Analysis of critical paths in a project network with fuzzy activity times

This paper proposes an approach to critical path analysis for a project network with activity times being fuzzy numbers, in that the membership function of the fuzzy total duration time is constructed. The basic idea is based on the extension principle and linear programming formulation. A pair of linear programs parameterized by possibility level α is formulated to calculate the lower and upper bounds of the fuzzy total duration time at α. By enumerating different values of α, the membership function of the fuzzy total duration time is constructed, and the fuzzy critical paths are identified at the same time. Moreover, by applying the Yager ranking method, definitions of the most critical path and the relative degree of criticality of paths are developed; and these definitions are theoretically sound and easy to use in practice. Two examples with activity times being fuzzy numbers of L-R and L-L types discussed in previous studies are solved successfully to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach. Since the total duration time is completely expressed by a membership function rather than by a crisp value, the fuzziness of activity times is conserved completely, and more information is provided for critical path analysis.     

A heuristic method for RCPSP with fuzzy activity times

In this paper, we propose a heuristic method for resource constrained project scheduling problem with fuzzy activity times. This method is based on priority rule for parallel schedule generation scheme. Calculation of critical path in this case requires comparison of fuzzy numbers. Distance based ranking of fuzzy number is used for finding the critical path length and concept of shifting criticality is proposed for some of the special cases. We also propose a measure for finding the non-integer power of a fuzzy number. We discuss some properties of the proposed method. We use an example to illustrate the method.     

A new approach for solving fully intuitionistic fuzzy transportation problems

In this paper, a well-known network-structured problem called the transportation problem (TP) is considered in an uncertain environment. The transportation costs, supply and demand are represented by trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TrIFNs) which are the more generalized form of trapezoidal fuzzy numbers involving a degree of acceptance and a degree of rejection. We formulate the intuitionistic fuzzy TP (IFTP) and propose a solution approach to solve the problem. The IFTP is converted into a deterministic linear programming (LP) problem, which is solved using standard LP algorithms. The main contributions of this paper are fivefold: (1) we convert the formulated IFTP into a deterministic classical LP problem based on ordering of TrIFNs using accuracy function; (2) in contrast to most existing approaches, which provide a crisp solution, we propose a new approach that provides an intuitionistic fuzzy optimal solution; (3) in contrast to existing methods that include negative parts in the obtained intuitionistic fuzzy optimal solution and intuitionistic fuzzy optimal cost, we propose a new method that provides non-negative intuitionistic fuzzy optimal solution and optimal cost; (4) we discuss about the advantages of the proposed method over the existing methods for solving IFTPs; (5) we demonstrate the feasibility and richness of the obtained solutions in the context of two application examples.     

基于模糊数整体和局部特征的一种新排序方法

利用反映模糊数整体和局部特征的三个重要指标:模糊数的均值,截集的中点和扩展,本文提出一种新的模糊数排序方法.该方法将每个模糊数独立地映射到实数轴上,得到一个以数字大小为基准的自然顺序,不仅体现决策者对各排序指标的偏好,而且无需对模糊数进行两两比较,计算简便,易于理解,尤其是对三角和梯形模糊数而言,数值实验表明该方法在一定程度上克服了已有方法的缺陷.     

RM approach for ranking of generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers

Ranking of fuzzy numbers play an important role in decision making, optimization and forecasting etc. Fuzzy numbers must be ranked before an action is taken by a decision maker. In this paper, with the help of several counter examples, it is proved that ranking method proposed by Chen and Chen (Expert Systems with Applications 36 (3): 6833) is incorrect. The main aim of this paper is to propose a new approach for the ranking of generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. The proposed ranking approach is based on rank and mode so it is named as an RM approach. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that the proposed approach provides the correct ordering of generalized and normal trapezoidal fuzzy numbers and also the proposed approach is very simple and easy to apply in the real life problems. It is shown that proposed ranking function satisfies all the reasonable properties of fuzzy quantities proposed by Wang and Kerre (Fuzzy Sets and Systems 118 (3): 375).     

