Multicriteria Decision Analysis

Rough sets are used to provide a ranking of potential actions in multi-criteria decision problems. Another concept, called robustness, is very important in deciding if a recommendation given by the optimising algorithm is acceptable whatever the decision parameters. This can be called decisional robustness. Moreover, a technical robustness is introduced to take into account the sensitivity of the input parameters. Rough approximations of a preference relation are obtained for a sample of experimental points chosen from the Pareto set. This approximation is done to induce the decision rules, which can be afterwards applied on whole sets of the potential points. The number of the points can be numerous in the case of a continuous problem. In this paper an extrusion process example is studied which gives a continuous Pareto optimal set. Rough approximation of a preference relation allows us to propose the ranking of the points by taking into account the robustness of the solution.

In this paper an extrusion process example is studied to illustrate a new methodology in the field of decision engineering, which is based on the rough set approach. Rough sets are used to aid the Decision Maker in choosing the best point in the Pareto’s region, which is the zone of the non-dominated solutions. The rough set approach allows us to make a rough approximation of a preference relation on a sample of experimental points chosen from the Pareto set. These approximations are done to induce the decision rules, which can be afterwards applied on whole sets of the potential points. To give the final recommendation the concept of technical robustness is suggested.

Santrauka. Įmonės veiklos efektyvumą ir galimą grąžą iš investavimo į jos akcijas nulemia daugelis veiksnių. Tačiau didžioji dalis portfelio optimizavimo metodų orientuoti į sprendimų priėmimą remiantis vien akcijų kainų kitimo tendencijomis praeityje. Ši finansinė krizė parodė, kad dažnai didžiausią nuosmukį krizės metu patiria tos akcijos, kurių kainos labiausiai kilo prieš krizę. Taigi sprendimų priėmimas remiantis vien praeities akcijų kainos kitimo tendencijomis ir ignoruojant fundamentalius veiksnius gali būti neefektyvus. Šiame straipsnyje trumpai aptarta daugiakriterinio sprendimų priėmimo (MCDM) metodų įvairovė ir įvertintos jų taikymo portfelio optimizavimo problemai spręsti galimybės. Pristatytas bazinis portfelio sudarymo modelis, paremtas akcijų investiciniu patrauklumu. Pasiūlyti konkretūs modelio taikymo sprendimai akcijų investicinio patrauklumo įvertinimo ir portfelio optimizavimo etapuose. Atliktas bandomasis tyrimas, kurio rezultatai parodė, kad pasiūlytas modelis leidžia pasiekti geresnių rezultatų nei lyginamieji -Markowitz ir lygiomis dalimis sudaryti portfeliai. Reikšminiai žodžiai: investicijų portfelis, portfelio optimizavimas, akcijų investicinis patrauklumas, vidinė portfelio koreliacija, daugiakriterinis sprendimų priėmimas.

This chapter examines façade retrofitting strategies within the context of high-performance buildings. It explores motivations for façade retrofitting such as addressing failures, extending building lifespan, enhancing indoor environmental quality, and reducing energy consumption. Case studies of two International Style office towers in the United States illustrate the evolving performance criteria for façades. The case studies showcase innovative recladding and overcladding design solutions that respond to variables in building construction, condition, and tenancy. Additionally, the chapter highlights the growing importance of a multicriteria approach to guide retrofitting for high performance. Owner criteria for the case studies included blast resistance and updated environmental performance targets tied to funding. Expanded criteria for retrofitting projects may include social cost of carbon, environmental justice, and embodied carbon in construction solutions. These broadened standards hold relevance for stakeholders in the public and private sectors who aim to upgrade existing building stock.

La temperatura que un automóvil puede alcanzar en su interior es de entre 25°C hasta 40°C en ciertas circunstancias ambientales, por esta razón se han efectuado estudios en el campo de la ciencia de materiales que permitan controlar el ambiente interior de un auto. Este estudio propone el uso de materiales de cambio de fase mediante la selección multicriterio con el fin de aplicarlos en aislamiento térmico, para controlar la temperatura interior del vehículo cuando este se encuentre estacionado. Partiendo de una lista de materiales candidatos, mediante el análisis multicriterio se determina el mejor material que cumpla con el objetivo de controlar constantemente la temperatura interior de un automóvil. Teniendo en cuenta que el material de cambio de fase no se requiere de un sistema de control eléctrico que elevaría el costo de un automóvil. Se determinó que el material de cambio de fase ideal para esta aplicación es la parafina, dado su punto de fusión que es de 37°C Palabras-clave: automóvil; métodos de análisis multi-criterio; almacenamiento térmico; eficiencia térmica.

