Determining multiple attribute weights consistent with pairwise preference orders

Abstract

This paper presents a method for determining multiple attribute weights when pairwise comparison judgments on alternatives are specified and attribute consequences are captured in imprecise ways. A decision-maker or expert can express holistic pairwise comparisons on alternatives from his/her domain knowledge and decision alternatives are characterized by some tangible or possibly some intangible multiple attributes of which consequences can be represented by imprecise information. In this paper, attribute weights are to be estimated in the direction of minimizing the amount of violations and thus to be as consistent as possible with a decision-maker's ordered pairs. Multiple attribute weights that were determined with pairwise judgments on a subset of alternatives can be used to prioritize the other remaining alternatives. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.