Using General Fuzzy Number to Handle Uncertainty and Imprecision in Group Decision-Making

Abstract

In order to handle uncertain or imprecise opinions of decision makers in group decision-making, this paper proposes an integrated fuzzy group decision-making algorithm and a related method. The method allows decision makers using linguistic terms to describe their fuzzy opinions, including their fuzzy preferences for alternative solutions, fuzzy judgments for solution selection criteria and fuzzy weights of group members in a group decision-making. This method deals with simultaneously and aggregates the three groups of linguistic terms to arrive a group consensus decision. The group consensus decision is the most acceptable one for the group as a whole. Particularly, the proposed algorithm uses general fuzzy number to describe the uncertainty and imprecision happened to decision individuals and decision processes. It can therefore use any forms of fuzzy number including triangular fuzzy number, rectangle fuzzy number and continuous fuzzy number to describe the fuzziness in a group decision-making when applying the group decision-making method.