Although increasing numbers of research papers regarding biochar are being published worldwide, in some countries growing interest in biochar has only recently been observed; this is true of Poland. We analysed information on biochar research in Poland alongside lessons learned elsewhere in order to identify the significant opportunities and risks associated with biochar use. This data fed into a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to identify areas where biochar application could deliver greatest benefit. We found that 21.8% of agricultural land in Poland has at least moderate indication for biochar use (soil organic matter below 2% and ph below 5.5), while 1.5% was categorized as a priority as it also exhibited contamination. Potential barriers identified included biomass availability and associated risks of indirect land-use change due to possible national and transnational biomass production displacement. Biochar use could have positive global consequences as a climate change mitig...

In Linear Programming, the transportation problem is a special class of model. It deals with the situation in which a commodity from several sources is shipped to different destinations with the main objective to minimize the total shipping cost. In this paper, we present an alternative method to North West Corner method by using Statistical tool called Coefficient of Range. Numerical examples are explained to justify the results.

Le dedico el presente trabajo a mi familia ya que han sido el pilar fundamental para alcanzar el logro de haber culminado mi carrera de forma exitosa, especialmente a mi esposa, mis padres e hijos. Extiendo la dedicatoria a todos aquellos que me inspiraron a superarme así sea de manera indirecta. a la población con ingresos altos y que son alrededor del 7% de los hogares. De este porcentaje se eliminó al segmento de los que no les gustan los mariscos (16%) y resultó un mercado meta que está representado por todas las familias guayaquileñas de los estratos A y B que les gusten los mariscos y que, además, tengan niños menores de 9 años, dando como resultado una demanda de 21 748 personas. Por otro lado, se hizo una proyección de las ventas del restaurante familiar de mariscos "Ecuadorian seafood" y se espera una participación de mercado entre 1% a 3% durante el primer año. La estimación al finalizar la proyección a 5 años es captar una participación de mercado cercano al 15%. Con estas ventas se realizo el cálculo de los principales indicadores y con un costo de oportunidad de 18.59%, dio como resultado una VAN>0 lo cual indica que la rentabilidad del proyecto está garantizada. Por otro lado, se obtuvo una TIR de 30%, garantizando una posible recuperación de la inversión en el cuarto año.

An assessment of sustainability at the macro level is carried out for 12 leading OECD economies, plus China and Brazil, over the period of 1960-2015 in a comparative dynamic fashion under varying policy priorities: economic, social, environmental, and equal importance. Overall, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway are found to be outperforming most other countries based on the basket of 16 different sustainability indicators consistently over time. While there are underlying causes of such performance expressed in policies of innovation, decarbonisation, and social cohesion, addressing economic, environmental, and social dimensions, there are some soft factors traditionally lying outside economic or policy domains. Such factors represent the power of institutions, the level of psychological well-being, and societal values, which tend to be statistically different in Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway, as opposed to other countries in the sample. The reasons for the changes in sustainability performance among countries under different policy priorities are discussed at length, with special attention paid to an economically, environmentally, and socially weighted sustainability index of progress.

O sistema de cria de bovinos de corte se destaca como a mais crucial, pois dos sistemas de produção, a cria é a de menor eficiência por unidade de área, além disso, representa o ponto de partida para a produção de carne. Diante disso, o objetivo da pesquisa é analisar os aspectos zootécnicos e econômicos de um sistema de cria de bovinos de corte de uma propriedade localizada na região da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Os dados zootécnicos analisados foram número de bezerros desmamados, peso vivo de bezerros desmamado, número de fêmeas (vacas e novilhas) paridas, número de fêmeas em reprodução e taxa de lotação. Os dados econômicos foram o Custo Operacional Efetivo (COE), Custo Operacional Total (COT), Custo Total (CT) e Lucro. O período de análise compreendeu CICLO 1 (setembro de 2021 a agosto de 2022) e CICLO 2 (setembro de 2022 a agosto de 2023). Foi possível observar um aumento no peso dos bezerros desmamados em torno de 10%. Com relação ao período de desmame, no CICLO 1, teve cinco momentos de desmame e no CICLO 2 foram quatro momentos, devido ao estabelecimento de uma estação de monta. Foi possível identificar um lucro de R$ 365.860,11 no CICLO 1 e de R$ 338.091,47 no CICLO 2, ou seja, houve uma redução em cerca de 7,59%, o que coincidiu com o ciclo pecuário desfavorável para a comercialização de bezerros. Conclui-se que por meio da implantação e do correto uso de tecnologias de insumos e de processos é possível ter uma melhor eficiência de produção no sistema de cria mesmo em momentos desfavoráveis para a pecuária.

