In Memory of Dr. Elbert A. Walker

Abstract

This paper, written in memory of Dr. Elbert A. Walker, is a reflection of the remarkable time spent together as a colleague and as a close friend spanning over three decades. His generosity, kindness, and mindfullness, had a transformational effect on all those close to him and will forever remain etched in memory. He leaves behind a legacy of optimism and hope that anything is possible if one tries hard enough, and anything can be learned if one is persistent and relentless in the pursuit of truth. For engineers who are more focused on the reality and have the desire to make things work, he provided the motivation to perceive pure mathematics as a foundation for success. Mathematics speaks the truth and is a collection of logical ideas and facts. But reality has a way to distort the truth.  He instilled a deep sense of optimism in all those around him to think things through. Optimism is a virtue, he often remarked. His seminal contributions to Type II fuzzy systems is a driving force in our pursuit of building human-like decision-making systems.