Z probabilistic linguistic term sets and its application in multi-attribute group decision making

Abstract

Probabilistic linguistic term set solves the problem of probabilistic distribution of linguistic terms. Due to the objective and subjective factors such as the decision makers’experience and preference, the credibility of the linguistic terms is different. However, current studies on PLTSs ignore this difference. In this paper, we first propose a novel concept called Z probabilistic linguistic term set (ZPLTS). As an extension of existing tools, it takes advantage of the fact that Z-number can represent both information and corresponding credibility. At the same time, we discuss the normalization, operational rules, ranking method and distance measure for ZPLTSs. Then, we propose a new weight calculation method, an aggregation-based method and an extended TOPSIS method, and apply them to multi-attribute group decision making in Z probabilistic linguistic environment. Finally, a numerical example and some comparisons with other methods illustrate the necessity and effectiveness of the proposed method.