During the last few decades, ports have been important network nodes for cargo transportation, and they play a pivotal role in enhancing a country’s economic activity through the import and export handling. Port industry is one of the most dynamic and competitive industries around the world. Within this framework, satisfied employees tend to be more productive, provide better services to customers, and hence, can significantly enhance business profitability. Limited research answers the topic of job satisfaction of employees working at the Greek port industry. The aim of this research is to measure and analyze employee job satisfaction in ports in Greece using the MUSA method, which is a preference disaggregation model following the principles of ordinal regression analysis. This integrated methodology evaluates the satisfaction level of a set of 368 employees in the Greek port industry based on their values and expressed preferences. Results showed that employees are satisfied (80.38%). The research aims at providing practical insights and theoretical contributions to port enterprises in enhancing employee satisfaction and maintaining relevant advantages to their productivity.

The supermarket industry is characterized by intense competition, which has become more intense during recent times since new players are entering the market, private labeling products have increased their market share, and the range of choices available to buyers is rapidly expanding. This motivates supermarket owners to focus on customer-oriented strategies so that they are able to differentiate from the competition. Within the marketing strategy of firms, the element of customer satisfaction maintains a superior position since it can reinforce store loyalty and lead to the creation of significant market power. This paper examines supermarkets' customer satisfaction based on various factors, such as Products, Pricing Policy, Private Labeling, Stores, Staff, Customer Information and Service. Data were collected by applying a structured questionnaire to a convenient sample of 300 supermarket customers in the area of Athens, Greece. The research outcomes were analyzed with the Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) method. MUSA is an analysis methodology developed on the principles of regression analysis. Results highlighted the crucial role of the human element and the availability and quality of the product in the overall satisfaction of supermarket customers. Those aspects should be further improved for reinforcing customer loyalty and commitment, as well as for increasing the perceived satisfaction of supermarket customers in the process.

En este trabajo se explora una metodología para seleccionar alternativas en la etapa de formulación de un proyecto, mediante la aplicación del Análisis Multicriterio, como parte de un proceso de apoyo a la toma de decisiones, con el objetivo de mejorar la selección de proyectos que postulana fondos concursables para el deporte. El Análisis Multicriterio, desarrollado en la década de los 60, comprende una serie de metodologías que se caracterizan principalmente, por su capacidad de manejar problemas de toma de decisiones donde existen múltiples objetivos, criterios, participantes y alternativas. En los últimos años ha existido un creciente interés en Chile por su aplicación al análisis de decisiones de inversión. Se presentan los aspectos teóricos de una de las metodologías multicriterio más difundidas (AHP) y se analiza su pertinencia para apoyar la selección de proyectos mediante el desarrollo de una aplicación práctica. Dado que la aplicación que se presenta en este documento, se realizó para Chiledeportes, institución que por su carácter público forma parte del Sistema Nacional de Inversiones, se comienza por describir dicho sistema para una mejor comprensión del marco en el que se desarrollan los concursos por fondos. Luego se presentan aspectos teóricos y conceptuales de la evaluación multicriterio, y finalmente se muestran los resultados de la aplicación.

As cities grow faster and food systems grow more fragile, architects and planners are increasingly challenged to design spaces that not only house people but also support environmental and social well-being. This study investigates how vertical farming can be integrated into residential building facades in Egypt as a strategy to promote local food production and sustainable design. Focusing on a government housing project in Port Said, three façade-based design options were developed and assessed through structured surveys targeting two stakeholder groups: experts and residents. This research revealed a strong interest and awareness across both samples. While users prioritized benefits such as esthetics, air quality, and the ease of use, experts emphasized feasibility concerns, maintenance needs, and policy barriers. Both groups favored the second design option as the most balanced and applicable solution. By foregrounding stakeholder input, this study fills a gap in the existing literature on building-integrated agriculture and provides design and policy recommendations grounded in the local context. It advocates for inclusive design thinking, where technical viability and community values are considered together. While limited to single case and visual assessment methods, this research offers a foundation for further applied studies and broader sustainable design frameworks.

