Location modeling for municipal solid waste facilities

This paper introduces the landfill siting problem by way of (usually ill-fated) examples. It then discusses different classes of decision-making models and formulates a generic cost-minimization model for that purpose. It continues to describe some multi-criteria decision models that have been used for landfill siting. The paper then surveys landfill location models that have appeared in the literature during the last forty years. The work concludes with a framework that “zooms in” and uses existing techniques to determine sites for solid waste facilities.     

An integrated multi-criteria decision analysis and inexact mixed integer linear programming approach for solid waste management

This paper reports on an integration of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and inexact mixed integer linear programming (IMILP) methods to support selection of an optimal landfill site and a waste-flow-allocation pattern such that the total system cost can be minimized. Selection of a landfill site involves both qualitative and quantitative criteria and heuristics. In order to select the best landfill location, it is often necessary to compromise among possibly conflicting tangible and intangible factors. Different multi-objective programming models have been proposed to solve the problem. A weakness with the different multi-objective programming models used to solve the problem is that they are basically mathematical and ignore qualitative and often subjective considerations such as the risk of groundwater pollution as well as other environmental and socio-economic factors which are important in landfill selection. The selection problem also involves a change in allocation pattern of waste-flows required by construction of a new landfill. A waste flow refers to the routine of transferring waste from one location in a city to another. In selection of landfill locations, decision makers need to consider both the potential sites that should be used as well as the allocation pattern of the waste-flow at different periods of time. This paper reports on our findings in applying an integrated IMILP/MCDA approach for solving the solid waste management problem in a prairie city. The five MCDA methods of simple weighted addition, weighted product, co-operative game theory, TOPSIS, and complementary ELECTRE are adopted to evaluate the landfill site alternatives considered in the solid waste management problem, and results from the evaluation process are presented.     

An integrated knowledge-based and optimization tool for the sustainable selection of wastewater treatment process concepts

The increasing demand on wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has involved an interest in improving the alternative treatment selection process. In this study, an integrated framework including an intelligent knowledge-based system and superstructure-based optimization has been developed and applied to a real case study. Hence, a multi-criteria analysis together with mathematical models is applied to generate a ranked short-list of feasible treatments for three different scenarios. Finally, the uncertainty analysis performed allows for increasing the quality and robustness of the decisions considering variation in influent concentrations. For the case study application, the expert system identifies 5 potential process technologies and, using this input, the superstructure identifies membrane bioreactors as the optimal and robust solution under influent uncertainties and tighter effluent limits. A mutual benefit and synergy is achieved when both tools are integrated because expert knowledge and expertise are considered together with mathematical models to select the most appropriate treatment alternative.     

Expert decision support system use,disuse, and misuse: a study using the theory of planned behavior

Researchers in the past decade have been actively investigating technology use and disuse among conventional and communications technologies. However, recent advancements in expert systems technology has led to new questions about technology use. Where communications technology, such as e-mail or group collaboration software, facilitates co-evolution of problem solving and decision making among people, expert systems create a transaction between user and computer where ultimately, the computer generates the recommended courses of action. This also differs from conventional decision support tools that merely gather information to inform a human decision maker.This empirical study used theory of planned behavior to formulate hypotheses about the use, disuse, and misuse of an expert system decision support (EDSS) technology. It was found that EDSS use was negatively related to errors, whereas misuse of EDSS was positively related to errors. More positive attitudes and social influences led to increased EDSS use, while perceptions of control had no apparent effect. The interaction of social influences and attitudes had a significant non-linear relationship with EDSS misuse.     

A fuzzy multi-criteria group decision making framework for evaluating health-care waste disposal alternatives

Nowadays, as in all other organizations, the amount of waste generated in the health-care institutions is rising due to their extent of service. Medical waste management is a common problem of developing countries including Turkey, which are becoming increasingly conscious that health-care wastes require special treatment. Accordingly, one of the most important problems encountered in Istanbul, the most crowded metropolis of Turkey, is the disposal of health-care waste (HCW) from health-care institutions. Evaluating HCW disposal alternatives, which considers the need to trade-off multiple conflicting criteria with the involvement of a group of experts, is a highly important multi-criteria group decision making problem. The inherent imprecision and vagueness in criteria values concerning HCW disposal alternatives justify the use of fuzzy set theory. This paper presents a fuzzy multi-criteria group decision making framework based on the principles of fuzzy measure and fuzzy integral for evaluating HCW treatment alternatives for Istanbul. In group decision making problems, aggregation of expert opinions is essential for properly conducting the evaluation process. In this study, the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator is used to aggregate decision makers’ opinions. Economic, technical, environmental and social criteria and their related sub-criteria are employed to assess HCW treatment alternatives, namely “incineration”, “steam sterilization”, “microwave”, and “landfill”. A comparative analysis is presented using another classical operator to aggregate decision makers’ preferences.     

