A net-flow based approach to detect outliers in multicriteria decision problems

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rouba, Baroudi

Affiliations: Department of Science and Technology, University of Abdel Hamid Ibn Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria | E-mail: baroudi.rouba@univ-mosta.dz

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Department of Science and Technology, University of Abdel Hamid Ibn Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria. E-mail: baroudi.rouba@univ-mosta.dz.

Abstract: Detecting outliers in multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) field is a new research direction that has not been enough explored. This paper tackles this problem by proposing a statistical approach based on PROMETHEE method net-flow. To consider the multicriteria character of the problem, the net-flow of each object is computed by applying PROMETHEE method. According to the normal distribution of the net-flow values, the standard deviation (SD) or interquartile range (IQR) statistical methods are used to detect outliers. To prove its applicability, the proposed approach is evaluated on real life problem.

Keywords: Multicriteria decision aid, outlier detection, PROMETHEE, net-flow, standard deviation method, interquartile range method

DOI: 10.3233/IDT-200046

Journal: Intelligent Decision Technologies, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 239-250, 2021