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Tout n’est pas noir ou blanc en géographie. Pourtant, les outils SIG imposent souvent des choix binaires. Que faire des zones de transition ? Des critères partiellement remplis ? Avec la logique floue, vous pouvez représenter des réalités plus subtiles, en attribuant des degrés d’appartenance aux objets géographiques. Le plugin FuzzyAttributes vous permet d’appliquer ces concepts dans QGIS, facilement. Une avancée précieuse pour l’analyse environnementale, l’aménagement du territoire ou les études de vulnérabilité

▪   Marine biodiversity encompasses all levels of complexity of life in the sea, from within species to across ecosystems. At all levels, marine biodiversity has naturally exhibited a general, slow trajectory of increase, punctuated by mass extinctions at the evolutionary scale and by disturbances at the ecological scale. In historical times, a synergy of human threats, including overfishing, global warming, biological introductions, and pollution, has caused a rapid decline in global marine biodiversity, as measured by species extinctions, population depletions, and community homogenization. The consequences of this biodiversity loss include changes in ecosystem function and a reduction in the provision of ecosystem services. Global biodiversity loss will continue and likely accelerate in the future, with potentially more frequent ecological collapses and community-wide shifts. However, the timing and magnitude of these catastrophic events are probably unpredictable.

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to improve the daily performance of an active distribution network (ADN), which includes renewable resources and responsive load (RL), using distributed network reconfiguration (DNR). Optimization objectives in this work can be described as (i) reducing active losses, (ii) improving the voltage profile, (iii) improving the network reliability, and (iv) minimizing distribution network operation costs. The suggested approach takes into account the probability of renewable resource failure, given the information collected from their initial state at the beginning of every day, in solving the optimization problem. Furthermore, solar radiation variations are estimated based on past historical data and the impact of the performance of renewable sources such as photovoltaic (PV) is determined hourly based on the Markov model. Since the number of reconfiguration scenarios is very high, stochastic DNR (SDNR) based on the probability distance method is employed to shrink the scenarios set. At the final stage an improved crow search algorithm (ICSA) is introduced to find the optimal scenario. The effectiveness of the suggested method is verified for the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system as a case study.

Since most decision making involves multiple criteria, extensive research has been developed in this area over the past few decades. However, as it is widely known in the decision-making field, there are significant differences in the way that the decision-making process has been addressed. This has lead to two different approaches: Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (or Aid) (MCDA). Having the most recent world economic and financial trends as a background, this paper aims to highlight the relationship between MCDA and financial decisions in a banking context. The paper is based on previous work of well-known authors in the financial decisionmaking field, but highlights new findings and presents a multicriteria framework for retail banking in order to increase the interest of the MCDA approach for banking issues. In particular, the framework offers a holistic view of banking activities at a bank branch level, where at least eight different phases, when correctly integrated and performed, provide banks with a greater capacity to support decisions and to adapt strategies to a permanent changing environment. The paper discusses insights, advantages and disadvantages of MCDA to provide recommendations for successful applications of this approach in similar contexts.

The q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft set theory provides effective tools for dealing with the imprecision and uncertainty in the data. Its potential to incorporate adequate parameters helps the business experts in processing the data effectively which is an important ingredient of decision-making processes. The objective of this paper is first to define the notion of entropy measures for the q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft sets (q-ROFSSs) and then to study its characterizations. Based on the concepts defined herein, an effective decision-making approach is proposed in the selection of project contractors for the construction of a mega project. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the technique given in this paper and a comparative study with other existing approaches is executed as well. It is concluded that the proposed technique proves to be an innovative in handling the data where the comparable techniques were unable to deal and handle the data effectively.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policy making has largely been conducted in isolation of development considerations. An emerging literature, bolstered by the "nationally determined" nature of the Paris Agreement, explores the identification and assessment of the co-impacts of mitigation actions. There is now a recognised need to consider mitigation an integral part of a multi-objective development challenge. However, the literature on how to practically and effectively apply this in policy making, particularly in developing economies, is limited. This paper explores the potential for using approaches that fall under the umbrella of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in guiding analyses and policy-making that relate to the climate mitigation-development interface. It categorizes three distinct types of decision problems in the broad area of climate and development policy-making, and presents lessons from three case studies, in India, Chile, and Peru and Colombia taken together, where aspects of MCDA approaches were explored. Based on these reviews, the paper concludes that MCDA approaches, despite certain limitations, can add substantive and procedural credibility to existing toolkits supporting climate and development decision-making. Key contributions of the approach are to structure the analyses, systematically include stakeholder deliberations, and provide tools to rigorously incorporate quantitative and qualitative co-impacts in multipleobjective based decisions.

UNEP Green Economy Report highlighted urban sustainability as one of its important dimensions (UNEP, 2011). This topic receives a lot of attention in the EU, the US and increasingly China and Latin America since the Rio Summit of 1992, the Rio+20 Summit in 2012 and, especially, in the light of the recent Habitat III forum held in Quito, Ecuador in 2016. The new UN Habitat World Cities Report firmly links the New Urban Agenda with Sustainable Development Goals (UN Habitat, 2016). SDG 11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' aims to 'make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable' (UN, 2015). UNECE and ITU have launched a new United for Smart and Sustainable Cities initiative in 2016. Urban sustainability is defined as a multidimensional capacity of a city to operate successfully in economic, social and environmental domains simultaneously.

