Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process Method Research Articles

VOC source apportionment, reactivity, secondary transformations, and their prioritization using fuzzy-AHP method in a coal-mining city in India.

This study assessed the air quality status in different functional zones of Dhanbad-a coal-mining and industrial hub, based on the measurement of aromatic and halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using gas chromatography. The study encompasses source apportionment of VOCs and their chemical reactivity in terms of OH radical loss rate (LOH), ozone-forming potential (OFP), and their secondary organic aerosol forming potential (SOAp). Furthermore, prioritization of VOCs based on a fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (F-AHP) has also been done. The results found xylene species to have the highest concentration in all three seasons across traffic-intersection and industrial zones and toluene at the institutional zone. The study identified four sources using positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, viz., mixed traffic exhaust (35%), coal combustion sources (30%), industrial (26%), and solvent usage (9%). LOH and SOAp were ~ 16 times more at the industrial and traffic-intersection zone than the institutional zone. The aromatic species contributed 97% to the OFP, and many species exhibited less contribution to the mixing ratio of VOCs but displayed a high contribution to LOH, OFP, and SOAp, suggesting the need to prefer reactivity-based strategies in addition to concentration-based strategies in the future for their regulation. The F-AHP-based priority component analysis identified 16 species out of 29 in the priority watch list (nine in tier-1, four in tier-2, and three in tier-3). The paucity of data and lack of ambient air quality standards on VOCs (except benzene) make it difficult to determine which aspect should be dealt with first and which species require more attention. Therefore, the F-AHP method used in this study could help identify the influencing parameters to be considered while devising efficient VOC management policies.

Research on product design of FAHP bone marrow aspiration needle

Bone marrow aspiration is a crucial medical procedure to obtain bone marrow samples for diagnosis and treatment. However, traditional bone marrow aspiration needles face several challenges such as operational difficulties, inadequate sample acquisition, and patient discomfort. To address these issues, we aimed to design a bone marrow aspiration needle product by using fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (FAHP). The FAHP method was used to identify key factors in the design of the bone marrow aspiration needle, including technicality, usage, and application characteristics. The importance weights and priorities of each factor were determined through questionnaires and interviews with experts. A new bone marrow aspiration needle product was developed based on the results of the FAHP. The new product design considers the weights and priorities assigned to key factors, resulting in improved convenience during operation and a higher success rate of sample acquisition. This was achieved by optimising the structure and material selection of the needle. This study presents a novel bone marrow puncture needle product that effectively integrates the importance and priority of the key factors. It successfully enhances operational performance and patient experience, thereby offering an innovative solution to improve the success rate and therapeutic effect of bone marrow punctures.

A social sustainability model for maritime labour force based on card sorting, fuzzy AHP & QFD method

Within the context of the ongoing implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development-Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), actions toward economic, environmental, and social sustainability were aimed to be promoted. As a key stakeholder, the maritime industry's role in handling global sustainability is increasingly recognized. Social sustainability, one of the components of sustainable development, is a major concern in the maritime field for protecting the crew and providing a safe working environment. However, it is surprising to note the lack of research addressing the social sustainability of the maritime labour force in the literature. This study aims to propose a social sustainability model for the maritime labour force. The model was constructed using Card Sorting, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process (FAHP) & Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Methods. Because it discloses the expectations of the maritime labour force and the requirements that can meet these expectations, the authors have been prompted by the QFD method's frequent use in the literature and the fact that it generates the best answers to customer expectations. With the QFD method and House of Quality (HoQ) used to determine the requirements that can meet customer expectations, the requirements that can correspond to the expectations of the maritime labour force have been determined. The use of the card sorting program during the determination of the indicators has been an important point in terms of displaying a scientific approach. In addition, it is aimed to eliminate linguistic ambiguities by using the FAHP method of weighting expectations in the House of Quality method. The results revealed that work-life balance, social benefit, education and training, safety and healthy working environment at sea were the most critical expectations of seafarers, and the wage policy was less important among other expectations from the social sustainability perspective. Moreover, health and safety of people, social insurance and benefits, medical coverage and medical benefits, repatriation, understandable contract, quality and quantity of food, setting up a land-sea-land career management system, short deployment and flexible working time and, establishment of a crew welfare department were found to be the most critical requirements. The study highlights possible implications on managerial aspects and can be used as a practical guideline for decision-makers seeking to implement sustainable development in their organizations. This paper is among research studies' first to apply a hybrid approach and propose a social sustainability model for the maritime labour force. Due to the positive social and environmental effects this study will have, it will not only help seafarers, marine operators, the maritime sector, national and international economy, but also all world societies.