Ranking generalized fuzzy numbers in fuzzy decision making based on the left and right transfer coefficients and areas

Although a number of recent studies have proposed ranking fuzzy numbers based on the deviation degree, most of them have exhibited several shortcomings associated with non-discriminative and counter-intuitive problems. In fact, none of the existing deviation degree methods has guaranteed consistencies between the ranking of fuzzy numbers and that of their images under all situations. They have also ignored decision maker’s attitude toward risk, which significantly influences final ranking result. To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, this study proposes a new approach for ranking fuzzy numbers that ensures full consideration for all information of fuzzy numbers. Accordingly, an overall ranking index is obtained by the integration of the information from the left and the right (LR) areas between fuzzy numbers, the centroid points of fuzzy numbers and the decision maker’s attitude toward risk. This new method is efficient for evaluating generalized fuzzy numbers and distinguishing symmetric fuzzy numbers. It also overcomes the shortcomings of the existing approaches based on deviation degree. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the superiority of the proposed approach. Lastly, a new fuzzy MCDM approach for generalized fuzzy numbers is proposed based on the proposed ranking approach and the concept of generalized fuzzy numbers. The proposed fuzzy MCDM approach does not require the normalization process and thus avoids the loss of information results from transforming generalized fuzzy numbers to normal form.     

模糊计划评审技术(F-PERT)中关键路径的规划解法

研究了模糊计划评审技术中关键路径的求解方法 .首先建立了模糊计划网络图中寻找关键路径的规划模型 ,指出该规划模型在模糊排序规则下可以转化为多目标线性规划问题 ,并给出了该类多目标线性规划问题的求解步骤 .最后的算例表明 ,文中提出的方法是切实可行的 .     

A revisit of numerical approach for solving linear fractional programming problem in a fuzzy environment

In the article, Veeramani and Sumathi [10] presented an interesting algorithm to solve a fully fuzzy linear fractional programming (FFLFP) problem with all parameters as well as decision variables as triangular fuzzy numbers. They transformed the FFLFP problem under consideration into a bi-objective linear programming (LP) problem, which is then converted into two crisp LP problems. In this paper, we show that they have used an inappropriate property for obtaining non-negative fuzzy optimal solution of the same problem which may lead to the erroneous results. Using a numerical example, we show that the optimal fuzzy solution derived from the existing model may not be non-negative. To overcome this shortcoming, a new constraint is added to the existing fuzzy model that ensures the fuzzy optimal solution of the same problem is a non-negative fuzzy number. Finally, the modified solution approach is extended for solving FFLFP problems with trapezoidal fuzzy parameters and illustrated with the help of a numerical example.     

三角直觉模糊数型VIKOR方法

针对备选方案的属性值为三角直觉模糊数且权重为实数的多属性决策问题,研究了三角直觉模糊数型VIKOR方法。首先,本文提出了一种基于偏好指标的三角直觉模糊数排序方法;其次,根据VIKOR方法的基本思想,提出了求解三角直觉模糊数型VIKOR方法的步骤,并在可接受优势和决策过程的稳定条件下对备选方案进行排序,得到折衷解;最后,在最大群体效用权重为0.5的情况下,用第三方物流服务商选择为例说明了该方法的有效性和可行性。     

