Defuzzification of groups of fuzzy numbers using data envelopment analysis

Defuzzification is a critical process in the implementation of fuzzy systems that converts fuzzy numbers to crisp representations. Few researchers have focused on cases where the crisp outputs must satisfy a set of relationships dictated in the original crisp data. This phenomenon indicates that these crisp outputs are mathematically dependent on one another. Furthermore, these fuzzy numbers may exist as a group of fuzzy numbers. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis is to develop a method to defuzzify groups of fuzzy numbers based on Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR)-Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model by modifying the Center of Gravity (COG) method as the objective function. The constraints represent the relationships and some additional restrictions on the allowable crisp outputs with their dependency property. This leads to the creation of crisp values with preserved relationships and/or properties as in the original crisp data. Comparing with Linear Programming (LP) based model, the proposed CCR-DEA model is more efficient, and also able to defuzzify non-linear fuzzy numbers with accurate solutions. Moreover, the crisp outputs obtained by the proposed method are the nearest points to the fuzzy numbers in case of crisp independent outputs, and best nearest points to the fuzzy numbers in case of dependent crisp outputs. As a conclusion, the proposed CCR-DEA defuzzification method can create either dependent crisp outputs with preserved relationship or independent crisp outputs without any relationship. Besides, the proposed method is a general method to defuzzify groups or individuals fuzzy numbers under the assumption of convexity with linear and non-linear membership functions or relationships

Innovation Performance Analysis of G20 Countries: A Novel Integrated LOPCOW-MAIRCA MCDM Approach Including the COVID-19 Period

Purpose: This study aims to examine the innovation performance of G20 countries in 2018-2022 with multi criteria decision making methods. When the 5-year performance was analyzed, it was also revealed whether the COVID-19 outbreak has an impact on the innovation performance of the countries. Methodology: An integrated LOPCOW (Logarithmic Percentage Change-driven Objective Weighting) - MAIRCA (Multi Attribute Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis) method was applied in the study. First, the indicators representing innovation performance (institutions, human capital, and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, creative outputs) was objectively weighted by the LOPCOW method. Then, the innovation performance of G20 countries was calculated with the MAIRCA method. Finally, a comparative analysis was also presented to support the findings. Findings: As a result of the innovation performance analysis using multi criteria decision making methods, human capital, and research were found to be the most important indicators, and the United States was found to be the country with the best innovation performance. In the sensitivity and comparative analysis, it was concluded that the integrated LOPCOW-MAIRCA method provides robust outputs. Originality: This study makes original contributions by analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the innovation performance of countries considering the 2018-2022 period and the integrated multi criteria decision making methods it uses that have not yet been applied in the literature

Multiple-Criteria Decision Making

Decision-making on real-world problems, including individual process decisions, requires an appropriate and reliable decision support system. Fuzzy set theory, rough set theory, and neutrosophic set theory, which are MCDM techniques, are useful for modeling complex decision-making problems with imprecise, ambiguous, or vague data.This Special Issue, “Multiple Criteria Decision Making”, aims to incorporate recent developments in the area of the multi-criteria decision-making field. Topics include, but are not limited to:- MCDM optimization in engineering;- Environmental sustainability in engineering processes;- Multi-criteria production and logistics process planning;- New trends in multi-criteria evaluation of sustainable processes;- Multi-criteria decision making in strategic management based on sustainable criteria

An integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model for Sustainability Performance Assessment for Insurance Companies

To stay competitive in a business environment, continuous performance evaluation based on the triple bottom line standard of sustainability is necessary. There is a gap in addressing the computational expense caused by increased decision units due to increasing the performance evaluation indices to more accuracy in the evaluation. We successfully addressed these two gaps through (1) using principal component analysis (PCA) to cut the number of evaluation indices, and (2) since PCA itself has the problem of merely using the data distribution without considering the domain-related knowledge, we utilized Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to rank the indices through the expert’s domain-related knowledge. We propose an integrated approach for sustainability performance assessment in qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Fourteen insurance companies were evaluated using eight economic, three environmental, and four social indices. The indices were ranked by expert judgment though an analytical hierarchy process as subjective weighting, and then principal component analysis as objective weighting was used to reduce the number of indices. The obtained principal components were then used as variables in the data envelopment analysis model. So, subjective and objective evaluations were integrated. Finally, for validating the results, Spearman and Kendall’s Tau correlation tests were used. The results show that Dana, Razi, and Dey had the best sustainability performance.This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Assessmen

TEA-IS: A hybrid DEA-TOPSIS approach for assessing performance and synergy in Chinese health care

YesThis paper presents an assessment of the Chinese healthcare system in 31 provinces for a 10-year period in light of relevant physical and human resource variables. First, a novel TEA-IS (Trigonometric Envelopment Analysis for Ideal Solutions) model is developed to assess healthcare efficiency at the province level. Machine learning methods are also employed to predict high-low performance and the synergistic Chinese healthcare province in terms of contextual variables. The results indicate that synergy has played a pivotal role in the Chinese healthcare systems, not only by triggering higher performance levels due to the progressive adoption of best practices over the course of time, but also by being closely related to different socioeconomic and demographic variables, such as the illiteracy rate. It is possible to claim that healthcare performance has remained stable in China over the past two decades, performance and synergy at the province level are still heterogeneous

Fuzzy Techniques for Decision Making 2018

Zadeh's fuzzy set theory incorporates the impreciseness of data and evaluations, by imputting the degrees by which each object belongs to a set. Its success fostered theories that codify the subjectivity, uncertainty, imprecision, or roughness of the evaluations. Their rationale is to produce new flexible methodologies in order to model a variety of concrete decision problems more realistically. This Special Issue garners contributions addressing novel tools, techniques and methodologies for decision making (inclusive of both individual and group, single- or multi-criteria decision making) in the context of these theories. It contains 38 research articles that contribute to a variety of setups that combine fuzziness, hesitancy, roughness, covering sets, and linguistic approaches. Their ranges vary from fundamental or technical to applied approaches

Application of Optimization in Production, Logistics, Inventory, Supply Chain Management and Block Chain

The evolution of industrial development since the 18th century is now experiencing the fourth industrial revolution. The effect of the development has propagated into almost every sector of the industry. From inventory to the circular economy, the effectiveness of technology has been fruitful for industry. The recent trends in research, with new ideas and methodologies, are included in this book. Several new ideas and business strategies are developed in the area of the supply chain management, logistics, optimization, and forecasting for the improvement of the economy of the society and the environment. The proposed technologies and ideas are either novel or help modify several other new ideas. Different real life problems with different dimensions are discussed in the book so that readers may connect with the recent issues in society and industry. The collection of the articles provides a glimpse into the new research trends in technology, business, and the environment

Symmetric and Asymmetric Data in Solution Models

This book is a Printed Edition of the Special Issue that covers research on symmetric and asymmetric data that occur in real-life problems. We invited authors to submit their theoretical or experimental research to present engineering and economic problem solution models that deal with symmetry or asymmetry of different data types. The Special Issue gained interest in the research community and received many submissions. After rigorous scientific evaluation by editors and reviewers, seventeen papers were accepted and published. The authors proposed different solution models, mainly covering uncertain data in multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problems as complex tools to balance the symmetry between goals, risks, and constraints to cope with the complicated problems in engineering or management. Therefore, we invite researchers interested in the topics to read the papers provided in the book