An Overview and Comparison of Axiomatization Structures Regarding Inconsistency Indices' Properties in Pairwise Comparisons Methods

Mathematical analysis of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) led to the development of a mathematical function, usually called the inconsistency index, which has the center role in measuring the inconsistency of the judgements in AHP. Inconsistency index is a mathematical function which maps every pairwise comparison matrix (PCM) into a real number. An inconsistency index can be considered more trustworthy when it satisfies a set of suitable properties. Therefore, the research community has been trying to postulate a set of desirable rules (axioms, properties) for inconsistency indices. Subsequently, many axiomatic frameworks for these functions have been suggested independently, however, the literature on the topic is fragmented and missing a broader framework. Therefore, the objective of this article is twofold. Firstly, we provide a comprehensive review of the advancements in the axiomatization of inconsistency indices' properties during the last decade. Secondly, we provide a comparison and discussion of the aforementioned axiomatic structures along with directions of the future research.

Fuzzy Rankings: Properties and Applications

In practice, a ranking of objects with respect to given set of criteria is of considerable importance. However, due to lack of knowledge, information of time pressure, decision makers might not be able to provide a (crisp) ranking of objects from the top to the bottom. Instead, some objects might be ranked equally, or better than other objects only to some degree. In such cases, a generalization of crisp rankings to fuzzy rankings can be more useful. The aim of the article is to introduce the notion of a fuzzy ranking and to discuss its several properties, namely orderings, similarity and indecisiveness. The proposed approach can be used both for group decision making or multiple criteria decision making when uncertainty is involved.