For a carefully designed hierarchy, if it makes sense for explaining the alternatives involved, we expect that variations in the perceived importance of the alternatives will not be significant. That, if checked, constitutes an argument of the robustness of the AHP method in general and in particular on the motivational theories in education. The paper presents and compares the results of two experiments that were conducted in a Romanian university. Two hierarchies on what motivates a business student were designed: the first one was constructed through consensus by students, while the second one was inspired from Adamus's (2013) AHP model on the motivational theories in education. In the context of the particularly chosen criteria and sub-criteria, the results indicate that students care more about the overall rewarding goal of getting a diploma than about specific intermediary steps in achieving it, as for example getting good grades.

Sporting activities apply various multi-criteria (and multi-decision maker) methods in their championship regulations. In the majority of cases, the organizers are not aware that they are using them and indeed often apply them incorrectly. Variations of the Borda voting and lexicographic methods are among those most widely used. In the case of the Formula 1 World Championship, a variation of the Borda method is employed. This article shows that some of the problems that occurred during recent seasons are a result of the use of this method with consequent aggravation of the inherent distortions. Furthermore, the use of the Condorcet method is suggested as an alternative. Its limitations are shown, as well as how to overcome them by employing the Copeland method. Lastly, an analysis of the results of the 2002 championship is conducted.

1. Conservation of biodiversity involves dealing with problems caused by humans, by applying solutions that comprise actions by humans. Understanding human attitudes, knowledge and behaviour are thus central to conservation research and practice. 2. The special feature brings together authors from a range of disciplines (ecology, human geography, political science, land economy, management) to examine a set of qualitative techniques used in conservation research: Interviews, Focus group discussion, The Nominal Group Technique and multi-criteria decision analysis.

The study has highlighted a set of factors influencing the quality of postpress processes designing. A fuzzy preference relations on a given set of alternatives has been formed. The matrices of relations of alternatives by Paretooriented factors have been constructed and the non-dominant subset has been defined. Based on a fuzzy preference relation, the corresponding sets of nondominated alternatives have been distinguished. The optimal variant of the analysed process has been selected according to the maximum value of the utility function. Modelling of key operations and functions of postpress processes designing has been implemented through the development of a context diagram and a decomposition diagram of IDEF0 models, one of the elements of which are alternatives for this process implementation.

We exploit the relationship between multiobjective integer linear problem (MOILP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to develop an approach to a resource reallocation problem. The general purpose of the mathematical formulation of this multicriteria allocation model based on DEA is to enable decision-makers to take into account the efficiency of units under control to allocate additional resources for a new period of operation. We develop a formal approach based on DEA and MOILP to find the most preferred allocation plan taken account additional resources. The mathematical model is given, and we illustrate it with a numerical example.

Sheep farming is an important agricultural activity in Greece, since it contributes significantly to the country's gross agricultural production value. Recently, sheep milk production received further attention because of the increased demand for feta cheese and also because of the excessive price level suffered by consumers, in contrast with the prices paid at the farm level. In this study, we suggest the use of multicriteria analysis to estimate the supply response of sheep milk to price. The study focuses in the Prefecture of Etoloakarnania, located in Western Greece, where sheep farming is a common and traditional activity. A noninteractive technique is used to elicit farmers' individual utility functions which are then optimized parametrically subject to technico-economic constraints, to estimate the supply function of sheep milk. Detailed data from selected farms, representing different farm types and management strategies, have been used in the analysis. The results indicate that the multicriteria model reflects the actual operation of the farms more accurately than the gross margin maximization model and therefore leads to a more robust estimation of the milk supply.

As urbanization and industrialization accelerate, municipalities are increasingly burdened with the need to modernize their waste management infrastructures. Traditional assessment methods often fall short in capturing the multi-dimensional and uncertain nature of sustainability-related decisions. This paper proposes an integrated multicriteria decision support system (DSS) that incorporates Fuzzy Logic, Entropy Weighting, and Sustainability Performance Indicators (SPIs) to evaluate advanced waste management systems (AWMIs). This hybrid methodology provides a transparent, systematic, and adaptive framework for evaluating the efficiency, environmental impact, and social acceptability of different infrastructure alternatives. The study applies this model to a case scenario in 2023, using empirical sustainability indicators. Results suggest that the integration of fuzzy logic with entropy-based weighting offers robust support for prioritizing waste management options under uncertainty.

