Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been proven as an excellent data-oriented efficiency analysis method for comparing decision making units (DMUs) with multiple inputs and multiple outputs. In conventional DEA, it is assumed that the status of each measure is clearly known as either input or output. However, in some situations, a performance measure can play input role for some DMUs and output role for others. Cook and Zhu [Eur. J. Oper. Res.180 (2007) 692–699] referred to these variables...

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been proven as an excellent data-oriented efficiency analysis method for comparing decision making units (DMUs) with multiple inputs and multiple outputs. In conventional DEA, it is assumed that the status of each measure is clearly known as either input or output. However, in some situations, a performance measure can play input role for some DMUs and output role for others. Cook and Zhu [Eur. J. Oper. Res.180 (2007) 692–699] referred to these variables...

This paper shows how the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm provides a simple tool for solving fuzzy optimization problems. Often, the issue is not so much how to fuzzify or remove the conceptual imprecision, but which tools enable simple solutions for these intrinsically uncertain problems. A well-known linear programming example is used to discuss the suitability of the SA algorithm for solving fuzzy optimization problems.