Ranking fuzzy quantities based on the angle of the reference functions

Ordering fuzzy quantities and their comparison play a key tool in many applied models in the world and in particular decision-making procedures. However a huge number of researches is attracted to this filed but until now there is any unique accepted method to rank the fuzzy quantities. In fact, each proposed method may has some shortcoming. So we are going to present a novel method based on the angle of the reference functions to cover a wide range of fuzzy quantities by over coming the draw backs of some existing methods. In the mentioned firstly, the angle between the left and right membership functions (the reference functions) of every fuzzy set is called Angle of Fuzzy Set (AFS), and then in order to extend ranking of two fuzzy sets the angle of fuzzy sets and α-cuts is used. The method is illustrated by some numerical examples and in particular the results of ranking by the proposed method and some common and existing methods for ranking fuzzy sets is compared to verify the advantage of the new approach. In particular, based on the results of comparison of our method with well known methods which are exist in the literature, we will see that against of most existing ranking approaches, our proposed approach can rank fuzzy numbers that have the same mode and symmetric spreads. In fact, the proposed method in this paper can effectively rank symmetric fuzzy numbers as well as the effective methods which are appeared in the literature. Moreover, unlike of most existing ranking approaches, our proposed approach can rank non-normal fuzzy sets. Finally, we emphasize that the concept of fuzzy ordering is one of key role in establishing the numerical algorithms in operations research such as fuzzy primal simplex algorithms, fuzzy dual simplex algorithms and as well as discussed in the works of Ebrahimnejad and Nasseri and coworkers , , , , ,  and .     

A new method for ranking fuzzy numbers and its application to group decision making

In this paper, a new method for comparing fuzzy numbers based on a fuzzy probabilistic preference relation is introduced. The ranking order of fuzzy numbers with the weighted confidence level is derived from the pairwise comparison matrix based on 0.5-transitivity of the fuzzy probabilistic preference relation. The main difference between the proposed method and existing ones is that the comparison result between two fuzzy numbers is expressed as a fuzzy set instead of a crisp one. As such, the ranking order of n fuzzy numbers provides more information on the uncertainty level of the comparison. Illustrated by comparative examples, the proposed method overcomes certain unreasonable (due to the violation of the inequality properties) and indiscriminative problems exhibited by some existing methods. More importantly, the proposed method is able to provide decision makers with the probability of making errors when a crisp ranking order is obtained. The proposed method is also able to provide a probability-based explanation for conflicts among the comparison results provided by some existing methods using a proper ranking order, which ensures that ties of alternatives can be broken.     

Comparing and ranking fuzzy numbers using ideal solutions

This paper presents a new approach for comparing and ranking fuzzy numbers in a simple manner in decision making under uncertainty. The concept of ideal solutions is sensibly used, and a distance-based similarity measure between fuzzy numbers is appropriately adopted for effectively determining the overall performance of each fuzzy number in comparing and ranking fuzzy numbers. As a result, all the available information characterizing a fuzzy number is fully utilized, and both the absolute position and the relative position of fuzzy numbers are adequately considered, resulted in consistent rankings being produced in comparing and ranking fuzzy numbers. The approach is computationally simple and its underlying concepts are logically sound and comprehensible. A comparative study is conducted on the benchmark cases in the literature that shows the proposed approach compares favorably with other approaches examined.     

The Most Critical Path in a PERT Network

The classical PERT approach uses the path with the largest expected duration as the critical path to estimate the probability of completing a project by a given deadline. However, in general, such a path is not the ‘most critical’ path and does not provide the smallest estimate for the probability of completion time. This paper studies the ‘most critical path’ problem and formulates it as an optimal path problem in a deterministic network with a two-attribute fractional objective function. An exact solution approach is presented for the optimal path problem which also gives the solution to the most critical path problem. The illustrative examples as well as our computational results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm provides estimates for the probabilities of completion time that are much more accurate than those of the classical approach.     

A fast approach to compute fuzzy values of matrix games with payoffs of triangular fuzzy numbers

The aim of this paper is to develop an effective method for solving matrix games with payoffs of triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs) which are arbitrary. In this method, it always assures that players’ gain-floor and loss-ceiling have a common TFN-type fuzzy value and hereby any matrix game with payoffs of TFNs has a TFN-type fuzzy value. Based on duality theorem of linear programming (LP) and the representation theorem for fuzzy sets, the mean and the lower and upper limits of the TFN-type fuzzy value are easily computed through solving the derived LP models with data taken from 1-cut set and 0-cut set of fuzzy payoffs. Hereby the TFN-type fuzzy value of any matrix game with payoffs of TFNs can be explicitly obtained. Moreover, we can easily compute the upper and lower bounds of any Alfa-cut set of the TFN-type fuzzy value for any matrix game with payoffs of TFNs and players’ optimal mixed strategies through solving the derived LP models at any specified confidence level Alfa. The proposed method in this paper is demonstrated with a numerical example and compared with other methods to show the validity, applicability and superiority.     