The use of scientific methods to determine performance results and analyze the effectiveness of sports players constitutes a powerful tool that can help coaches and teams make better decisions and adequately use available resources. Pitcher selection is a strategic decision that significantly influences the performance of a professional baseball team. In this study, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models were built to rank the performance of baseball pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There are three relevant aspects of this research. First, the models allow the evaluation of the overall performance of the pitcher, considering his skills and performance as a pitcher as well as his fielding and batting contributions. To evaluate the overall performance of a pitcher, well-known standard professional baseball statistics were used. Second, to highlight the flexibility of the model, four models were created according to the type of pitcher (starter or reliever) and the league in which he plays (American or National league). Finally, a distinctive feature of the models is their general scope. The experts were only required to determine the best criteria and subcriteria and the priorities of the hierarchical structure of the models, but they were not needed to rank the pitchers (alternatives). The models were applied to different emblematic MLB awards and the results produced by the models coincide with the pitchers who actually won the awards.

The discrete Sugeno integral is an aggregation function particularly suited to aggregation of ordinal inputs. It accounts for inputs interactions, such as redundancy and complementarity, and its learning from empirical data is a challenging optimisation problem. The methods of ordinal regression involve an expensive objective function, whose complexity is quadratic in the number of data. We formulate ordinal regression using a much less expensive objective computed in linear time by the pool-adjacent-violators algorithm. We investigate the learning problem numerically and show the superiority of the new algorithm.

This paper addresses a methodology for decision support under multiple and correlated decision criteria. Nonadditive robust ordinal regression (NAROR) aims to build capacities that fit the decision makers' explicit preferences and pairwise rankings of some alternatives. The capacities provide great flexibility to model decision problems accounting for interactions among the decision criteria. The feasible set of capacities helps identifying all the necessary and possible dominance relations among all the decision alternatives. In this paper we enhance the NAROR method by identifying optimal capacities through entropy maximisation. We formulate suitable optimisation problems and provide avenues for capacity simplification based on k-interactivity. We also consider the situation of large number of sparse constraints, for which we formulate a linear program based on Renyi entropy. We deal with preferences inconsistency by using multiple goal linear programming technique. The results show that the k-interactivity is an efficient way to reduce the complexity of capacities while preserving their expressiveness and representation ability, and that optimal capacities can be found by standard mathematical programming techniques.

This paper examines the marginal contribution representation of fuzzy measures, used to construct fuzzy measure from empirical data through an optimization process. We show that the number of variables can be drastically reduced, and the constraints simplified by using an alternative representation. This technique makes optimizing fitting criteria more efficient numerically, and allows one to tackle learning problems with higher number of correlated decision criteria.

The aim of the study in this paper is to show how the performance of banks can be evaluated by ranking them based on Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Nowadays, assessing the performance of companies is a vital work for finding their weaknesses and strengths. The banking sector is an important area in the service sector. Many people want to know which bank performs best when entrusting their money to them. For assessing the performance of banks, BSC can be used. This method helps to translate strategic issues to meaningful insights for the respective financial institutions. After that, the banks will be ranked based on performance indicators by the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) method. Because this method is based on a decision matrix, weights are required. To find such weights, the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method is applied. The results show that the International Bank of Colombia has a much better performance than other Colombian banks. Besides, further insights regarding the evaluation process based on BSC, SWARA, and WASPAS are obtained.

In this article we consider the problem of nonessential objectives for multiobjective optimization problems (MOP) with linear objective functions. In 1977 an approach based on the reduction of size of the matrix of objective functions has been worked out by one of the present authors (Gal, T., European Journal of Operations Research 1, 176±184). Although this method for dropping nonessential objectives leads to a mathematically equivalent MOP, problems concerning the application of MOP methods may arise. For instance, dropping some (or all) of the nonessential objectives the question is, how to ensure obtaining the same solution as with all objectives involved. We consider the problem of adapting the parameters of multiobjective optimization methods. For the case of weighting methods a simple procedure for adapting the weights is analyzed. For other methods, e.g. reference point approaches, such a simple possibility for adapting the parameters is not given.

The process of decision making within an organization is a complex process given the multiple possibilities of criteria to consider in the selection of an optimal decision. For this reason, it is essential to use tools and methodologies that establish an effective comparison between the different solution alternatives and thus be able to choose the best solution. One of the most used methodologies is the AHP (The Analytic Hierarchy Process), a methodology that is presented in this article and applied to improve purchasing management in an organization through the selection of a single provider.

