Weak Consistency: A New Approach to Consistency in the Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process

Věra Jandová; Jana Talašová

Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Facultas Rerum Naturalium. Mathematica (2013)

  • Volume: 52, Issue: 2, page 71-83
  • ISSN: 0231-9721

Abstract

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In the decision making methods based on the pairwise comparison there is very important to enter the preferences of compared elements in the rational way. Only in this case we are able to obtain the reasonable solution. In the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) there is set a strict consistency condition in order to keep the rationality of preference intensities between compared elements. But this requirement for the Saaty’s matrix is not achievable in the real situations because of the Saaty’s scale which is used in this method. That is why instead of the consistency condition we suggest a weak consistency condition which is very natural and more suitable for the linguistic descriptions of the Saaty’s scale and as a result of it, it is easier to reach this requirement in the real situations. In addition, if we order compared elements from the most preferred to the least preferred, it is very easy to check if the weak consistency is satisfied. Big advantage of our approach to the consistency is that its satisfaction can be easily approved. It is also possible to control the weak consistency of the Saaty’s matrix during the filling of the intensities of preferences. We also show on the example that there can be situations in which the weak consistency condition is more suitable for checking the rationality of the preferences than the Saaty’s consistency ratio.

How to cite

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Jandová, Věra, and Talašová, Jana. "Weak Consistency: A New Approach to Consistency in the Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process." Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Facultas Rerum Naturalium. Mathematica 52.2 (2013): 71-83. <http://eudml.org/doc/260784>.

@article{Jandová2013,
abstract = {In the decision making methods based on the pairwise comparison there is very important to enter the preferences of compared elements in the rational way. Only in this case we are able to obtain the reasonable solution. In the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) there is set a strict consistency condition in order to keep the rationality of preference intensities between compared elements. But this requirement for the Saaty’s matrix is not achievable in the real situations because of the Saaty’s scale which is used in this method. That is why instead of the consistency condition we suggest a weak consistency condition which is very natural and more suitable for the linguistic descriptions of the Saaty’s scale and as a result of it, it is easier to reach this requirement in the real situations. In addition, if we order compared elements from the most preferred to the least preferred, it is very easy to check if the weak consistency is satisfied. Big advantage of our approach to the consistency is that its satisfaction can be easily approved. It is also possible to control the weak consistency of the Saaty’s matrix during the filling of the intensities of preferences. We also show on the example that there can be situations in which the weak consistency condition is more suitable for checking the rationality of the preferences than the Saaty’s consistency ratio.},
author = {Jandová, Věra, Talašová, Jana},
journal = {Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Facultas Rerum Naturalium. Mathematica},
keywords = {decision making; consistency; Saaty’s AHP; decision making; consistency; Saaty's AHP},
language = {eng},
number = {2},
pages = {71-83},
publisher = {Palacký University Olomouc},
title = {Weak Consistency: A New Approach to Consistency in the Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process},
url = {http://eudml.org/doc/260784},
volume = {52},
year = {2013},
}

TY - JOUR
AU - Jandová, Věra
AU - Talašová, Jana
TI - Weak Consistency: A New Approach to Consistency in the Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process
JO - Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. Facultas Rerum Naturalium. Mathematica
PY - 2013
PB - Palacký University Olomouc
VL - 52
IS - 2
SP - 71
EP - 83
AB - In the decision making methods based on the pairwise comparison there is very important to enter the preferences of compared elements in the rational way. Only in this case we are able to obtain the reasonable solution. In the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) there is set a strict consistency condition in order to keep the rationality of preference intensities between compared elements. But this requirement for the Saaty’s matrix is not achievable in the real situations because of the Saaty’s scale which is used in this method. That is why instead of the consistency condition we suggest a weak consistency condition which is very natural and more suitable for the linguistic descriptions of the Saaty’s scale and as a result of it, it is easier to reach this requirement in the real situations. In addition, if we order compared elements from the most preferred to the least preferred, it is very easy to check if the weak consistency is satisfied. Big advantage of our approach to the consistency is that its satisfaction can be easily approved. It is also possible to control the weak consistency of the Saaty’s matrix during the filling of the intensities of preferences. We also show on the example that there can be situations in which the weak consistency condition is more suitable for checking the rationality of the preferences than the Saaty’s consistency ratio.
LA - eng
KW - decision making; consistency; Saaty’s AHP; decision making; consistency; Saaty's AHP
UR - http://eudml.org/doc/260784
ER -

References

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  11. Saaty, T. L., Relative Measurement and Its Generalization in Decision Making, Why Pairwise Comparisons are Central in Mathematics for the Measurement of Intangible Factors – The Analytic Hierarchy/Network Process, RACSAM 102, 2 (2008), 251–318. (2008) Zbl1177.62009MR2479460
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  13. Talašová, J., Fuzzy metody vícekriteriálního hodnocení a rozhodování, Vydavatelství UP, Olomouc, 2003. (2003) 

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