Fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making based on positive and negative extreme solutions

To encompass decision data vagueness, many researchers generalized multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in certain environment into fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM) methods under fuzzy environment. In these FMCDM methods, ranking fuzzy numbers based on fuzzy pair-wise comparison is normally essential, but the comparison is a complexity work. To avoid fuzzy pair-wise comparison, we propose a FMCDM method based on positive and negative extreme solutions of alternatives. In the proposed method, two extreme solutions of alternatives are obtained by MAX and MIN operations of fuzzy TOPSIS. Then weakness and strength matrices between alternatives and extreme solutions are derived by a difference function revised from fuzzy preference relation of Lee, and multiplied with weight matrix to be weighted weakness and strength indices. The two weighted indices are respectively transferred into positive and negative indices, and then the two indices integrated into a total performance index. Finally, alternatives can be sorted according to their related performance indices, and FMCDM problems are easily solved, not by fuzzy pair-wise comparison. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.