An extension of the Analytical Hierarchy Process using OWA operators

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Yager, Ronald R. | Kelman, Antoine

Affiliations: Machine Intelligence Institute, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA | LAFORIA, University of Paris VI, 4 Place Jussieu, 75230 Paris, France

Abstract: The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) provides a comprehensive methodology for the solution of multicriteria decision problems which makes considerable use of comparison generated importances to help in the aggregation of lower order concepts in the formulation of higher order concepts. We introduce an extension of the Analytical Hierarchy Process using the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) operators. This extension, which generalizes the aggregation process used in the AHP, allows more flexibility in the formulation of higher order concepts and provides the AHP an even greater facility for modeling human decision making. Using the OWA operators we are able to model situations where the number of sub-criteria needed to satisfy a higher order concept can be expressed in terms of linguistic quantifiers.

Journal: Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 401-417, 1999