Correcting Illegitimate Rank Reversals : Proper Adjustment of Criteria Weights Prevent Alleged AHP Intransitivity
article
This note comments on a paper by Triantaphyllou (J. Multi-Crit. Decis. Anal. 2001; 10: 11–25) that attempts to
demonstrate new types of rank reversal that can occur with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). He contends that
the reversals are attributable to the various types of normalization that are used with the addition step in AHP
synthesis. His paper goes on to suggest that the multiplicative AHP should be used instead. This note shows that the
cause of the problem is another one: AHP’s independence axiom, which prohibits adjusting the criteria weights when
the set of alternatives or the type of normalization change. If the criteria weights are adjusted properly, none of the
rank reversals will occur
demonstrate new types of rank reversal that can occur with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). He contends that
the reversals are attributable to the various types of normalization that are used with the addition step in AHP
synthesis. His paper goes on to suggest that the multiplicative AHP should be used instead. This note shows that the
cause of the problem is another one: AHP’s independence axiom, which prohibits adjusting the criteria weights when
the set of alternatives or the type of normalization change. If the criteria weights are adjusted properly, none of the
rank reversals will occur
TNO Identifier
242082
Source
Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, 15(September-December), pp. 135-141.
Pages
135-141
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