A comparative analysis of three multi-criteria decision-making methods for land suitability assessment.

Natural resource management relies on identifying the ecological constraints, assessing land suitability, and considering the socio-economic demands in the region. However, in many developing countries, natural resources are extensively overused in favor of economic growth. This is due to the fact that conservation and natural constraints are not always taken into consideration during the planning phase, especially when the decision-making process is mainly influenced by political or economical views. To avoid these subjective plannings, environmental planners are encouraged to consider quantitative planning approaches that can integrate environmental, social, economic, and political matters through a non-bias procedure. The present study, therefore, examines the application of three multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDM), namely, analytic hierarchical process (AHP), fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (fuzzy AHP), and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), for the assessment of land suitability afforestation. Siahpoosh Watershed, in Iran, is used as a case study to compare three MCDM methods. To achieve this, a set of land suitability criteria (i.e., slope, elevation, aspect, soil texture, soil depth, drainage, erosion, temperature, rainfall, and vegetation type and cover) was defined and weighted using the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods. TOPSIS was then used to prioritize and rank the suitability of different sections of the study area for afforestation. The study demonstrates that the fuzzy AHP method combined with TOPSIS generates more reliable outcomes than the AHP method. The results could be useful for making more informed decisions about afforestation in the region.

Multi-criteria evaluation of renewable energy technologies for electricity generation: A case study in Khuzestan province, Iran

The aim of this study was to investigate and develop a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method for ranking renewable power generation technologies (i.e., solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, anaerobic digestion, direct combustion, and wind energy). Fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method was used to solve the problems resulting from multiple and conflicting factors to select different sources of electricity generation. The weights of criteria, and alternatives were determined based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchical process method. The method was used as a case study to determine the best alternative for renewable electricity generation in Khuzestan province, Iran. Based on the results, fuzzy multi-criteria decision making method is a powerful tool for determining important criteria in selecting renewable sources and ranking related technologies for electricity generation. Renewable energy source potential, electricity cost, operation and maintenance costs and technology maturity are the most important factors in prioritizing renewable energy in Kuzestane province, respectively. Based on the results of fuzzy hierarchical analysis process, solar photovoltaic, followed by concentrated solar power are the top priorities for renewable electricity generation in Khuzestan province. Sensitivity analysis shows that the improvement of concentrated solar power technology in the future will lead to the superiority of this technology over other alternatives.

Barriers Prioritization of the Indian Steel Industry Supply Chain: Applying AHP and Fuzzy AHP Method

This study seeks to identify possible key barriers in the supply chain of the Indian steel industry. Each of these hindrances has a significance in serving the store network and refining the economy of India. The study is a mix of theoretical and useful structures, which would zero in on those critical barriers in the steel supply chain. It includes a theoretical examination of the barriers in the Indian steel industry and ranking of these barriers using multicriteria methods, that is, analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) approaches. The main finding is the identification of key barriers in the Indian steel industry supply chain and prioritizing them according to the severity of their impact. Eleven potential key barriers have been considered in the study for analysis. There can be more barriers in the Indian steel industry. This study exposes the application of both methods, that is, AHP and FAHP, for ranking identified barriers.

Hydro-morphometric characterization and prioritization of sub-watersheds for land and water resource management using fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP): a case study of upper Rihand watershed of Chhattisgarh State, India

