A DEMATEL-based completion method for incomplete pairwise comparison matrix in AHP

Pairwise comparison matrix (PCM) as a crucial component of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) presents the preference relations among alternatives. However, in many cases, the PCM is difficult to be completed, which obstructs the subsequent operations of the classical AHP. In this paper, based on decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method which has ability to derive the total relation matrix from direct relation matrix, a new completion method for incomplete pairwise comparison matrix (iPCM) is proposed. The proposed method provides a new perspective to estimate the missing values in iPCMs with explicit physical meaning, which is straightforward and flexible. Several experiments are implemented as well to present the completion ability of the proposed method and some insights into the proposed method and matrix consistency.