1 Retraction Note to: Neural Computing and Applications (2020) 32:5353–5365 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-020-04703-2

The authors have retracted this article. After publication the authors realised that they erroneously stated that this article put forward the basic elements theory and studied the intelligent knowledge representation method of the basic elements theory, however, this had already been presented in a previous dissertation [1].

Ruo Hu, Huajia Wang and Hong Xu agree to this retraction. Hui-min Zhao has not responded to any correspondence from the publisher about this retraction.