Fuzzy Linguistic Term Research Articles

A model for determining the invariant component in the behavior of malware software based on the integration of fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms

The detection of polymorphic and metamorphic malware is a critical cybersecurity challenge due to its ability to evade detection by existing cyber defense systems by automatically modifying its own code and/or structure. In this context, an approach to the detection of polymorphic and metamorphic malware is proposed, which is based on the determination of an invariant component for each known type of malware during the analysis of its behavior. The essence of this approach is to define such an area of behavior that remains unchanged for a specific type of malicious software, regardless of the modifications made. To find the specified invariant component in the behavior of malware for each of its types, a set of values of the original feature space is described by fuzzy linguistic terms in order to obtain a set of fuzzy production rules for each type of malware. The next step is to determine the fuzzy invariant component for each known type of malicious software in the form of a fuzzy subset of features from the set of fuzzy production rules obtained in the previous step by means of genetic algorithms. The proposed model makes it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of detection of polymorphic and metamorphic software based on behavioral characteristics characteristic of already classified samples, which, in turn, contributes to increasing the overall effectiveness of the cyber security system.

Dynamic critical factors identification: A novel fuzzy DEMATEL method considering heterogeneous information

Identifying the critical factors and their interrelationships plays a critical role in system analysis. Fuzzy DEMATEL method is one of the popular techniques widely applied to identify the critical factors and analyze the interrelationship among them under fuzzy and uncertain environment. Different information types are often used to describe given problems in the real world, similar to how experts express their assessments due to their diverse knowledge backgrounds or individual preferences. However, in existing fuzzy DEMATEL studies, experts are allowed to use only a single information type to express their assessments, which can not reflect the real-world situations. Additionally, dynamic evolution is a typical feature of practical problems. Factors associated with these problems, including critical factors, might change and update alongside this dynamic evolution. Nevertheless, such dynamic evolution has not been considered in existing fuzzy DEMATEL studies. To address the issues of heterogeneous information and dynamic evolution, this study proposes a novel method based on fuzzy DEMATEL that considers both dynamic evolution and heterogeneous information. The dynamic evolution is described not only from the perspective of time changes, but also information updates. The heterogeneous information includes numerical values, interval values, linguistic information, and hesitant fuzzy linguistic term information. The proposed method consists of five parts including problem definition, information gathering, information transformation, information aggregation, and dynamic critical factors identification. A reasonable way based on alpha-level sets is employed to handle the aggregated fuzzy information, and dynamic degrees of different factors at each moment are calculated for critical factors identification. A numerical example, related discussions, and comparison analysis are provided to demonstrate the novelty and superiority of the proposed method.

Integrated Risk Assessment Model Based on Unstable Fuzzy Linguistic Terms in Occupational Health and Safety; Application in Machinery Sector in Turkey

Integrated Risk Assessment Model Based on Unstable Fuzzy Linguistic Terms in Occupational Health and Safety; Application in Machinery Sector in Turkey

A quantitative method for hesitant linguistic terms based on the grey confidence degree

Abstract The study proposes a quantitative method that combines linguistic preferences and confidence levels from different experts by utilizing the concepts of grey information and hesitant fuzzy linguistic information. The developed model transforms hesitant fuzzy linguistic terms into crisp numerical values, enhancing the accuracy of evaluations.

Evaluation of Supplier Sustainable Development Programs Using the HFLTS-QFD Method

Objective: This study proposes a decision model for evaluating sustainable supplier development programs (SSDPs) using the HFLTS-QFD technique, which is a combination of Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Sets (HFLTS) with the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method. Theoretical Framework: The implementation of supplier development programs is important to improve supplier performance in aspects related to economic, environmental and social aspects. The evaluation of these programs is necessary to decide on their continuation or discontinuation, as well as to direct the allocation of resources. Method: The bibliographical research supported the definition of the requirements and criteria used for the evaluation of SDPs. The implementation of the model was done using MS Excel® software. The application in an illustrative case involving the evaluation of five SDPs allowed us to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Results and Discussion: The most relevant criteria were organization strategy, social responsibility, employee training and environmental management. The programs with the best classification were SDP4 and SDP5. Research Implications: The proposed model supports the selection of criteria considering their relative weights and the degree of difficulty in collecting data from suppliers when evaluating each PDFS. It also has the capacity to assist group decision-making, enabling the assignment of weights to decision-makers. Originality/Value: Unlike previous models for evaluating PDFS, which use economic or environmental criteria, the proposed model considers criteria related to the three dimensions of the Triple Bottom Line, in addition to allowing the use of linguistic expressions to deal with decisions under hesitation and uncertainty.

