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Mathematics
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Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches
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Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches

A special issue of Mathematics (ISSN 2227-7390). This special issue belongs to the section "Fuzzy Sets, Systems and Decision Making".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 18693

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Santoso Wibowo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Melbourne, QLD 4701, Australia
Interests: artificial intelligence; deep learning; machine learning; intelligent information systems; performance evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michael Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: analysis and modelling using neural networks, fuzzy logic system and optimization techniques

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multicriteria decision making refers to ranking all the alternatives available or selecting the most suitable one from those with respect to multiple, usually conflicting criteria involving either a single decision maker or multiple decision makers. Multicriteria decision-making problems are commonly encountered in our daily lives. For example, a customer wanting to select a car from various cars available would consider many factors, such as fuel consumption, safety, reliability, maintainability, style, brand, model, manufacturer, and so forth, before making the final decision alone or with input from family members and friends. Similarly, an organization aiming to develop a new information system must make the final decision based on the economy/budget, risks, technical capability, and other factors for each of the available proposals.

Over the last few decades, numerous multicriteria decision-making approaches have been proposed and researched to solve various practical problems. These approaches are developed from various perspectives to help the decision maker(s) deal with multicriteria decision-making problems with respect to special circumstances in the real-world setting. Given the proliferation of such approaches, it is important to have a thorough understanding of their value and usability in different contexts.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality papers which identify trends, new developments, and applications of multicriteria decision-making approaches. 

Dr. Santoso Wibowo
Dr. Michael Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Mathematics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Multicriteria decision making
  • Multicriteria group decision making
  • Multiple criteria classification, ranking, and sorting
  • Multiple objective continuous and combinatorial optimization
  • Multiple objective metaheuristics
  • Fuzzy multicriteria decision making
  • Multicriteria decision-making software
  • Applications of multicriteria decision makingk

