The ExpTODIM-VIKOR Approach Under Linguistic Z-Number Environment and Their Applications to Solve Multicriteria Group Decision-Making Problems

To solve multicriteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems, TODIM and VIKORA are two useful tools for the polarization of the options. The TODIM approach is a method based on prospect theory. It is designed to capture the psychological behaviors of experts in the face of uncertainty. According to the performance indicator, the use of logarithm and exponential functions in the TODIM method produced robust output results to solve the MCGDM problem. The VIKOR method is a technique developed to solve MCGDM problems with conflicting and non-commensurable criteria. It assumes that compromise is acceptable for conflict resolution, and aims to find a solution that is closest to the ideal by ranking alternatives and determining the best compromise solution. The advantages of new extension TODIM and VIKOR, in this study we introduce the exponential TODIM (ExpTODIM) and VIKOR techniques for MCGDM in the context of uncertainty management. The use of linguistic Z numbers (LZN) proves more effective in handling uncertain and ambiguous information than existing ones. In this connection, we use the ExpTODIM-VIKOR model to address MCGDM problems in LZN environments. We first explain some basic concepts of LZNs and introduce the ExpTODIM and VIKOR methods. Then, we present the extended ExpTODIM-VIKOR model for solving MCGDM problems with LZNs. Finally, we apply the proposed method to a numerical example of the bike design selection to demonstrate its validity.