Characteristics of positive reciprocal matrices in the analytic hierarchy process

Positive reciprocal matrices (PRMs) are the basic elements used by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for resolving an important class of multi-criteria decision problems. A PRM, A=(a _ij ), is square with all a _ij >0 and a _ji =1/a _ij . We discuss characteristics of such matrices based on an analysis of both real-world and randomly generated sets.     

The consistency index in reciprocal matrices: Comparison of deterministic and statistical approaches

When checking the inconsistency level of a positive reciprocal matrix Saaty uses a deterministic criterion based on two parameters, a benchmark (the average), and a consistency level, usually 10%. Using results from a simulation experiment with 100,000 positive random reciprocal matrices of size varying from 3 to 15, we developed a probabilistic criterion and compare it to Saaty’s index. We found that if a positive reciprocal matrix is consistent according to the deterministic criterion is also consistent according to the probabilistic criterion only if we accept a higher than usual probability of Type I error. Reducing this error implies that the benchmark must be a small percentile of the probability distribution of the consistency index.     

Bounds on elements of reciprocal matrices and modifications of the method of matrix trial runs

Voronezh. Translated from Sibirskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 10–21, March–April, 1992.     

On the sensitivity of generators for the QR factorization of quasiseparable matrices with total nonpositivity

In this paper, we provide a relatively robust representation for the QR factorization of quasiseparable matrices with total nonpositivity. This representation allows us to develop a structure-preserving perturbation analysis. Consequently, stronger perturbation bounds are obtained to show that its generators determine the factors Q and R to high relative accuracy, independent of any conventional condition number. This means that it is possible to accurately compute the QR factorization by operating on these generators.     

Analysis of compatibility between interdependent matrices in ANP

Analytic network process (ANP) addresses multi-attribute decision-making where attributes exhibit dependencies. A principal characteristic of such problems is that pairwise comparisons are needed for attributes that have interdependencies. We propose that before such comparison matrices are used—in addition to a test that assesses the consistency of a pairwise comparison matrix—a test must also be conducted to assess ‘consistency’ across interdependent matrices. We call such a cross-matrix consistency test as a compatibility test. In this paper, we design a compatibility test for interdependent matrices between two clusters of attributes. We motivate our exposition by addressing compatibility in Sinarchy, a special form of ANP where interdependency exists between the last and next-to-last level. The developed compatibility test is applicable to any pair of interdependent matrices that are a part of an ANP.     

Properties of reciprocal derivatives

New properties of reciprocal derivatives are established.     

Analysis of pairwise comparison matrices: an empirical research

Pairwise comparison (PC) matrices are used in multi-attribute decision problems (MADM) in order to express the preferences of the decision maker. Our research focused on testing various characteristics of PC matrices. In a controlled experiment with university students (N=227) we have obtained 454 PC matrices. The cases have been divided into 18 subgroups according to the key factors to be analyzed. Our team conducted experiments with matrices of different size given from different types of MADM problems. Additionally, the matrix elements have been obtained by different questioning procedures differing in the order of the questions. Results are organized to answer five research questions. Three of them are directly connected to the inconsistency of a PC matrix. Various types of inconsistency indices have been applied. We have found that the type of the problem and the size of the matrix had impact on the inconsistency of the PC matrix. However, we have not found any impact of the questioning order. Incomplete PC matrices played an important role in our research. The decision makers behavioral consistency was as well analyzed in case of incomplete matrices using indicators measuring the deviation from the final order of alternatives and from the final score vector.     

Clean matrices and unit-regular matrices

An element in a ring R is said to be clean (respectively unit-regular) if it is the sum (respectively product) of an idempotent element and an invertible element. If all elements in R are unit-regular, it is known that all elements in R are clean. In this note, we show that a single unit-regular element in a ring need not be clean. More generally, a criterion is given for a matrix to be clean in a matrix ring M₂(K) over any commutative ring K. For K=Z, this criterion shows, for instance, that the unit-regular matrix is not clean. Also, this turns out to be the “smallest” such example.     

Embedding matrices in Hadamard matrices

It is shown that if A is any n×n matrix of zeros and ones, and if k is the smallest number not less than n which is the order of an Hadamard matrix, then A is a submatrix of an Hadamard matrix of order k².     

