Analytic Hierarchy Process with the Correlation Effect via WordNet

Jih-Jeng Huang

doi:10.3390/math9080872

Abstract

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a well-known approach in decision-making because of its simplicity and rationality. However, in conventional AHP, it cannot account for the correlation effect between criteria. In this paper, we use the lexical database, WordNet, to calculate the similarity between criteria set by a decision-maker. Then, we use the similarity matrix to process the factor analysis and obtain the independent factors, which are composed of their criteria. Finally, the weights of factors are derived to evaluate the alternatives. Moreover, we use a case study of online shopping to illustrate the proposed method and compare the result with the conventional AHP.

Highlights

The analytic hierarchy/network process (AHP/ANP) [1,2,3] is a well-known approach to handle multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems
The major distinction between them is that the ANP is viewed as a general form of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to account for interdependent and feedback effects, instead of the independent criteria, as in the AHP
In Liu et al [19], they asked an expert to quantify the correlation between criteria, using the two-objective programming model to derive the result of the AHP

Summary

Introduction

The analytic hierarchy/network process (AHP/ANP) [1,2,3] is a well-known approach to handle multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. The problem of the correlated criteria seems to be ignored in the past papers, but see Liu et al [19] to reflect the influence of the final decision-making. It is a crucial problem to account for the correlated effect between criteria in the AHP with the objective calibration and rational result. In this paper, we proposed an extended AHP, which accounts for the correlation effect between criteria. If the semantic meanings of durability and quality are considered to be correlated, we usually do not think the criteria are possibly preferentially independent if no further information is available, and vice versa. We propose the revised framework of the AHP to consider the correlation effect between criteria via WordNet. we give a case study to illustrate the proposed method and compare the result with the conventional AHP.

The Framework of the AHP

Revised Framework of the AHP

Word Similarity

Case Study

Conclusions