Educational Tool for Multiple Attribute Decision Making in Biomedical Engineering Using Fuzzy Topsis and Fuzzy Vikor

Abstract

Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) is an intensive area of research subject and applications both with many methods applied both in for crisp numbers and in condition of uncertainty, that is, fuzzy framework. In this last case, fuzzy linguistic variables and fuzzy numbers (triangular, trapezoidal or generalized fuzzy) are the along with arithmetic operations are the most common approaches. Depending on distance similarity between fuzzy numbers, the results, no matter the proposed methods, can have slightly different results in intermediary matrices of fuzzy numbers used in calculation. Despite of MADM popularity and usage, in many papers the part that show intermediary results in matrix of fuzzy numbers cover pages and, in this form, it is difficult for the reader to follow all the values in the process of learning these methods. More, if the matrices have higher dimensions and a user (student, e.g.) wants to test some hypothesis, the reproduction of algorithms can be very difficult because of abundance of data. An educational tool is proposed especially for biomedical engineering students, in this stage of development made by two modules: Fuzzy TOPSIS method and fuzzy VIKOR method. Two types of fuzzy numbers are taken into account (triangular fuzzy numbers and trapezoidal fuzzy numbers) and three distance similarity between fuzzy numbers (vertex method, Hausdorff metric and normalized Hamming metric) are three options proposed to used. The user interface (GUI) offers the possibility to visualize all the matrices involved in methods, the steps of algorithms, and also the possibility to select a particular index from matrices.