Congruence of Hermitian matrices by Hermitian matrices

Two Hermitian matrices A,B∈M_n(C) are said to be Hermitian-congruent if there exists a nonsingular Hermitian matrix C∈M_n(C) such that B=CAC. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for two nonsingular simultaneously unitarily diagonalizable Hermitian matrices A and B to be Hermitian-congruent. Moreover, when A and B are Hermitian-congruent, we describe the possible inertias of the Hermitian matrices C that carry the congruence. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions for any 2-by-2 nonsingular Hermitian matrices to be Hermitian-congruent. In both of the studied cases, we show that if A and B are real and Hermitian-congruent, then they are congruent by a real symmetric matrix. Finally we note that if A and B are 2-by-2 nonsingular real symmetric matrices having the same sign pattern, then there is always a real symmetric matrix C satisfying B=CAC. Moreover, if both matrices are positive, then C can be picked with arbitrary inertia.     

Characterizations of EP matrices and weighted-EP matrices

A square complex matrix A is said to be EP if A and its conjugate transpose A^∗ have the same range. In this paper, we first collect a group of known characterizations of EP matrix, and give some new characterizations of EP matrices. Then, we define weighted-EP matrix, and present a wealth of characterizations for weighted-EP matrix through various rank formulas for matrices and their generalized inverses.     

Nearest-neighbour modelling of reciprocal chains

This paper focuses on the class of finite-state, discrete-index, reciprocal processes (reciprocal chains). Such a class of processes seems to be a suitable setup in many applications and, in particular, it appears well-suited for image-processing. While addressing this issue, the aim is 2-fold: theoretic and practical. As to the theoretic purpose, some new results are provided: first, a general stochastic realization result is provided for reciprocal chains endowed with a known, arbitrary, distribution. Such a model has the form of a fixed-degree, nearest-neighbour polynomial model. Next, the polynomial model is shown to be exactly linearizable, which means it is equivalent to a nearest-neighbour linear model in a different set of variables. The latter model turns out to be formally identical to the Levi–Frezza–Krener linear model of a Gaussian reciprocal process, although actually non-linear with respect to the chain's values. As far as the practical purpose is concerned, in order to yield an example of application an estimation issue is addressed: a suboptimal (polynomial-optimal) solution is derived for the smoothing problem of a reciprocal chain partially observed under non-Gaussian noise. To this purpose, two kinds of boundary conditions (Dirichlet and Cyclic), specifying the reciprocal chain on a finite interval, are considered, and in both cases the model is shown to be well-posed, in a ‘wide-sense’. Under this view, some well-known representation results about Gaussian reciprocal processes extend, in a sense, to a ‘non-Gaussian’ case.     

Polar reciprocal convex bodies

The minimum of the product of the volume of a symmetric convex bodyK and the volume of the polar reciprocal body ofK relative to the center of symmetry is attained for the cube and then-dimensional crossbody. As a consequence, there is a sharp upper bound in Mahler’s theorem on successive minima in the geometry of numbers. The difficulties involved in the determination of the minimum for unsymmetricK are discussed. Reserch partially supported by NSF Grant GP-27960. An erratum to this article is available at .     

On double-one matrices and double-zero matrices

We investigate two special classes of matrices over GF(2) with certain interesting properties. These properties can be applied to construct nonsingular matrix pairs efficiently and thus provide a solution to the long-key problems of McEIiece's public-key cryptosystem.     

Toeplitz matrices commuting with tridiagonal matrices

we prove that if R is a nonscalar Toeplitz matrix R_{i, j}=r_?i?j? which commutes with a tridiagonal matrix with simple spectrum, then

$\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{r}{}_1\text{=}\text{u}{}_{\mathrm{k-1}}\text{r}{}_2\text{r}{}_1\text{cos p}\text{u}{}_{\mathrm{k-1}}\text{(cos p)}$

, k=4, 5,…, with U_k the Chebychev polynomial of the second kind, where p is determined from

$\text{cos p=}\text{1}\text{2}\text{r}{}^2{}_1\text{?r}{}_1\text{r}{}_3\text{r}{}^2{}_2\text{?r}{}_1\text{r}{}_3$

.     

Embedding rectangular matrices in hadamard matrices

It is shown that any m×n±1 matrix may be embedded in a Hadamard matrix of order kl, where k and l are the least orders greater than or equal to m and nrespectively in which Hadamard matrices exist.