An integrated expert system/operations research approach for the optimization of natural gas pipeline operations

This paper reports on a project, conducted jointly between SaskEnergy/Transgas and the University of Regina, which aims at developing an integrated decision support system for the optimization of natural gas pipeline operations. In this integrated approach, both expert systems and operations research techniques are used to model the operations of the gas pipelines. The decision support system can perform the tasks of (1) determining the state of the line pack of the pipelines and recommending the control commands to be issued, (2) determining the associated horsepower requirement, and (3) determining the specific compressor unit to be turned on or off. The first two tasks are performed by an expert system, and the third by a fuzzy programming model. The expert system has been developed on G2 and validated using a simulation program.     

三参数区间灰数信息下风险型多准则决策方法

针对概率和准则值均为三参数区间灰数的多准则决 策问题,本文提出了一种基于前景理论的决策方法. 该方法首先定义了三参数区间灰数的距离和精确记分函数,并通 过讨论其性质给出了比较大小的方法; 其次,通过给出三参数区间灰数前景价值和概率权重函 数的定义,以多参考点为思路,构建前景决策矩阵, 并通过提出参考点集结算子,集结出综合前景决策矩阵. 进而,由优化模型求得的最优准则权系数加权得出方案的综合前景值及排序; 最后,通过算例对比说明了该方法的合理性和可靠性.     

PAVED: Pareto Front Visualization for Engineering Design

Design problems in engineering typically involve a large solution space and several potentially conflicting criteria. Selecting a compromise solution is often supported by optimization algorithms that compute hundreds of Pareto-optimal solutions, thus informing a decision by the engineer. However, the complexity of evaluating and comparing alternatives increases with the number of criteria that need to be considered at the same time. We present a design study on Pareto front visualization to support engineers in applying their expertise and subjective preferences for selection of the most-preferred solution. We provide a characterization of data and tasks from the parametric design of electric motors. The requirements identified were the basis for our development of PAVED, an interactive parallel coordinates visualization for exploration of multi-criteria alternatives. We reflect on our user-centered design process that included iterative refinement with real data in close collaboration with a domain expert as well as a summative evaluation in the field. The results suggest a high usability of our visualization as part of a real-world engineering design workflow. Our lessons learned can serve as guidance to future visualization developers targeting multi-criteria optimization problems in engineering design or alternative domains.     

Decision Analysis Using Rough Sets

We show that the rough set theory is a useful tool for analysis of decision situations, in particular multi-criteria sorting problems. It deals with vagueness in the representation of a decision situation, caused by granularity of the representation. The rough set approach produces a set of decision rules involving a reduced number of most important criteria. It does not correct vagueness manifested in the representation; instead, the rules produced are categorized into deterministic and non-deterministic. The set of decision rules explains the decision situation and may be used to support new decisions. An example illustrates the rough set analysis of a multi-criteria sorting problem.     

An integrated selection and scheduling for disjunctive network problems

In network optimization problems, the application of conventional integrated selection and scheduling solution methods becomes complicated when the size of the problems, such as real life project management, assembly and transportation problems, get bigger. These kinds of problems often consist of disjunctive networks with alternative subgraphs. Traditionally, in order to handle alternative subgraphs in a disjunctive network, researchers consider first selection and then solution (scheduling) of the problem sequentially. However, the use of traditional approaches result in the loss of the problem structural integrity. When the approach losses its integrated structure, the network problem also losses its integrity. Therefore, these two issues, i.e. selection and scheduling, have to be considered together. To provide a new approach to maintain the problem integrity, we proposed an integrated genetic algorithm for solving this selection and scheduling problems together using a multi-stage decision approach. In this study, two newly defined problems with different disjunctive networks and different characteristics, i.e. resource constrained multiple project scheduling (rc-mPSP) models with alternative projects and variable activity times, and U-shaped assembly line balancing (uALB) models with alternative subassemblies, have been solved using the proposed solution approach to highlight the applicability and performance of the proposed solution approach.     

