Genetic Algorithms Applied to Inconsistent Matrices Correction in the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Abstract

Making Decision in non-structured problems is not a simple task. For this reason, decision makers use Decision Support Systems (DSS). These kinds of systems implement techniques and algorithms in order to improve the decision process. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of these techniques which yields a ranking scale of alternatives based on criteria and alternative matrices. These matrices make a pairwise comparison between a set of elements compared and must be complete and consistent in order to be processed with AHP. Incompleteness and inconsistency emerge as a consequence of the large data required to be compared by an expert, which exceeds his or her human abilities. Genetic Algorithms (GA) is a powerful used technique which provides simplicity, broad applicability and flexibility for search problems. In this work a GA model is exposed, being its aims to help the expert to fill the matrix and provide reasonable judgments by suggesting possible values.