Rihand reservoir is continuously experiencing siltation due to erosion in upper basin; thus study of morphometric-based prioritization of sub-watershed has become prerequisite for implementation of measures for conservation of soil and water resource. In present study an attempted has been made to analyze characterization and prioritization of sub-watersheds in upper basin of Rihand watershed based on hydro-morphometric parameters, in an environment of Geographical Information System (GIS), with the help of Multicriteria Decision Making through Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) techniques in order to identify critical sub-watersheds for conservation and management of soil and water resource. The morphometric characterization has been done through measurement of linear, areal and relief aspect of over seven sub-watersheds using SOI topographical sheet and SRTM data with the help of Q GIS 3.10 and White box software. In the purpose prioritization of sub-watersheds FAHP method has been implemented through assigning fuzzy membership function to each of 15 morphometric parameters by deriving their relationships with erosional hazard and criterion weight has been obtained using Saaty’s (Fundamentals of decision making and priority theory with analytical hierarchical process, RWS Publications University of Pittsburgh, Pittusburgh, 1980) proposed method. Based on prioritization approach the entire sub-watershed has divided into 3 vulnerable zones, i.e., high, medium and low. This study reveals that about 29% area of the watershed is falls under high vulnerable zone as they obtained high priority value and required immediate measures. In addition, ideal locations for measure structure to prevent soil erosion and maximize infiltration has been proposed which will be useful to the decision maker for land and water resource conservation, management, and sustainable agricultural development.

Generating and quantifying consumer preferences using Kansei and fuzzy analytical hierarchical process - a case study in an apparel manufacturer

Understanding what consumers want is essential for firms to remain competitive. With more fragmented market, product development nowadays searches more to consumer feeling instead of product functionality. The research is a case study in a medium size apparel manufacturer for their male premium t-shirt. The study covered identification and hierarchisation of consumer preferences using Kansei engineering technique, and quantification of the weight of each Kansei words using fuzzy analytical hierarchical process method. The study identified 19 cleansed Kansei words hierarchised under five groups. The result showed 'comfortable material' as the most sought Kansei words. However, sensitivity analysis revealed slightly different preferences in certain respondent profiles for the next preferred Kansei words.

Hazard and vulnerability in urban flood risk mapping: Machine learning techniques and considering the role of urban districts

Urban flood risk mapping plays a decisive role in urban management and planning, especially in reducing flood damages. In this study, a flood risk map was produced for Kermanshah city (Iran) by combining flood hazard and flood vulnerability maps. Based on effective factors of urban flooding, flood hazard maps were generated using two machine learning models: Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) and Genetic Algorithm Rule-Set Production (GARP). These models were developed on 117 flood sites which were identified on the reports and field surveys for Kermanshah city, and 163 non-flooded points. Economic, social, and infrastructure criteria were considered to analyze flood vulnerability. The sub-criteria were defined based on social and cultural structure in developing countries and urban infrastructure facilities involved in the floods. Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process method (FAHP) was applied to determine the overall weight vector. The results demonstrated that the MaxEnt model had a better performance than the GARP model based on two common indices which are the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC-ROC = 96.76–98.32%) and kappa statistic (Kappa = 0.82-0.86). These findings showed that machine learning models provide reliable results for areas where data access is challenging, especially in developing countries. The results also indicated that infrastructure criterion has the highest impact weight on the vulnerability. In general, population, urban texture, and distance to the major drainage channels are the most important factors in increasing flood risk. Also, the vulnerability of an urban neighborhood greatly increases the risk of flooding.

Developing customer satisfaction index in Iranian public higher education

PurposeThe present study seeks to design an index model of satisfaction among Iranian students who are studying at public universities in this country.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, data were collected in two stages: in the first stage, the data related to satisfaction indices were collected from 62 experts on pedagogical science and marketing management. In the second step, the data were collected from 1,404 students and were analysed by fuzzy analytic hierarchical process method, interpretive structural modelling and structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results of this study showed that three variables “perceived quality”, “organization image” and “Student relationship management” are reliable as indicators of student satisfaction. Also, contrary to the results of previous studies, the variable of expectations cannot predict the satisfaction of the students.Originality/valueModels of satisfaction have been designed in different fields. Also, in the measurement of satisfaction, attention to the field and customization is approved by researchers. Accordingly, the present study tries to design indices of satisfaction among students of state universities in Iran. It also pointed out the effect of customization on the formation of satisfaction at the Iranian and other universities.