A group decision classifier with particle swarm optimization and decision tree for analyzing achievements in mathematics and science

Group decision making is a multi-criteria decision-making method applied in many fields. However, the use of group decision-making techniques in multi-class classification problems and rule generation is not explored widely. This investigation developed a group decision classifier with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and decision tree (GDCPSODT) for analyzing students’ mathematic and scientific achievements, which is a multi-class classification problem involving rule generation. The PSO technique is employed to determine weights of condition attributes; the decision tree is used to generate rules. To demonstrate the performance of the developed GDCPSODT model, other classifiers such as the Bayesian classifier, the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier, the back propagation neural networks classifier with particle swarm optimization (BPNNPSO) and the radial basis function neural networks classifier with PSO (RBFNNPSO) are used to cope with the same data. Experimental results indicated the testing accuracy of GDCPSODT is higher than the other four classifiers. Furthermore, rules and some improvement directions of academic achievements are provided by the GDCPSODT model. Therefore, the GDCPSODT model is a feasible and promising alternative for analyzing student-related mathematic and scientific achievement data.     

A new approach to water quality modelling and environmental decision support systems

The concepts and technology of environmental decision support systems (EDSS) have developed considerably over recent decades, although core concepts such as flexibility and adaptability within a changing decision environment remain paramount. Much recent EDSS theory has focussed on model integration and re-use in decision support system (DSS) tools and for design and construction of ‘DSS generators’. Many current specific DSS have architectures, tools, models and operational characteristics that are either fixed or difficult to change in the face of changing management needs. This paper reports on development and deployment of an EDSS that encompasses a new approach to DSS tools, generators and specific DSS applications. The system, named E2, is built upon a conceptualisation of terrestrial and aquatic environmental systems that has resulted in a robust and flexible system architecture. The architecture provides a set of base classes to represent fundamental concepts, and which can be instantiated and combined to form DSS generators of varying complexity. A DSS generator is described within which system users are able to select and link models, data, analysis tools and reporting tools to create specific DSS for particular problems, and for which new models and tools can be created and, through software reflection (introspection), discovered to provide expanded capability where required. This system offers a new approach within which environmental systems can be described in the form of specific DSS at a scale and level of complexity suited to the problems and needs of decision makers.     

Optimizing target selection complexity of a recommendation system by skyline query and multi-criteria decision analysis

Various factors related to user consideration cause a target selection problem that may lead users to receive unexpected or confusing results. Traditionally, the recommendation system is constructed to help the user filter out unrelated targets and recommend targets that may be of interest to the user. However, the complexity of target selection requires a more advanced decision-making analysis to offer support. Determining how to optimize the target selection complexity of a recommendation system has become a critical challenge. This study proposes a novel approach using skyline query and multi-criteria decision analysis to recommend Top-k targets for user selection. Skyline query domination reduces the complexity of target selection by filtering out non-dominant candidates and keeping the dominant candidates for multi-criteria decision analysis. After the skyline query processing, the multi-criteria decision analysis is optimized, producing a Top-k ranking order of the candidate targets. The experiment illustrates an empirical case study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The contribution is optimizing the target selecting complexity of the recommendation system to solve the target selection problem.

     

Basic algorithmic shell of onboard real-time advisory expert systems for operation situations typical for an object

The basic algorithmic shell for onboard real-time advisory expert systems for typical operation situations of anthropocentral objects is oriented on the formal model of the subject domain which includes the following ideas: general operation problems of an anthropocentral object, semantic networks of typical operation situations and problem subsituations in them. This system possesses two hierarchical levels in the knowledge base. On the first level, the production rules activate an adequate problem subsituation in real time. On the second level, problems of this subsituation are solved using the dynamic models of development of its fragments using the following inference mechanisms: multicriteria choice of a decision alternative, decision according to a precedent, decision based on an optimization problem, production rules. Upon development of an onboard real-time advisory expert system for a particular typical situation, the basic shell is filled with knowledge related to this typical situation with simultaneous rejection of unclaimed fragments. Upon program implementation of the algorithmic shell filled with knowledge, the shell is adapted to the onboard information environment of a given type of anthropocentral object and computational capabilities of the onboard computer system.     

