Stackelberg solutions for fuzzy random two-level linear programming through level sets and fractile criterion optimization

This paper considers Stackelberg solutions for two-level linear programming problems under fuzzy random environments. To deal with the formulated fuzzy random two-level linear programming problem, an α-stochastic two-level linear programming problem is defined through the introduction of α-level sets of fuzzy random variables. Taking into account vagueness of judgments of decision makers, fuzzy goals are introduced and the α-stochastic two-level linear programming problem is transformed into the problem to maximize the satisfaction degree for each fuzzy goal. Through fractile criterion optimization in stochastic programming, the transformed stochastic two-level programming problem can be reduced to a deterministic two-level programming problem. An extended concept of Stackelberg solution is introduced and a numerical example is provided to illustrate the proposed method.     

An interval approach based on expectation optimization for fuzzy random bilevel linear programming problems

This paper considers a class of bilevel linear programming problems in which the coefficients of both objective functions are fuzzy random variables. The main idea of this paper is to introduce the Pareto optimal solution in a multi-objective bilevel programming problem as a solution for a fuzzy random bilevel programming problem. To this end, a stochastic interval bilevel linear programming problem is first introduced in terms of α-cuts of fuzzy random variables. On the basis of an order relation of interval numbers and the expectation optimization model, the stochastic interval bilevel linear programming problem can be transformed into a multi-objective bilevel programming problem which is solved by means of weighted linear combination technique. In order to compare different optimal solutions depending on different cuts, two criterions are given to provide the preferable optimal solutions for the upper and lower level decision makers respectively. Finally, a production planning problem is given to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.     

Stackelberg Solutions to Multiobjective Two-Level Linear Programming Problems

In this paper, we consider a multiobjective two-level linear programming problem in which the decision maker at each level has multiple-objective functions conflicting with each other. The decision maker at the upper level must take account of multiple or infinite rational responses of the decision maker at the lower level in the problem. We examine three kinds of situations based on anticipation of the decision maker at the upper level: optimistic anticipation, pessimistic anticipation, and anticipation arising from the past behavior of the decision maker at the lower level. Mathematical programming problems for obtaining the Stackelberg solutions based on the three kinds of anticipation are formulated and algorithms for solving the problems are presented. Illustrative numerical examples are provided to understand the geometrical properties of the solutions and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methods.     

An interactive fuzzy satisficing method for random fuzzy multiobjective integer programming problems through probability maximization with possibility

This paper considers multiobjective integer programming problems where each coefficient of the objective functions is expressed by a random fuzzy variable. A new decision making model is proposed by incorporating the concept of probability maximization into a possibilistic programming model. For solving transformed deterministic problems, genetic algorithms with double strings for nonlinear integer programming problems are introduced. An interactive fuzzy satisficing method is presented for deriving a satisficing solution to a decision maker by updating the reference probability levels. An illustrative numerical example is provided to clarify the proposed method.     

Interactive multiobjective fuzzy random linear programming: Maximization of possibility and probability

This paper considers multiobjective linear programming problems with fuzzy random variables coefficients. A new decision making model is proposed to maximize both possibility and probability, which is based on possibilistic programming and stochastic programming. An interactive algorithm is constructed to obtain a satisficing solution satisfying at least weak Pareto optimality.     

Probability maximization models for portfolio selection under ambiguity

This paper considers several probability maximization models for multi-scenario portfolio selection problems in the case that future returns in possible scenarios are multi-dimensional random variables. In order to consider occurrence probabilities and decision makers’ predictions with respect to all scenarios, a portfolio selection problem setting a weight with flexibility to each scenario is proposed. Furthermore, by introducing aspiration levels to occurrence probabilities or future target profit and maximizing the minimum aspiration level, a robust portfolio selection problem is considered. Since these problems are formulated as stochastic programming problems due to the inclusion of random variables, they are transformed into deterministic equivalent problems introducing chance constraints based on the stochastic programming approach. Then, using a relation between the variance and absolute deviation of random variables, our proposed models are transformed into linear programming problems and efficient solution methods are developed to obtain the global optimal solution. Furthermore, a numerical example of a portfolio selection problem is provided to compare our proposed models with the basic model.     