Enhancing group decision-making: Maximum consensus aggregation for fuzzy cross-efficiency under hesitant fuzzy linguistic information

Group decision-making (GDM) is essential as it recognizes the inherent complexity of many decision scenarios, which frequently require the collective wisdom and knowledge of multiple decision-makers (DMs) to be effectively resolved. The proposed method aims to develop fuzzy data envelopment analysis (DEA) cross-efficiency models tailored to address GDM challenges, wherein attribute values are provided by DMs using hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs). For this purpose, we initially transform HFLTSs into their corresponding fuzzy envelopes, defined as trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFNs). This conversion strategy effectively minimizes the loss in assessments based on HFLTSs while retaining the inherent ambiguity of the original information. Building upon this foundation, we develop fuzzy cross-efficiency models by leveraging the α-level sets of fuzzy envelopes. These models are designed to handle fuzzy input and output variables under various α-level sets, which are capable of considering all possible attribute values for each alternative. Following this, we implement a maximum consensus model using fuzzy cross-efficiency to assign weights to DMs. These weights facilitate the aggregation of individual fuzzy cross-efficiency intervals obtained from DMs’ assessments into collective ones, which serve to rank alternatives. Finally, we showcase the effectiveness and superiority of our proposal through numerical validation and comparative analysis.

Reliability-driven large group consensus decision-making method with hesitant fuzzy linguistic information for the selection of hydrogen storage technology

The use of hydrogen storage technology (HST) as a bridge for producing and utilizing hydrogen energy in the hydrogen industry chain is significant, and its evaluation has attracted the interest of researchers. Since there are different types of HSTs, selecting the most appropriate one requires the participation of plenty of experts with different professional backgrounds, which makes this be modeled as a large group decision-making problem. This paper develops a reliability-driven large group consensus decision-making (LGCDM) method for HST selection using the hesitant fuzzy linguistic terms set (HFLTS) as the evaluation representation format. Specifically, the expertise level of individuals and the reliability of group opinions are measured based on the set variables, and then the dimensionality of large groups is reduced based on the reliability of subgroup opinions. Furthermore, an opinion reliability rating mechanism is designed and, when consensus is not satisfactory, a feedback recommendation mechanism and consensus optimization mechanism are developed for implementation. Finally, the proposed reliability-driven LGCDM approach is applied to the HST selection for THVOW Company, and the comparison with existent related approaches indicates that it not only is practical and reasonable, but also provides a technical path for relevant departments to make decisions on practical issues.

Entropy measures of multigranular unbalanced hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets for multiple criteria decision making

The hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) is an efficient tool for modeling linguistic information in multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), and the entropy measure of HFLTS, as a substantial representation of uncertainty, merits additional investigation. This article aims to exploit a general framework to facilitate the construction of entropy measure for multigranular unbalanced HFLTS. An axiomatic definition of the entropy for HFLTSs that considers both types of uncertainty (fuzziness and hesitation) is presented, with the entropy measure subsequently derived from distance-based mapping. From this definition, several deduced results have been developed for the mapping that depicts the entropy expression in order to get such functions with ease. Whereafter, a MCDM weight-determining model for multigranular unbalanced linguistic information without preset weights is devised, and an empirical application of the suggested model in MCDM is illustrated. Ultimately, comparisons and analyses with existing studies are conducted to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed work.

