification was able to isolate an "outlier" cluster. Identification of outliers is important as they may correspond to unreported experimental errors in the database or novel chemical entities, both of which warrant further investigation. Second, the SC database mining not only confirmed and quantified a suspected relationship (MNred versus MNC) within the data but also yielded a trend that was not suspected (NC versus MNC).