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 1980 KiB  
Article
Determining the Sustainable Development Strategies and Adoption Paths for Public Bike-Sharing Service Systems (PBSSSs) under Various Users’ Considerations
by Jung-Jung Chang and Chia-Li Lin
Mathematics 2023, 11(5), 1196; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math11051196 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1435
Abstract
Public bike-sharing service systems (PBSSSs) offer an alternative to satisfy users’ needs for short-trip connections. The PBSSSs provide options for short-trip connections and diversify the service experience for different users. PBSSSs also play a critical role in enabling urban citizens to reduce the [...] Read more.
Public bike-sharing service systems (PBSSSs) offer an alternative to satisfy users’ needs for short-trip connections. The PBSSSs provide options for short-trip connections and diversify the service experience for different users. PBSSSs also play a critical role in enabling urban citizens to reduce the needs to drive their cars and using public transport instead. This study explores the service performance of the public bike-sharing service systems for three styles of users. It proposes the integrated evaluation model of the public bike-sharing service system (PBSSS). The DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) was used to solve the network relation structure between aspects. The ANP (analytic network process) was applied to evaluate the relationship between aspects and component weights. VIKOR (Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) was used to analyze the public bike-sharing system’s service performance for different users regarding its strengths and weaknesses. After comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the various users’ preferences for the urban public bike service systems, the study proposes a service development strategy for different styles of users based on the NRM (network relation map). The results can aid PBSSS providers and urban managers, strengthen the PBSSSs’ competitiveness, and make the PBSSSs become the best urban short-trip connection transportation tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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20 pages, 1937 KiB  
Article
An Approach for Supply Chain Management Contract Selection in the Oil and Gas Industry: Combination of Uncertainty and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods
by Amir Karbassi Yazdi, Yong Tan, Cristi Spulbar, Ramona Birau and Jorge Alfaro
Mathematics 2022, 10(18), 3230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10183230 - 06 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1621
Abstract
The oil and gas industry plays a significant role in the economies of many countries today. Due to various factors, including oil price fluctuations, wars, sanctions, and many other instances, selling and supplying these products at low prices is necessary. As a result, [...] Read more.
The oil and gas industry plays a significant role in the economies of many countries today. Due to various factors, including oil price fluctuations, wars, sanctions, and many other instances, selling and supplying these products at low prices is necessary. As a result, the global economy may suffer as well. Supply chain management is one way to reduce the prices of these products. This study was conducted to identify supply chain management contracts in the oil and gas industry. The paper presents an application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) for coping with uncertainty. We contribute to the literature by proposing a new hybrid MCDM method with gray numbers for ranking supply chain management contracts in the oil and gas industry. The results show that the factors for evaluating supply chain management contracts must be selected, and then according to these factors, the supply chain management contracts must be chosen. As a result, we provide our customers with the best deals and help oil and gas companies minimize their costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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20 pages, 11651 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Effectiveness of Government Public Health Systems against COVID-19 by Hybrid MCDM Approaches
by Jiaji Pan, Ruilin Fan, Hanlu Zhang, Yi Gao, Zhiquan Shu and Zhongxiang Chen
Mathematics 2022, 10(15), 2678; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10152678 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1349
Abstract
To elucidate the effectiveness of the containment strategies against the pandemic, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model is established to evaluate the government’s performance against COVID-19. In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Entropy, and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity [...] Read more.
To elucidate the effectiveness of the containment strategies against the pandemic, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model is established to evaluate the government’s performance against COVID-19. In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Entropy, and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method are used in determining the performance of the public health system. We adopt both subjective and objective weighting methods for a more accurate evaluation. In addition, the evaluation of performance against COVID-19 is conducted in various aspects and divided into different periods. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is applied to evaluate the sustainability of the public health system. Composite scores of the public health system are determined based on the performance and sustainability assessment. The five countries, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Australia, and China are rated with higher composite scores. On the country, the US, Indonesia, Egypt, South Africa, and Brazil receive lower rating scores among the countries for evaluation. This modeling study can provide a practical quantitative justification for developing containment policies and suggestions for improving the public health system in more countries or areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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19 pages, 2935 KiB  
Article
Objective Criticism and Negative Conclusions on Using the Fuzzy SWARA Method in Multi-Criteria Decision Making
by Željko Stević, Dillip Kumar Das, Rade Tešić, Marijo Vidas and Dragan Vojinović
Mathematics 2022, 10(4), 635; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10040635 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2063
Abstract
The quality of output or decision-making depends on high-quality input data, their adequate evaluation, the application of adequate approaches, and accurate calculation. In this paper, an objective criticism of applying the fuzzy SWARA (step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis) method based on the Chang [...] Read more.
The quality of output or decision-making depends on high-quality input data, their adequate evaluation, the application of adequate approaches, and accurate calculation. In this paper, an objective criticism of applying the fuzzy SWARA (step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis) method based on the Chang TFN (triangular fuzzy number) scale is performed. Through research, it has been noticed that a large number of studies use this approach and, as an epilogue, there are wrong decisions based on inconsistent values in relation to the initial assessment of decision-makers (DMs). Seven representative studies (logistics, construction industry, financial performance management, and supply chain) with different parameter structures and decision matrix sizes have been singled out. The main hypothesis has been set, which implies that the application of this approach leads to wrong decisions because the weight values of the criteria are incorrect. A comparative analysis with the improved fuzzy SWARA (IMF SWARA) method has been created and a number of negative conclusions has been reached on using the fuzzy SWARA method and the Chang scale: Primarily, that using such an approach is impossible for two or more criteria to have equal value, that allocating TFN (1,1,1) leads to criteria values that are inconsistent with expert evaluation, that the last-ranked criteria in the fuzzy SWARA method have no influential value on the ranking of alternatives, that there is a great gap between the most significant and last-ranked criteria, and that the most significant criterion has a huge impact on the evaluation of alternative solutions and decision making. As a general conclusion, it is given that this approach is not adequate for application in problems of multi-criteria decision making because it produces inadequate management of processes and activities in various spheres. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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14 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
A Fuzzy Multicriteria Group Decision Making Approach for Evaluating and Selecting Fintech Projects
by Santoso Wibowo, Lakshmi Grandhi, Srimannarayana Grandhi and Marilyn Wells
Mathematics 2022, 10(2), 225; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10020225 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1567
Abstract