A new approach to find project characteristics and multiple possible critical paths in a fuzzy project network

Graphs are widely used to represent data and relationships. Among all graphs, a particularly useful family is the family of trees. In this paper, we utilize a rooted tree to describe a fuzzy project network as it enables simplification in finding earliest starting times and trapezoidal fuzzy numbers to express the operation times for all activities in project network. As there is an increasing demand that the decision maker needs “Multiple possible critical paths” to decrease the decision risk for project management, in this paper, we introduce an effective graphical method to compute project characteristics such as total float, earliest and latest times of activities in fuzzy project network and a new ranking to find possible critical paths. Numerical example is provided to explain the proposed procedure in detail; the results have shown that the procedure is very useful and flexible in finding total floats. By comparing the critical paths obtained by this method with the previous methods, it is shown that the proposed method is effective in finding possible critical paths.     

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.     

具有模糊信息的多目标运输问题求解

提出一种求解具有模糊信息的多目标运输问题的方法。利用专家意见通过模糊算法集给从各产地到各目的地运送单位物资的模糊综合指标值,运用一种对模糊数排序的方法,将模糊多目标运输问题转化为单目标的运输问题进行求解,最后给出了一个数值例子。     

AHP判断矩阵权向量的改进最小二乘求解

提出了基于最小二乘法计算判断矩阵权向量的新方法.固定AHP判断矩阵权向量中的一个值为常量,利用判断矩阵的上三角部分元素,设计了一种计算判断矩阵权向量的新算法,算法简单,计算容易,与特征向量排序方法导出标度相同,并且能够证明存在唯一解.实验表明该算法具有有效性和可行性.     

A warm-start dual simplex solution algorithm for the minimum flow networks with postoptimality analyses

This paper presents an algorithm for finding the minimum flow in general (s, t) networks with m directed arcs. The minimum flow problem (MFP) arises in many transportation and communication systems. Here, we construct a linear programming (LP) formulation of MFP and develop a simplex-type algorithm to find a minflow. Unlike other simplex-like algorithms, the algorithm developed here starts with an incomplete Basic Variable Set (BVS) initially and then fills-up the BVS completely while pushing toward an optimal vertex. If this results in pushing too far into infeasibility, the next step pulls the solution back to feasibility. Both phases use the Gauss-Jordan pivoting transformation used in the standard simplex and dual simplex algorithms.

The proposed approach has some common features with Dantzig's self-dual simplex algorithm. We have avoided, however, the need for extra variables (slack and surplus) for equality constraints, as well as an artificial constraint for the self-dual algorithm for initial phase and the dual simplex, respectively. The proposed Push phase takes at most 2m − 1 iterations to complete a tree (this augmentation may not be feasible). An infeasible path to the optimal solution contains at most 2m − 1 iterations; therefore in theory, the algorithm needs a sequence of at most 4m − 2 iterations.

Furthermore, the algorithm developed here makes available the full power of LP perturbation analysis and facilitates introducing network structural changes and side constraints also. It can also detect clerical errors in data entry which may make the problem infeasible or unbounded. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with LP terminology.     

Thermal post-buckling analysis of square plates resting on elastic foundation: A simple closed-form solutions

Thermal post-buckling paths of homogeneous, isotropic, square plate configurations resting on elastic foundation (Winkler type) subjected to biaxial compressive thermal loads are expressed as simple closed-form solutions by using the Rayleigh–Ritz method based on coupled displacement fields. Geometric non-linearity of von-Karman type is considered. The in-plane displacement field variations used in the formulation of Rayleigh–Ritz method are derived by using the governing in-plane static differential equations of the plate which in turn simplifies the difficulty of assuming an in-plane displacement field variations of the square plate. Accuracy and robustness of the proposed closed-form solutions are demonstrated by using the non-linear finite element formulation results which are obtained from an equilibrium path approach.