Railway Transportation Scheme Selection Based a CODAS-COPRAS Method in Triangular Dense Fuzzy Linguistic Term Lock Environment

Railway Transportation Scheme Selection Based a CODAS-COPRAS Method in Triangular Dense Fuzzy Linguistic Term Lock Environment

Sequential three-way group decision-making for double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set

Group decision-making (GDM) characterized by complexity and uncertainty is an essential part of various life scenarios. Most existing researches lack tools to fuse information quickly and interpret decision results for partially formed decisions. This limitation is particularly noticeable when there is a need to improve the efficiency of GDM. To address this issue, a novel multi-level sequential three-way decision for group decision-making (S3W-GDM) method is constructed from the perspective of granular computing. This method simultaneously considers the vagueness, hesitation, and variation of GDM problems under double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (DHHFLTS) environment. First, for fusing information efficiently, a novel multi-level expert information fusion method is proposed, and the concepts of expert decision table and the extraction/aggregation of decision-leveled information based on the multi-level granularity are defined. Second, the neighborhood theory, outranking relation and regret theory (RT) are utilized to redesign the calculations of conditional probability and relative loss function. Then, the granular structure of DHHFLTS based on the sequential three-way decision (S3WD) is defined to improve the decision-making efficiency, and the decision-making strategy and interpretation of each decision-level are proposed. Furthermore, the algorithm of S3W-GDM is given. Finally, an illustrative example of diagnosis is presented, and the comparative and sensitivity analysis with other methods are performed to verify the efficiency and rationality of the proposed method.

Chinese Family Farm Business Risk Assessment Using a Hierarchical Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Model

Chinese family farms are continuously expanding; they are also facing various business risks that lead to a shorter lifespan. This paper constructed a family farm business risk assessment model that combined a hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTS) model with a hesitant fuzzy weighted average (HFWA) operator. On the basis of the factor analysis, this study built a family farm indicator system that included the natural, technical, market, policy, society, and management risk. The HFLTS was used for the assessment of weights in pairwise comparison matrices, and the HFWA operator was used as an aggregation operator to calculate the business risk score of family farms. For our case study, a method comparison analysis was also performed to check the validity of the results obtained by our risk assessment model.

Security assessment and diagnosis for industrial water resources using TODIMSort considering Best–Worst Method with double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set

Motivated by the driving force to address global water scarcity, industrial water resources, as the second largest consumption of water resources, its security assessment plays a crucial role in improving the current situation. Hence, this paper proposes a novel methodology to conduct the industrial water resources security (IWRS) assessment. Firstly, a more targeted assessment system based on the framework of the Pressure–State–Response (P–S–R) on IWRS is established. Then, enhanced with a double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (DHHFLTS), the Best–Worst Method (BWM) now determines subjective weights through DHHFLTS-BWM (DF-BWM). By introducing the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, which considers the indicator interactions, objective weights are obtained to modify the subjective weights. Furthermore, the global dominance of all alternatives is calculated by a TODIMSort method and grading them. Moreover, 16 cities in Anhui Province are taken as examples to assess IWRS in the decade from 2011 to 2020. Comparative analysis with original BWM, time series analysis, sensitivity analysis on loss attenuation coefficient, coupling and coordination analysis and obstacle analysis on all indicators are conducted to verify the rationality, effectiveness, and stability of the proposed assessment methodology. Simultaneously, explore the existing issues within IWRS. It can be seen from the results that the performance of Lu’an and Huainan cities is relatively better, while Ma’anshan city shows relatively poorer performance. In addition, per capita water resources and wastewater treatment facilities have a significant impact on the IWRS. Finally, some management suggestions are proposed to enhance the scientific and effective management of industrial water resources and ensure their sustainable utilization.

Decision of a trade credit policy in a supply chain model of growing items under linguistic fuzzy term set

ABSTRACT This article deals with a novel trade credit policy for growing items where the buyer collects the new born items from a supplier and sells them to the consumers when they are grown up. The supplier provides a credit period to the buyer through negotiation. From the buyer’s view point first of all, a profit maximization growing items with carbon emission supply chain model has been studied under three different scenarios over the length of credit periods. To capture the non-random uncertainty of the model parameters and the learning effects we have assumed the demand rate of the consumers and all the cost parameters as triangular fuzzy linguistic terms set by means of a learning matrix. For defuzzification we have utilized the eigen values of the corresponding fuzzy learning matrices and solved the problem with the help of a solution algorithm under optimum number of new born items. However, for numerical computations we have utilized the data set studied by Alamri from a real case study. A comparative analysis has also been discussed for model validation. Finally, sensitivity analysis and graphical illustration are carried out to focus the novelty and to study the impact of the inventory parameters of the proposed approach.