Developing Context Sensitive Planning Criteria for Transit Oriented Development (TOD): A Fuzzy-Group Decision Approach

Developing countries like India have started focusing on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policies for their existing cities. In the absence of a generic definition and generalized criteria in the TOD literature, context-specific planning criteria are essentially required to assess TOD suitability in any city. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques have been widely used throughout the past studies to assist multi-stakeholders’ in establishing criteria related to TOD planning. This paper presents a Multi-Criteria Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making approach based on Fuzzy-Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) to establish planning criteria which can be further useful to select suitable TOD sites in Delhi, India. A series of 9 criteria and their corresponding indicators are established based on literature review and expert consultation. Three stakeholder groups (researchers, planners, and policymakers) comprising of 31 experts from different fields related to TOD issues were solicited to provide their perspectives on TOD planning in the Delhi city. The expert judgments were converted into fuzzy numbers to capture the vagueness and uncertainty that human attitudes entail when making judgments. In this study, 13 priority indicators were identified based on a balanced consensus in stakeholder groups using the FAHP method. Given that the stakeholder groups diverge in their perspectives, their judgments convergence in believing that TOD planning in Delhi can be best assessed using ‘transit service’ criterion and least assessed using ‘Demographics’ criterion. The study has drawn global weights of criterion and indicators from multi-stakeholders’ perspectives can be effective in achieving TOD planning across existing and future cities in India.

A holistic approach to supplier evaluation and order allocation towards sustainable procurement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a holistic approach for supplier evaluation and purchasing order allocation among the ranked suppliers who meet acceptable levels of economic, environmental and social measures.Design/methodology/approachA mixed research method of case study and analytical approach is adopted in this research. A fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) is applied for ranking of suppliers. Supplier ranks are validated using judgements from multiple decision makers. Purchasing order allocation among the ranked suppliers is determined using cost minimization subject to multiple criteria of economic, environmental and social conditions. A cement manufacturing case example demonstrates and validates the proposed approach.FindingsThe research shows that both economic and environmental considerations are significant when suppliers are evaluated for sustainable procurement within the best practice of supply management process. Ranking of suppliers, based on experts’ opinions, indicates varying degrees of importance for each criterion. Adoption of sustainable procurement criteria for evaluating supplier in a cement manufacturing organization is explained by three organizational theories including resource-based, institutional and dynamic capabilities theories. Preferred suppliers from FAHP method are confirmed by judgements from multiple decision-makers. The analysis reveals that purchasing order allocation is different when suppliers are evaluated based on their relative importance and overall ranking.Research limitations/implicationsCurrently, individual performance measures and decision-makers are selected from a limited set. The purchasing allocation among ranked suppliers, subjected to cost minimization, incorporates environmental objective of acceptable carbon dioxide emission and social perspective of health and safety of workers, and provides a new approach for dual supplier evaluation and purchasing allocation problem in cement industry. Adopting the proposed supplier evaluation and order allocation approach in practice needs to be guided by the operational principles and an overall methodology which is appropriate for the specific industry with sustainability objectives.Practical implicationsThis research enables decision-makers to incorporate sustainability analysis in the supplier evaluation as the basis for best practice with an industry-friendly holistic approach. Using organizational theories, the research re-enforces the importance of not only the energy consumption and environmental management systems of environmental dimension as driving forces/factors from Institutional theory perspective, but also pollution controls and prevention as purchasing capabilities from resource-based theory perspective. The proposed approach is expected to motivate decision-makers to consider sustainable perspectives in supplier evaluation and order allocation processes in a global supply chain and can become a benchmarking tool.Social implicationsSuppliers’ information on health and safety of their truck drivers are used in order allocation, thus emphasizing the importance of social dimension and encouraging better conditions and benchmarking for delivery drivers.Originality/valueThis paper extends the contribution to the literature by providing guidelines for managers to set strategies, benchmarks and policies within broader sustainable supply chain practices and demonstrates the applicability of the approach using a cement-manufacturing scenario in an emerging economy.

Design of a multi-criteria decision making model using fuzzy-AHP for selection of appropriate underground metal mining method

The aim of the current study is to develop a multi-criteria decision making model using fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) for selection of the appropriate underground metal mining method. The model considered eight criteria for evaluating the seven mining methods. A three-level hierarchical structured model is proposed for decision-making analysis. The criteria, sub-criteria, and the mining methods are listed respectively in the first, second, and third level of the hierarchy. The local and global weights for each parameter were determined using the FAHP method. The global weights of the various mining methods were used to determine the ranking of various mining method for a typical ore deposit. The model validation was done using the ore deposit data of two mines in India. It is observed that the adopted mining methods and the corresponding predicted mining methods are same in both the cases.