The use of financial technologies (Fintech) has increased recently due to their support to financial institutions in managing their financial operations and achieving competitive advantages. Even though there are several benefits with Fintech development and implementation, selecting the most suitable Fintech project can [...] Read more.
The use of financial technologies (Fintech) has increased recently due to their support to financial institutions in managing their financial operations and achieving competitive advantages. Even though there are several benefits with Fintech development and implementation, selecting the most suitable Fintech project can be complex. This is due to the involvement of numerous decision makers, the conflicting nature of multiple evaluation criteria, and fuzzy data derived from imprecise judgments of qualitative performance ratings. Interval-valued based intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are used to deal with the inherent vagueness and imprecision of the evaluation process. An algorithm based on an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted geometric (IIFWG) and the concept of ideal solutions is developed. As a result, the most suitable Fintech project alternative can be selected across all evaluation criteria. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, a Fintech project selection problem is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
26 pages, 1279 KiB  
Article
Economic, Ecological and Social Analysis Based on DEA and MCDA for the Management of the Madrid Urban Public Transportation System
by Lourdes Rivero Gutiérrez, María Auxiliadora De Vicente Oliva and Alberto Romero-Ania
Mathematics 2022, 10(2), 172; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10020172 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
The aim of this research is to help public transport managers to make decisions on the type of buses that should compose their public transport fleet, taking into account economic, environmental and social criteria from the point of view of sustainability. This paper [...] Read more.
The aim of this research is to help public transport managers to make decisions on the type of buses that should compose their public transport fleet, taking into account economic, environmental and social criteria from the point of view of sustainability. This paper fills a knowledge gap by including the social dimension of sustainability in addition to the economic and environmental dimensions. The original nature of this study lies in analyzing complementarities in the structuring of an efficiency and multicriteria problem. Our research analyzes Madrid public bus system data; the problem is structured in a comparative way between two analytical methods, a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and an ELimination Et Choice Translating REality (ELECTRE) III. Our research results show that two main groups of vehicles could play a part in part the theoretical solution. The main conclusions of this research are that (a) plug-in and induction electric vehicles are not comparable to GNC and diesel–hybrid vehicles in terms of cost, pollution and service; and (b) the ELECTRE III model provides more information in solving this problem than the DEA model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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19 pages, 1100 KiB  
Article
School Timetabling Optimisation Using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm Based on a Virtual Searching Space Method
by Kaixiang Zhu, Lily D. Li and Michael Li
Mathematics 2022, 10(1), 73; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math10010073 - 26 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3211
Abstract
Although educational timetabling problems have been studied for decades, one instance of this, the school timetabling problem (STP), has not developed as quickly as examination timetabling and course timetabling problems due to its diversity and complexity. In addition, most STP research has only [...] Read more.
Although educational timetabling problems have been studied for decades, one instance of this, the school timetabling problem (STP), has not developed as quickly as examination timetabling and course timetabling problems due to its diversity and complexity. In addition, most STP research has only focused on the educators’ availabilities when studying the educator aspect, and the educators’ preferences and expertise have not been taken into consideration. To fill in this gap, this paper proposes a conceptual model for the school timetabling problem considering educators’ availabilities, preferences and expertise as a whole. Based on a common real-world school timetabling scenario, the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is adapted to this study, as research shows its applicability in solving examination and course timetabling problems. A virtual search space for dealing with the large search space is introduced to the proposed model. The proposed approach is simulated with a large, randomly generated dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to solve the STP and handle a large dataset in an ordinary computing hardware environment, which significantly reduces computational costs. Compared to the traditional constraint programming method, the proposed approach is more effective and can provide more satisfactory solutions by considering educators’ availabilities, preferences, and expertise levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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17 pages, 2803 KiB  
Article
Comprehensible Visualization of Multidimensional Data: Sum of Ranking Differences-Based Parallel Coordinates
by Ádám Ipkovich, Károly Héberger and János Abonyi
Mathematics 2021, 9(24), 3203; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math9243203 - 11 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1956
Abstract
A novel visualization technique is proposed for the sum of ranking differences method (SRD) based on parallel coordinates. An axis is defined for each variable, on which the data are depicted row-wise. By connecting data, the lines may intersect. The fewer intersections between [...] Read more.
A novel visualization technique is proposed for the sum of ranking differences method (SRD) based on parallel coordinates. An axis is defined for each variable, on which the data are depicted row-wise. By connecting data, the lines may intersect. The fewer intersections between the variables, the more similar they are and the clearer the figure becomes. Therefore, the visualization depends on what techniques are used to order the variables. The key idea is to employ the SRD method to measure the degree of similarity of the variables, establishing a distance-based order. The distances between the axes are not uniformly distributed in the proposed visualization; their closeness reflects similarity, according to their SRD value. The proposed algorithm identifies false similarities through an iterative approach, where the angles between the SRD values determine which side a variable is plotted. Visualization of the algorithm is provided by MATLAB/Octave source codes. The proposed tool is applied to study how the sources of greenhouse gas emissions can be grouped based on the statistical data of the countries. A comparison to multidimensional scaling (MDS)-based ordering is also given. The use case demonstrates the applicability of the method and the synergies of the incorporation of the SRD method into parallel coordinates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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21 pages, 811 KiB  
Review
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Machine Selection in Manufacturing and Construction: Recent Trends
by Asmaa M. Hagag, Laila S. Yousef and Tamer F. Abdelmaguid
Mathematics 2023, 11(3), 631; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/math11030631 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2428
Abstract
As the number of alternative machines has increased and their technology has been continuously developed, the machine selection problem has attracted many researchers. This article reviews recent developments in applying multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods for selecting machines in the manufacturing and construction industries. [...] Read more.
As the number of alternative machines has increased and their technology has been continuously developed, the machine selection problem has attracted many researchers. This article reviews recent developments in applying multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods for selecting machines in the manufacturing and construction industries. Selected articles are classified according to the application area and the applied MCDM method. By focusing on the last five years, this paper identifies recent trends in developing and using these methods. Results suggest that there has been a noticeable growth in the utilization of MCDM techniques for machine selection problems in both sectors. It is also noted that several decision-support tools and methods have been developed and successfully applied during this period. Accordingly, needs and directions for future research are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Multiple Criteria Decision Making Approaches)
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