A decision-making model for knowledge collaboration and reuse through scientific workflow

Past, present and future, to realize the aim of product CTQS (i.e., lower cost, faster time to market, higher quality and better service) with manufacturing intelligence, few manufacturers have no longer engaged in product related production decision support problem (P-DSP). However, P-DSP solving (P-DSPS) is a multi-criteria decision-making problem, which is context sensitive in solution objects-attributes and chaos in the decision process of manufacturing knowledge collaboration and reuse. To alleviate these limitations, this paper presents a novel triple deep workflow model for P-DSPS. Driven by a wicked task query, the proposed workflow of P-DSPS (WP-DSPS) has the function to retrieve similarity-based alternatives from domain knowledge driven solution flow (KSF) and to evaluate with expert knowledge collaboration from knowledge driven decision flow (KDF) based on utility theory under the task event driven control flow (ECF) strategy and operation logic. In the view of alternative adaption, a domain knowledge ontology-based degree of similarity (DoS) determines the P-DSPS alternatives width, a utility function-based degree of decision (DoD) determines alternatives quality, and a belief-based knowledge fusion technique is used to synthesize decision conflicts with a consensus degree (CD). To support the proposed models, a workflow-based system prototype is proposed and validated in two case studies.     

A web-based decision support system for multi-criteria inventory classification using fuzzy AHP methodology

We propose an inventory classification system based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a commonly used tool for multi-criteria decision making problems. We integrate fuzzy concepts with real inventory data and design a decision support system assisting a sensible multi-criteria inventory classification. We report on a study conducted in a small electrical appliances company and validate the design of the proposed multi-criteria inventory classification system and its underlying fuzzy AHP model.     

动态环境下的群组专家多准则变权决策方法

为克服经典多准则决策（MCDM）方法不适应动态的决策环境、难以反映方案集对准则集的非线性反馈效应等方面缺陷,通过运用网络分析和数据包络分析技术,提出一种动态环境下的群组专家多准则变权决策方法。较之于经典MCDM方法,新方法主要创新之处在于：给出了MCDM模型的动态演化机理;通过专家对方案所处准则状态予以有偏好（无偏好）判断,提出一种保证信息无损的群组专家信息提取方式;实现了对方案的变权评价,有效反映出蕴含在系统内部的准则集与方案集的非线性交互作用关系。实例验证结果表明,所提方法是科学可行的,能够有效解决救灾方案动态优选、供应商动态评价等实践问题。     

Multi-criteria human resource allocation for solving multistage combinatorial optimization problems using multiobjective hybrid genetic algorithm

Multi-criteria human resource allocation involves deciding how to divide human resource of limited availability among multiple demands in a way that optimizes current objectives. In this paper, we focus on multi-criteria human resource allocation for solving multistage combinatorial optimization problem. Hence we tackle this problem via a multistage decision-making model. A multistage decision-making model is similar to a complex problem solving, in which a suitable sequence of decisions is to be found. The task can be interpreted as a series of interactions between a decision maker and an outside world, at each stage of which some decisions are available and their immediate effect can be easily computed. Eventually, goals would be reached due to the found of optimized variables. In order to obtain a set of Pareto solutions efficiently, we propose a multiobjective hybrid genetic algorithm (mohGA) approach based on the multistage decision-making model for solving combinatorial optimization problems. According to the proposed method, we apply the mohGA to seek feasible solutions for all stages. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was validated by its application to an illustrative example dealing with multiobjective resource allocation problem.     

Multi-criteria selection of a deep-water port in the Eastern Baltic Sea

Sea ports play a significant role in the development of a modern economy. The Baltic Sea is an arterial transport corridor between Eastern and Western Europe. There is need to develop a deep-water sea port in the Klaipeda region to satisfy economic needs. This problem involves a multitude of requirements and uncertain conditions that have to be taken into consideration simultaneously. Numerous studies have been designated for the resolution of similar problems by employing multi-criteria as an aid. This paper proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making model to solve the problem. The backbone of the proposed model consists of a combination of Analytic Hierarchy (AHP) and Fuzzy Ratio Assessment (ARAS-F) methods. This model is presented as a form of decision aiding that could to be implemented when regarding any specific port or a like site selection.