Compatibility-based ranking of fuzzy numbers

A general approach to the ranking of n fuzzy numbers by applying fuzzy compatibility measures and the fuzzy minimum and fuzzy maximum operators is described. In an n/spl times/n binary fuzzy ranking relation the ranking of the fuzzy numbers A and B is based on the combined evidence that A is smaller than B and B is larger than A. From the fuzzy ranking a total ordering can be obtained for the n fuzzy numbers. The ranking method with two different compatibility measures; one from the set-theoretic class and another from the distance-based class, is applied to a case study from the literature and the results analyzed.