Mean-variance models for portfolio selection with fuzzy random returns

This paper develops two novel types of mean-variance models for portfolio selection problems, in which the security returns are assumed to be characterized by fuzzy random variables with known possibility and probability distributions. In the proposed models, we take the expected return of a portfolio as the investment return and the variance of the expected return of a portfolio as the investment risk. We assume that the security returns are triangular fuzzy random variables. To solve the proposed portfolio problems, this paper first presents the variance formulas for triangular fuzzy random variables. Then this paper applies the variance formulas to the proposed models so that the original portfolio problems can be reduced to nonlinear programming ones. Due to the reduced programming problems include standard normal distribution in the objective functions, we cannot employ the conventional solution methods to solve them. To overcome this difficulty, this paper employs genetic algorithm (GA) to solve them, and verify the obtained optimal solutions via Kuhn-Tucker (K-T) conditions. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models and methods.     

Note on “Some models for deriving the priority weights from interval fuzzy preference relations”

Deriving accurate interval weights from interval fuzzy preference relations is key to successfully solving decision making problems. Xu and Chen (2008) proposed a number of linear programming models to derive interval weights, but the definitions for the additive consistent interval fuzzy preference relation and the linear programming model still need to be improved. In this paper, a numerical example is given to show how these definitions and models can be improved to increase accuracy. A new additive consistency definition for interval fuzzy preference relations is proposed and novel linear programming models are established to demonstrate the generation of interval weights from an interval fuzzy preference relation.     

An interactive fuzzy satisficing method for multiobjective stochastic linear programming problems through an expectation model

For decision making problems involving uncertainty, both stochastic programming as an optimization method based on the theory of probability and fuzzy programming representing the ambiguity by fuzzy concept have been developing in various ways. In this paper, we focus on multiobjective linear programming problems with random variable coefficients in objective functions and/or constraints. For such problems, as a fusion of these two approaches, after incorporating fuzzy goals of the decision maker for the objective functions, we propose an interactive fuzzy satisficing method for the expectation model to derive a satisficing solution for the decision maker. An illustrative numerical example is provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.     

Optimal compromise solution of multi-objective minimal cost flow problems in fuzzy environment

Ghatee and Hashemi [M. Ghatee, S.M. Hashemi, Ranking function-based solutions of fully fuzzified minimal cost flow problem, Inform. Sci. 177 (2007) 4271–4294] transformed the fuzzy linear programming formulation of fully fuzzy minimal cost flow (FFMCF) problems into crisp linear programming formulation and used it to find the fuzzy optimal solution of balanced FFMCF problems. In this paper, it is pointed out that the method for transforming the fuzzy linear programming formulation into crisp linear programming formulation, used by Ghatee and Hashemi, is not appropriate and a new method is proposed to find the fuzzy optimal solution of multi-objective FFMCF problems. The proposed method can also be used to find the fuzzy optimal solution of single-objective FFMCF problems. To show the application of proposed method in real life problems an existing real life FFMCF problem is solved.     

A class of multiobjective linear programming model with fuzzy random coefficients

The aim of this paper is to deal with a multiobjective linear programming problem with fuzzy random coefficients. Some crisp equivalent models are presented and a traditional algorithm based on an interactive fuzzy satisfying method is proposed to obtain the decision maker’s satisfying solution. In addition, the technique of fuzzy random simulation is adopted to handle general fuzzy random objective functions and fuzzy random constraints which are usually hard to be converted into their crisp equivalents. Furthermore, combined with the techniques of fuzzy random simulation, a genetic algorithm using the compromise approach is designed for solving a fuzzy random multiobjective programming problem. Finally, illustrative examples are given in order to show the application of the proposed models and algorithms.     

