Fixed points for fuzzy mappings

In this paper the problem of the existence and computation of fixed points for fuzzy mappings is approached. A fuzzy mapping R over a set X is defined to be a function attaching to each x in X a fuzzy subset R_χ of X. An element x of X is called fixed point of R iff its membership degree to R_χ is at least equal to the membership degree to R_χ of any y ε{lunate} X, i.e. R_χ(χ)≥ R_χ(y)(∀y ε{lunate} X). Two existence theorems for fixed points of a fuzzy mapping are proved and an algorithm for computing approximations of such a fixed point is described. The convergence theorem of our algorithm is proved under the restrictive assumption that for any x in X, the membership function of R_χ has a 'complementary function'. Examples of fuzzy mappings having this property are given, but the problem of proving general criteria for a function to have a complementary remain open.