An algorithm for fuzzy multi-criteria decision making

The paper presents a new algorithm for solving the general fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem involving fully data expressed by means of linguistic terms. A fuzzy performance matrix representing the overall assessment of alternatives with respect to each criterion is obtained by using interval arithmetic. To avoid the complex and unreliable ranking process of fuzzy numbers, the /spl alpha/-cut concept is used to transform the fuzzy performance matrix into an interval performance matrix. Incorporated with the decision maker's attitude towards risk, an overall preference index is obtained by applying the concept of the degree of similarity to the ideal solution using a vector matching function. The algorithm developed is simple and comprehensible with easy computation which facilitates its use in a decision support system for the general fuzzy MCDM problem. An example is presented to demonstrate its applicability.