Chance-constrained programming with fuzzy stochastic coefficients

We consider fuzzy stochastic programming problems with a crisp objective function and linear constraints whose coefficients are fuzzy random variables, in particular of type L-R. To solve this type of problems, we formulate deterministic counterparts of chance-constrained programming with fuzzy stochastic coefficients, by combining constraints on probability of satisfying constraints, as well as their possibility and necessity. We discuss the possible indices for comparing fuzzy quantities by putting together interval orders and statistical preference. We study the convexity of the set of feasible solutions under various assumptions. We also consider the case where fuzzy intervals are viewed as consonant random intervals. The particular cases of type L-R fuzzy Gaussian and discrete random variables are detailed.     

随机模糊的等比例-最小方差投资组合优化研究

Markowitz的均值-方差模型在投资组合优化中得到了广泛的运用和拓展,其中多数拓展模型仅局限于对随机投资组合或模糊投资组合的研究,而忽略了实际问题同时包含了随机信息和模糊信息两个方面。本文首先定义随机模糊变量的方差用以度量投资组合的风险,提出具有阀值约束的最小方差随机模糊投资组合模型,基于随机模糊理论,将该模型转化为具有线性等式和不等式约束的凸二次规划问题。为了提高上述模型的有效性,本文以投资者期望效用最大化为压缩目标对投资组合权重进行压缩,构建等比例-最小方差混合的随机模糊投资组合模型,并求解该模型的最优解。最后,运用滚动实际数据的方法,比较上述两个模型的夏普比率以验证其有效性。     

Optimizing fuzzy portfolio selection problems by parametric quadratic programming

This paper develops a robust method to describe fuzzy returns by employing parametric possibility distributions. The parametric possibility distributions are obtained by equivalent value (EV) reduction methods. For common type-2 triangular and trapezoidal fuzzy variables, their reduced fuzzy variables are studied in the current development. The parametric possibility distributions of reduced fuzzy variables are first derived, then the second moment formulas for the reduced fuzzy variables are established. Taking the second moment as a new risk measure, the reward-risk and risk-reward models are developed to optimize fuzzy portfolio selection problems. The mathematical properties of the proposed optimization models are analyzed, including the analytical representations for the second moments of linear combinations of reduced fuzzy variables as well as the convexity of second moments with respect to decision vectors. On the basis of the analytical representations for the second moments, the reward-risk and risk-reward models can be turned into their equivalent parametric quadratic convex programming problems, which can be solved by conventional solution methods or general-purpose software. Finally, some numerical experiments are performed to demonstrate the new modeling ideas and the efficiency of solution method.     

Solving the multiobjective possibilistic linear programming problem

In conventional multiobjective decision making problems, the estimation of the parameters of the model is often a problematic task. Normally they are either given by the decision maker (DM), who has imprecise information and/or expresses his considerations subjectively, or by statistical inference from past data and their stability is doubtful. Therefore, it is reasonable to construct a model reflecting imprecise data or ambiguity in terms of fuzzy sets for which a lot of fuzzy approaches to multiobjective programming have been developed. In this paper we propose a method to solve a multiobjective linear programming problem involving fuzzy parameters (FP-MOLP), whose possibility distributions are given by fuzzy numbers, estimated from the information provided by the DM. As the parameters, intervening in the model, are fuzzy the solutions will be also fuzzy. We propose a new Pareto Optimal Solution concept for fuzzy multiobjective programming problems. It is based on the extension principle and the joint possibility distribution of the fuzzy parameters of the problem. The method relies on α-cuts of the fuzzy solution to generate its possibility distributions. These ideas are illustrated with a numerical example.     