Design of a multi-criteria decision making model using fuzzy-AHP for selection of appropriate underground metal mining method

The aim of the current study is to develop a multi-criteria decision making model using fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) for selection of the appropriate underground metal mining method. The model considered eight criteria for evaluating the seven mining methods. A three-level hierarchical structured model is proposed for decision-making analysis. The criteria, sub-criteria, and the mining methods are listed respectively in the first, second, and third level of the hierarchy. The local and global weights for each parameter were determined using the FAHP method. The global weights of the various mining methods were used to determine the ranking of various mining method for a typical ore deposit. The model validation was done using the ore deposit data of two mines in India. It is observed that the adopted mining methods and the corresponding predicted mining methods are same in both the cases.

Intuitionistic fuzzy analytical hierarchical processes for selecting the paradigms of mangroves in municipal wastewater treatment

Municipal wastewater discharge is widespread and one of the sources of coastal eutrophication, and is especially uncontrolled in developing and undeveloped coastal regions. Mangrove forests are natural filters of pollutants in wastewater. There are three paradigms of mangroves for municipal wastewater treatment and the selection of the optimal one is a multi-criteria decision-making problem. Combining intuitionistic fuzzy theory, the Fuzzy Delphi Method and the fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (AHP), this study develops an intuitionistic fuzzy AHP (IFAHP) method. For the Fuzzy Delphi Method, the judgments of experts and representatives on criterion weights are made by linguistic variables and quantified by intuitionistic fuzzy theory, which is also used to weight the importance of experts and representatives. This process generates the entropy weights of criteria, which are combined with indices values and weights to rank the alternatives by the fuzzy AHP method. The IFAHP method was used to select the optimal paradigm of mangroves for treating municipal wastewater. The entropy weights were entrained by the valid evaluation of 64 experts and representatives via online survey. Natural mangroves were found to be the optimal paradigm for municipal wastewater treatment. By assigning different weights to the criteria, sensitivity analysis shows that natural mangroves remain to be the optimal paradigm under most scenarios. This study stresses the importance of mangroves for wastewater treatment. Decision-makers need to contemplate mangrove reforestation projects, especially where mangroves are highly deforested but wastewater discharge is uncontrolled. The IFAHP method is expected to be applied in other multi-criteria decision-making cases.

Land suitability analysis for rice cultivation using a GIS-based fuzzy multi-criteria decision making approach: central part of Amol District, Iran

Land suitability analysis and preparing land use maps is one of the most beneficial applications of the Geographic Information System (GIS) in planning and managing land recourses. The main objective of this study was to develop a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making technique integrated with the GIS to assess suitable areas for rice cultivation in Amol District, Iran. Several suitability factors including soil properties, climatic conditions, topography, and accessibility were selected based on the FAO framework and experts’ opinions. A fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) was used to determine the weights of the various criteria. The GIS was used to overlay and generate criteria maps and a land suitability map. The study area has been classified into four categories of rice cultivation suitability (highly suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, and unsuitable). The present study has attempted to introduce and use the FAHP method to land suitability analysis and to select lands in order to be used as best as possible. Areas that are classified as highly suitable and suitable for rice cultivation constitute about 59.8% of the total area of the region. The results of the present research indicate that the FAHP is an efficient strategy to increase the accuracy of the weight of the criteria affecting the analysis of land suitability.

Risk assessment for public–private partnership projects: using a fuzzy analytic hierarchical process method and expert opinion in China

Public–private partnerships (PPP) have been widely used in China to procure public facilities and services. Complicated problems in PPP projects in China arise because of a variety of risk factors. A proper risk assessment model is needed to identify risks and provide risk response strategies for future Chinese PPP projects. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) method provides the ability to solve complex risk assessment of PPP projects. Current risk assessment models are limited to PPP projects in specific countries and do not consider unique risks in China, especially political, economic, social, and legal risks. This paper designed a risk evaluation index system for PPP projects based on the Delphi expert investigation method, and then established an optimized risk evaluation model for PPP projects in China using the F-AHP method. The risks identified are confirmed by interviewing experts from Chinese local government departments, private enterprise, third-party intermediary consulting and regulatory agencies, and academic organizations. The results show that the risks that ranked among the top ten are closely related to China’s political and economic policies and relationships among stakeholders. It can be concluded that government authorities play a critical role in providing a favorable political, social, and economic environment and an effective institutional framework for PPP projects. Furthermore, it is also important to deal with relationships among stakeholders based on the public–private ‘win–win’ principle. This study provides risk response strategies, addressing key issues from eight aspects: an impeccable legal and regulatory framework; a central coordinating and regulating PPP authority; supportive governmental authorities; institutional capacity-building; favorable economic conditions and viability; community, partner, and moral accountability; clear division of responsibilities through contracts; and effective advisory management. These effective measures may be useful in reducing the adverse effects of risk for PPP projects in China.

