Interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy TODIM approach through point operator-based similarity measures for multicriteria group decision making

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology based on TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for interactive and multicriteria decision-making) approach for the selection of the best alternative in the context of multi criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems under possibilistic uncertainty in interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy (IVPF) environment.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, IVPF-TODIM method is proposed. Some new point operator-based similarity measures (POSMs) for IVPF sets (IVPFSs) are introduced which have the capability to reduce the degree of uncertainty of the elements in the universe of discourse corresponding to IVPFS. Then the newly defined POSMs are used to compute the measure of relative dominance of each alternative over other alternatives in the IVPF-TODIM context. Finally, generalized mean aggregation operator is used to find the best alternative.

Findings

As the TODIM method is used to solve the MCGDM problems under uncertainty, POSMs are developed by using three parameters which can control the effect of decision-makers’ psychological perception under risk.

Research limitations/implications

The decision values are used in IVPF numbers (IVPFNs) format.

Practical implications

The proposed method is capable to solve real-life MCGDM problems with not only IVPFNs format but also with interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers.

Originality/value

As per authors’ concern, no approach using TODIM with IVPFNs is found in literature to solve MCGDM problems under uncertainty. The final judgment values of alternatives using the extended TODIM methodology are highly corroborate in compare to the results of existing methods, which proves its great potentiality in solving MCGDM problems under risk.

Citation

Biswas, A. and Sarkar, B. (2019), "Interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy TODIM approach through point operator-based similarity measures for multicriteria group decision making", Kybernetes, Vol. 48 No. 3, pp. 496-519. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-12-2017-0490