A Novel Correlation Measurement Method for Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Problems Based on Double Hierarchy Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Evaluation and Player Assignment Application in Football

Linguistic expressions are widely used to reflect the decision maker's evaluations more easily and clearly in the decision-making problems, The Double Hierarchy Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Set (DHHFLTS), an extension of linguistic expressions, helps the decision maker to reflect their hesitant evaluations in complex decision making problems using two different sets of linguistic terms. Correlation measurements are used as an important tool in making decisions by making comparative evaluations in complex decision making problems based on common criteria. In this study, a new method is proposed to improve the existing correlation measurement method using DHHFLTSs. The proposed method aims to increase the reflective power of hesitant thoughts in the evaluation process by including fuzzy linguistic expressions in the calculation process. In order to prove the validity of the proposed method, the original problem of choosing the most suitable player for the positions in football sport is considered as a Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) problem. Correlation values and assignment results obtained from the proposed method are compared with the current method values. Consistency of results and values between methods reveals the validity of the proposed method.

Ship collision risk assessment: A multi-criteria decision-making framework based on Dempster–Shafer evidence theory

Ship collision risk modelling is dominated by the utilization of the experts’ experiential insights and knowledge. To construct an effective assessment model for evaluating potential ship collision risks grounded in expert judgments, this paper introduces a novel multi-criteria decision-making framework based on Dempster–Shafer evidence theory (DSET). Firstly, a novel index-based assessment system is provided to generate the potential collision risk value of ships based on automatic identification system (AIS) data, which encompasses ship condition parameters, deviation coefficient, and frequency coefficient. Further, to generate the weights of these indicators, a framework to extract expert opinions is provided, which includes two parts: a) converting experts’ opinions into D-S framework through hesitant fuzzy linguistic terms and b) generating experts’ opinions using improved DSET. Regarding part a, a methodology is proposed to evaluate the trustworthiness of experts by considering both the level of uncertainty in their opinions and the degree of similarity between their viewpoints. Concerning part b, strategies are integrated to ascertain the most suitable weight for the basic probability assignment, thereby mitigating conflicts within the evidence. Finally, based on the collected AIS data, the proposed framework has been applied to six of the world's busiest waterways: (1) the Strait of Malacca, (2) the English Channel, (3) the Panama Canal, (4) the Suez Canal, (5) the Danish Straits, and (6) the Strait of Hormuz. Subsequently, comprehensive analytical results and recommendations are furnished, such as wide and smooth channels showing elevated risk.

A reliability analysis method for electromagnet performance degradation based on FMEA and fuzzy inference system

AbstractElectromagnets are often used in indirect control for industrial applications. The ability of an electromagnet to control objects should decrease with performance degradation. And electromagnets product poses a danger to people and objects in the working environment. So, it is very difficult to analyze the reliability of electromagnetic performance degradation because of the complicated working condition. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is the most commonly used tool for product reliability analysis. The new version of FMEA uses integer as evaluation value, which cannot represent the hesitation psychology of the evaluator. The Action Priority (AP) table of the FMEA describes the relationship between the evaluation of influencing factors and the risk level of the failure mode, which provides rules for determining the risk level of the failure mode. However, the AP table may result in multiple failure modes having the same ranking, which does not align with the intention of FMEA to prevent failures. Therefore, this paper proposes a reliability analysis method for electromagnetic performance degradation based on FMEA and FIS. Firstly, the Double Hierarchy Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Set (DHHFLTS) is used as the evaluation language to describe the hesitation psychology of evaluators. Secondly, the AP table of FMEA is used as FIS fuzzy inference rule. In this way, the idea of FMEA to determine the risk level of failure mode is retained and the problem of FIS fuzzy rule making is overcome. Then, FIS defuzzification AP table inference results to determine the risk ranking of failure modes. This avoids situations where the order of failure modes is equal. Finally, a performance degradation model of the electromagnet is constructed based on the Wiener process, and the calculation results of the new method are verified.