Fuzzy profit measures for a fuzzy economic order quantity model

Changing economic conditions make the selling price and demand quantity more and more uncertain in the market. The conventional inventory models determine the selling price and order quantity for a retailer’s maximal profit with exactly known parameters. This paper develops a solution method to derive the fuzzy profit of the inventory model when the demand quantity and unit cost are fuzzy numbers. Since the parameters contained in the inventory model are fuzzy, the profit value calculated from the model should be fuzzy as well. Based on the extension principle, the fuzzy inventory problem is transformed into a pair of two-level mathematical programs to derive the upper bound and lower bound of the fuzzy profit at possibility level α. According to the duality theorem of geometric programming, the pair of two-level mathematical programs is transformed into a pair of conventional geometric programs to solve. By enumerating different α values, the upper bound and lower bound of the fuzzy profit are collected to approximate the membership function. Since the profit of the inventory problem is expressed by the membership function rather than by a crisp value, more information is provided for making decisions.     

Priority based fuzzy goal programming technique to fractional fuzzy goals using dynamic programming

This paper describes the use of preemptive priority based fuzzy goal programming method to fuzzy multiobjective fractional decision making problems under the framework of multistage dynamic programming. In the proposed approach, the membership functions for the defined objective goals with fuzzy aspiration levels are determined first without linearizing the fractional objectives which may have linear or nonlinear forms. Then the problem is solved recursively for achievement of the highest membership value (unity) by using priority based goal programming methodology at each decision stages and thereby identifying the optimal decision in the present decision making arena. A numerical example is solved to represent potentiality of the proposed approach.     

On fuzzy random multiobjective quadratic programming

In this paper, a multiobjective quadratic programming problem having fuzzy random coefficients matrix in the objective and constraints and the decision vector are fuzzy pseudorandom variables is considered. First, we show that the efficient solutions of fuzzy quadratic multiobjective programming problems are resolved into series-optimal-solutions of relative scalar fuzzy quadratic programming. Some theorems are proved to find an optimal solution of the relative scalar quadratic multiobjective programming with fuzzy coefficients, having decision vectors as fuzzy variables. At the end, numerical examples are illustrated in the support of the obtained results.     

Effects of fuzzy data on decision making in a competitive supply chain

The essence of data plays a critical role in decision making in supply chain management (SCM). When data embedded in supply chains (SCs) are fuzzy, the associated equilibrium and performance measures also become fuzzy. This paper investigates the effects of fuzzy data on decision making in a two-echelon SC with a supplier and duopolistic retailers playing a Stackelberg strategic game in both intra- and inter-echelons. In contrast to existing approaches, this paper devises an analysis method to provide a likely interval of the fuzzy maximal profit with a known possibility level (degree of certainty) rather than a singleton (crisp value). The idea is based on the extension principle to reformulate the two-level optimization problem as a pair of parametric quadratic programs in order to calculate the lower and upper bounds of the leader’s fuzzy maximal profit at each possibility level of the obtained information. The analytic results indicate that the higher the degree of uncertainty, the smaller (larger) the lower (upper) bound of the maximum profit of each SC member. Moreover, the main results obtained from eight scenarios show that when the degree of demand diversity between the two retailers is significantly high, the Stackelberg leader is most likely to obtain lower profit and the marginal contribution of the primary demand to the total profit of the duopolistic retailers will exceed that of the powerful supplier’s maximum profit.     

Linear bilevel programs with multiple objectives at the upper level

Bilevel programming has been proposed for dealing with decision processes involving two decision makers with a hierarchical structure. They are characterized by the existence of two optimization problems in which the constraint region of the upper level problem is implicitly determined by the lower level optimization problem. Focus of the paper is on general bilevel optimization problems with multiple objectives at the upper level of decision making. When all objective functions are linear and constraints at both levels define polyhedra, it is proved that the set of efficient solutions is non-empty. Taking into account the properties of the feasible region of the bilevel problem, some methods of computing efficient solutions are given based on both weighted sum scalarization and scalarization techniques. All the methods result in solving linear bilevel problems with a single objective function at each level.