Comunicação da qual só está disponível o resumo.Os espaços florestais, pela diversidade de funções de uso múltiplo que desempenham, devem ser encarados como fontes de serviços ecológicos, não só pela vertente produtiva e económica mas também pela conservação da biodiversidade, pela salvaguarda e recriação de paisagens, e pelo recreio e qualidade ambiental. O objetivo do estudo consistiu no desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de análise espacial com recurso à análise espacial multicritério em ambiente SIG para a definição da multifuncionalidade dos espaços florestais. A área de estudo considerada foi uma freguesia localizada no centro interior de Portugal. Para a abordagem multifuncional consideram-se as seguintes cinco funções: 1) produção; 2) proteção; 3) conservação de habitats, de espécies da fauna e da flora e de geomonumentos; 4) silvopastorícia, caça e pesca nas águas interiores; e 5) recreio, enquadramento e estética da paisagem. Produziram-se as cartas relativas à aptidão flo...

The increased volatility in capital markets since the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis and the investor´s lack of confidence in the banking sector represented significant challenges to portfolio fund managers. The current study assesses the performance of Portuguese mutual fund portfolios considering the period 2007-2014 using the Value-Based DEA method. This approach combines Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (MCDA). A dynamic evaluation including value judgements is carried out using data from 15 Portuguese equity funds. The results unveil the impact of the global crisis in the Portuguese investment funds industry. They show that Portuguese investment funds performed better between 2011 and 2013; this suggests that equity funds investors became more confident in these vehicles due to political measures reinforcing financial markets. The methodology followed in this study contributes to help investors in the identification of the funds with the best practices according to their judgments.

The study was carried out in an irrigation site of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, with the aim to assess the suitability of soils for vegetables production (Tomato, Onion and Cabbage). Three soil units were identified, and three profiles were sunk in each of the unit. The profiles were described according USDA soil survey manual, and soil samples were collected from pedogenic horizons. The soil samples were analyzed for various physical and chemical properties following the standard procedures. The soil fertility of the areas was low and bulk density ranges from moderate to high which may affect onion production. All the soil units are suitable for production of tomato and cabbage crops, except soil units 4, 5 and 6 which are not suitable for any crop across all the methods, while simple limitation and Khiddir methods classified all the soil units as not suitable for onion production. The suitability of soils for vegetable production increases from SLM to Rabia squire root method, with Khiddir showing poor performance. Rabia method performed better than any method followed by Khiddir and SLM for tomato and cabbage production, additionally, in terms of onion evaluation, Rabia method is also the best followed by Storie, and SML. The major advantage of employing various suitability evaluation methods may assist farmers to make wide range of choices with respect of crops to be grown in the land.

A ciência promove conhecimento, mas o amor nos impulsiona a transpor barreiras, mesmo quando as vicissitudes testam nossa capacidade de caminhar. Este trabalho representa a conclusão de uma etapa crivada de dor, sofrimento, saudade e, ainda que aparentemente paradoxal, graças, alegrias e vitórias. Meu "mais amado" não poderá dizer, como sempre dizia, que está feliz, mas meu filho há de sorrir quando regressar ao lar, ao lado daquelas que sempre esperaram por mim, nas madrugadas do caminho. Esta tese é por vocês, Raquel, Anna e Guilherme. E é para você, pai. 19/10/1944 -02/11/2017 RESUMO A urbanização experimentada pelos países subdesenvolvidos apresenta, como reflexos da inobservância das potencialidades e limitações dos sítios de ocupação das cidades, ocorrência de inundações, alagamentos e escorregamentos. Dentre outras mazelas socioambientais dos meios urbanos brasileiros, estas são ainda mais comuns em áreas de pluviosidade concentrada em curta estação chuvosa e relevo caracterizado por vertentes declivosas e de encostas convergentes. Tendo em vista o grande número de pessoas atingidas por inundações, alagamentos e escorregamentos, bem como os danos causados aos equipamentos urbanos, há nas geociências considerável esforço voltado para o reconhecimento e mapeamento de áreas de risco dos fenômenos. Este trabalho se agrega a tais empenhos, objetivando apresentar propostas de mapeamento dos riscos a inundações, alagamentos e escorregamentos, fundamentada em indicadores geomorfológicos e socioeconômicos inerentes aos espaços urbano e periurbano de Teófilo Otoni (MG). Para tanto, as análises foram subsidiadas por interpretações de imagens de satélites e trabalhos de campo, nos quais as intervenções diretas nos canais fluviais e alterações nas planícies de inundação foram avaliadas, assim como solos e formações superficiais presentes nas reentrâncias das vertentes da área investigada. Foi também empregada análise de parâmetros morfométricos, mediada por ferramentas de geoprocessamento, em especial quanto ao papel das reentrâncias do relevo e classes de declividade do terreno frente à suscetibilidade a escorregamentos. Estes fatores naturais tiveram suas espacialidades associadas a uma coleção de dados relacionados a operações de salvamento efetuadas pelo Corpo de Bombeiros e Polícia Militar em Teófilo Otoni, além de informações demográficas que incluem densidade habitacional, renda da população e indicadores sanitários, permitindo compreender onde, como e porque ocorreram inundações, alagamentos e escorregamentos na cidade, bem como determinar o grau de exposição das populações aos fenômenos. Observou-se que setores densamente edificados, adjacentes ao trecho mais a jusante do principal curso d'água que drena a cidade, são afetados por inundações periódicas, bem como porções altamente afetadas pela urbanização em seus principais tributários, muito em função da negligência durante a ocupação dessas áreas e execução de obras de drenagem que mais agravam do que minimizam suas ocorrências. Alagamentos apresentam íntima relação com a impermeabilização das encostas em microbacias alveolares no interior da cidade, especialmente quando os canais de drenagem dessas áreas são canalizados. Foi possível concluir, ainda, que a maior parte das reentrâncias que apresentam mais elevado risco à ocorrência de escorregamentos se localiza nas proximidades dos limites da área urbana, não apenas em função das especificidades do sítio de ocupação, mas também em decorrência da segregação socioespacial que caracteriza a produção do espaço urbano em Teófilo Otoni (MG). Este modelo de expansão da cidade, adotado pelo menos ao longo das últimas quatro décadas, desconsidera as características geomorfológicas do sítio de ocupação e perpetua na área investigada uma já histórica construção do risco, no tempo e no espaço.