A novel approach employing hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy linguistic Einstein aggregation operators within the EDAS approach for multicriteria group decision making

The Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) is a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique that uses various distances from average values to make decisions. It bears resemblance to other distance-based approaches like SPOTIS, VIKOR or TOPSIS, except that instead of positive and negative ideal solutions, it uses an average solution. For hesitant intuitionistic fuzzy linguistic term sets (HIFLTSs), we first define several operational laws and aggregation operators. As a follow-up, the hesitating intuitionistic fuzzy linguistic Einstein weighted averaging (HIFLEWA) operator is introduced. In this study, the EDAS technique is used to address a multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) issue by utilizing the suggested operational laws and aggregation operators for HIFLTSs, aiming to mitigate the uncertainties of decision makers (DMs). A representative numerical example is employed to illustrate the strength and logical soundness of our proposed method in identifying the optimal choice under the given limitations. A comparison examination with the existing TOPSIS approach is also performed to ensure that the results generated with EDAS are accurate.

Engineering characteristics prioritization for quality function deployment by using CRITIC and cumulative prospect theory with extended hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a powerful approach for improving product quality that can transform customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) during product manufacturing. The limitations of traditional QFD methods lead to imprecise quantification of CRs and difficulty in accurately mapping customer needs. To address these issues, this paper introduces an innovative QFD approach that integrates extended hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (EHFLTSs), CRITIC, and cumulative prospect theory. The method expresses the subjectivity and hesitancy of decision makers when evaluating the relationship between ECs and CRs using EHFLTSs, considering the conflicts among CRs. The CRITIC is used to comprehensively evaluate the comparison strength and conflict between indicators, and the cumulative prospect theory is utilized to derive the prioritization of ECs. A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A 2-order additive fuzzy measure identification method based on hesitant fuzzy linguistic interaction degree and its application in credit assessment

To reflect both fuzziness and hesitation in the evaluation of interactivity between attributes in the identification process of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, this work uses the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) to describe and depict the interactivity between attributes. Firstly, the interactivity between attributes is defined by the supermodular game theory. According to this definition, a linguistic term set is established to characterize the interactivity between attributes. Under the linguistic term set, the experts employ linguistic expressions generated by context-free grammar to qualitatively describe the interactivity between attributes. Secondly, through the conversion function, the linguistic expressions are transformed into the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs). The individual evaluation results of all experts were further aggregated with the defined hesitant fuzzy linguistic weighted power average operator (HFLWPA). Thirdly, based on the standard Euclidean distance formula of the hesitant fuzzy linguistic elements (HFLEs), the hesitant fuzzy linguistic interaction degree (HFLID) between attributes is defined and calculated by constructing a piecewise function. As a result, a 2-order additive fuzzy measure identification method based on HFLID is proposed. Based on the proposed method, using the Choquet fuzzy integral as nonlinear integration operator, a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) process is then presented. Taking the credit assessment of the big data listed companies in China as an application example, the analysis results of application example prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. This work successfully reflects both the fuzziness and hesitation in evaluating the interactivity between attributes in the identification process of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, enriches the theoretical framework of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, and expands the applicability and methodology of 2-order additive fuzzy measure in multi-attribute decision making.

Resilience evaluation of low-carbon supply chain based on improved matter-element extension model.

How to evaluate the resilience level and change trend of supply chain is an important research direction in current supply chain management practice. This paper proposes a new method of supply chain resilience assessment based on hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) and matter element extension theory. Firstly, based on the research status quo at home and abroad, a low-carbon enterprise supply chain resilience assessment index system is established, which includes six first-level indicators and corresponding 21 second-level indicators of product supply resilience, resource resilience, partner resilience, information response resilience, financial resilience and knowledge resilience. Secondly, HFLTS was used to collect expert opinions and Ordered Weighted Arithmetic (OWA) to calculate the expert composite language, by which the fuzzy evaluation matrix of supply chain resilience assessment indicators was obtained. Once again, the resilience indicator weights are determined based on a game-theoretic portfolio assignment method combining the best-worst method (BWM) and the CRITIC method. Finally, the nearness degree function is combined with the extension comprehensive evaluation method to improve the matter element extension model, and the supply chain resilience assessment model of low-carbon enterprises based on the game theory combination assignment-improved matter element extension is established. Taking X low-carbon enterprise as an example, the evaluation results show that the supply chain resilience level of this enterprise is II, and the eigenvalue of the grade variable is 2.69, and the supply chain resilience is shifting to III, and the supply chain resilience is shifting to III, which indicates that the supply chain resilience of this enterprise is being enhanced. Therefore, the improved matter element extension not only ensures the accuracy of the evaluation results, but also has higher prediction accuracy.