Fuzzy feedback algorithm for the spectral handoff in cognitive radio networks

This work proposes a fuzzy feedback algorithm based on a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process Method (FAHP) to improve decision making for the spectral handoff. We named it Feedback FAHP (FFAHP). A comparative analysis of three algorithms for vertical handoff is performed in order to contrast their performance with the proposed FFAHP algorithm. These three algorithms were assessed with the same decision criteria, which are, probability of channel availability, estimated channel time availability, the signal to interference plus noise ratio and bandwidth.The analysis of the three algorithms is validated using real data of spectral occupancy captured in the GSM frequency band from 824 MHz to 849 MHz. Two types of applications were used for the evaluation of the FFAHP Algorithm: best-effort and real time and, for each of them, four evaluation metrics are used. These metrics are, accumulative average of failed handoffs, accumulative average of handoffs performed, accumulative average of transmission bandwidth and, accumulative average of the transmission delay. The results show that the proposed FFAHP Algorithm provides 21% performance improvement compared to a modified Dijkstra´s Algorithm and, 4% better than the FAHP Algorithm without information feedback. The FFAHP Algorithm provides an efficient and effective process for selecting frequency channels. The results also show that the FFAHP Algorithm has a low average rate of failed handoffs and performed handoffs. In addition, the FFAHP Algorithm shows efficient use of the bandwidth and low delay, all these combined with the fact that the feedback implemented, stabilizes the system avoiding loops with consecutive hops to alternate frequencies.

Multivariable algorithm for dynamic channel selection in cognitive radio networks

The spectral handoff is important in cognitive wireless networks to ensure an adequate quality of service and performance for secondary user communications. This work presents a multivariable algorithm for dynamic channel selection used in cognitive wireless networks. The channel selection is based on the fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) method. The selected criteria for choosing the best backup channel are probability of channel availability, estimated channel time availability, signal to noise plus interference ratio, and bandwidth. These criteria are determined by means of a customized Delphi Method and using the FAHP technique; the corresponding weight and significance is calculated for two applications classified as best effort (BE) and real time (RT). The insertion of the fuzzy logic in the AHP algorithm allows better handling of inaccurate information because, as shown the results, consider more options to evaluate in contrast to a conventional AHP. As a difference with related work, the performance of our proposed FAHP method was validated with captured data in experiments realized at the GSM frequency band (824–849 MHz). This is due to the challenge of finding white spaces to communicate in this frequency band. This band represents more disputes in accessing spectral opportunities than other radio frequency (RF) bands because of the high demand for mobile phone communications. The proposed FAHP algorithm has a practical computational complexity and provides an effective frequency-channel selection. This proposed FAHP algorithm presents a new methodology to select and classify the variables based on a modified version of the Delphi method. The results of the proposed method were contrasted numerically with other three methods.

Multicriteria Selection of the Building Material Supplier Using AHP and Fuzzy AHP

AbstractWhen selecting a building material supplier, contractors may take into consideration a large number of criteria that are often subjective and hard to measure. Including them all in the evaluation may be beneficial, yet in practice it may generate many complications. A solution is provided by one of the multicriteria analysis methods. The article describes the criteria employed in the evaluation of building material suppliers. One multicriteria analysis method, namely the analytic hierarchical process (AHP), is argued to be a useful alternative. An example of its application involving its basic and the more sophisticated variant, the fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (FAHP) with extent analysis method, is presented. As the results reveal, real decisive problems require methods resembling human reasoning, which is often characterized by uncertainty and subjectivity of evaluation. The real problem presented in the paper proves that the FAHP method may have a practical application.