Dialectics of Counting and the Mathematics of Vagueness

Abstract: New concepts of rough natural number systems are introduced in this research paper from both formal and less formal perspectives. These are used to improve most rough set-theoretical measures in general Rough Set theory (\textsf{RST}) and to represent rough semantics. The foundations of the theory also rely upon the axiomatic approach to granularity for all types of general \textsf{RST} recently developed by the present author. The latter theory is expanded upon in this paper. It is also shown that algebraic semantics of classical \textsf{RST} can be obtained from the developed dialectical counting procedures. Fuzzy set theory is also shown to be representable in purely granule-theoretic terms in the general perspective of solving the contamination problem that pervades this research paper. All this constitutes a radically different approach to the mathematics of vague phenomena and suggests new directions for a more realistic extension of the foundations of mathematics of vagueness from both foundational and application points of view. Algebras corresponding to a concept of \emph{rough naturals} are also studied and variants are characterised in the penultimate section.