Perencanaan wilayah merupakan upaya strategis dalam mengatur pemanfaatan ruang guna mencapai pembangunan yang berkelanjutan dan berkeadilan. Dalam proses ini, dua pendekatan teoritis yang sangat penting adalah teori lokasi dan teori behaviour. Teori lokasi fokus pada bagaimana dan mengapa aktivitas ekonomi serta sosial tersebar dalam ruang geografis tertentu, sedangkan teori behaviour menekankan pada aspek perilaku dan keputusan subjektif individu dalam menanggapi ruang. Keputusan mengenai pemilihan lokasi suatu aktivitas tidak hanya ditentukan oleh efisiensi biaya atau jarak fisik, tetapi juga oleh preferensi, persepsi, serta keterbatasan informasi yang dimiliki pelaku. Oleh karena itu, memahami kedua teori ini secara bersamaan sangatlah penting untuk merancang tata ruang yang adaptif, efisien, dan responsif terhadap kebutuhan masyarakat. Esai ini bertujuan untuk menguraikan pemikiran utama dari teori lokasi dan teori behaviour, serta meninjau perannya dalam perencanaan wilayah.

Business Intelligence (BI) architecture serves as the backbone for data-driven decision-making by integrating various tools, processes, and methodologies to transform raw data into meaningful insights. This study explores an enhanced BI architecture, evaluating its efficiency using EDAS (Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution) is a method for evaluating alternatives by measuring their distance from an average or ideal solution. The approach calculates the differences between the alternatives and the average solution to assess their relative performance. This technique is often used in decision-making processes where multiple options need to be compared based on various criteria. Comparing it with alternative circular models. The study aims to assess BI architecture's effectiveness in terms of user safety, adaptability, cost, and time. Research Significance: The growing complexity of data management and the increasing demand for real-time analytics necessitate a robust BI architecture. This research identifies critical factors influencing BI performance and provides a comparative analysis of alternative models. The findings contribute to optimizing BI solutions for various industries, ensuring scalable and secure decision-making frameworks. Methodology: EDAS The EDAS method is employed to evaluate BI architecture by analyzing its deviation from an ideal solution. It quantifies performance based on predefined evaluation parameters, ensuring an objective assessment. Alternative Models: Circular 1-Traditional BI model with structured data processing. Circular 2-A cloud-based BI framework focusing on scalability. Circular 3-A hybrid BI approach integrating AI-driven analytics. Circular 4-A decentralized BI model for real-time, distributed data handling. Evaluation Parameters: The BI architecture is assessed based on the following factors: Users' Safety-Ensuring data security, privacy, and compliance. Adaptability to Changes-Ability to integrate new data sources and adjust to evolving business needs. Cost-Budget efficiency concerning implementation, maintenance, and scalability. Time-Speed of data processing, reporting, and overall system performance. Results: The study offers a comparison of the different BI models, identifying the most efficient architecture based on the evaluation parameters. The findings highlight the optimal balance between security, adaptability, costeffectiveness, and time efficiency in BI implementations.