Estimation of Decision Alternatives on the Basis of Interval Pairwise Comparison Matrices

Abstract

This paper deals with the calculation of a vector of reliable weights of decision alternatives on the basis of interval pairwise comparison judgments of experts. These weights are used to construct the ranking of decision alternatives and to solve selection problems, problems of ratings construction, resources allocation problems, scenarios evaluation problems, and other decision making problems. A comparative analysis of several popular models, which calculate interval weights on the basis of interval pairwise comparison matrices (IPCMs), was performed. The features of these models when they are applied to IPCMs with different inconsistency levels were identified. An algorithm is proposed which contains the stages for analyzing and increasing the IPCM inconsistency, calculating normalized interval weights, and calculating the ranking of decision alternatives on the basis of the resulting interval weights. It was found that the property of weak order preservation usually allowed identifying order-related intransitive expert pairwise comparison judgments. The correction of these elements leads to the removal of contradictions in resulting weights and increases the accuracy and reliability of results.