Bipolar method and its modifications

Abstract

Bipolar is one of the multiple criteria decision analysis methods, proposed by Konarzewska-Gubała (in Archiwum Automatyki i Telemechaniki 32(4):289–300, 1987). The main feature of the method is that alternatives are not compared directly with each other, but they are confronted to the two reference sets of objects: desirable and non-acceptable. Practical application of the method revealed its shortcomings, therefore improvements of the method were desirable. The aim of the paper is to formulate some modifications of the classical Bipolar approach and consider a case where reference sets are numerous. Unified Bipolar procedure which contains classical Bipolar method as well as the modifications described in the paper is given. Numerical illustrations of the modifications and unified approach are also presented.