A TFN-Based AHP method for solving multi-alternative decision-making problems

In practical multi-alternative decision-making problems, the decision-makers usually assign the evaluation values with uncertainty degrees rather than precise ratings. Dealing with the inconsistency of the judgment matrix constructed by pairwise comparison is also a problem. By employing the properties of triangular fuzzy number (TFN) and logarithmic least-squares method (LLSM) to treat a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) problem, this paper presents a new TFN-based AHP method. In contrast to the existing fuzzy AHP methods, the method developed herein can effectively handle disagreements between different rankings and elicit priorities from the alternative set without taking the inconsistency of corresponding judgment matrix into consideration. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method in deriving the most promising alternative within a group decision-making environment is demonstrated by an illustrative example.