A Choquet-based multi-expert decision-making methodology with N-soft sets

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Unidad de Excelencia Gestión Económica para la Sostenibilidad GECOS and IME, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

2 Institute of Mathematics, University of the Punjab, New Campus, Lahore 4590, Pakistan

3 BORDA Research Unit and IME, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

4 School of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China, and Faculty of Data Science, City University of Macau, Macau 999078, China

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to provide advanced multi-expert decision-making techniques using N-soft sets as a referential framework. For the first time, the primary analytical tool for achieving this goal is the Choquet integral. First, the application of this aggregation operator within the context of a set {0, 1, 2, . . . , N }, representing the available ratings, is investigated. A straightforward formulation of the Choquet integral tailored to this specific set, followed by a detailed presentation of its computational implementation, is presented. Then, practical implications of these constructions in the realm of N-soft set theory are shown. They encompass the computation of new scores for the assessment of alternatives in N-soft sets (both in individual and multi-agent cases), and aggregation of data that come in the form of N-soft sets. Ultimately, we demonstrate how these innovative tools enhance multi-expert decision-making methodologies within the framework of N-soft sets. Three different approaches are discussed. Examples and comparisons with existing methodologies are provided too.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] M. E. M. Abdalla, A. Uzair, A. Ishtiaq, M. Tahir, M. Kamran, Algebraic structures and practical implications of
interval-valued fermatean neutrosophic super hypersoft sets in healthcare, Spectrum of Operational Research, 2(1)
(2025), 199-218. https://doi.org/10.31181/sor21202523
[2] M. Akram, A. Adeel, J. C. R. Alcantud, Group decision-making methods based on hesitant N-soft sets, Expert
Systems with Applications, 115 (2019), 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2018.07.060
[3] M. Akram, A. Adeel, A. N. Al-Kenani, J. C. R. Alcantud, Hesitant fuzzy N-soft ELECTRE-II model: A new
framework for decision-making, Neural Computing and Applications, 33(13) (2021), 7505-7520. https://doi.
org/10.1007/s00521-020-05498-y
[4] M. Akram, G. Ali, J. C. R. Alcantud, F. Fatimah, Parameter reductions in N-soft sets and their applications in
decision-making, Expert Systems, 38(1) (2021), e12601. https://doi.org/10.1111/exsy.12601
[5] M. Akram, M. Sultan, J. C. R. Alcantud, An integrated ELECTRE method for selection of rehabilitation center
with m-polar fuzzy N-soft information, Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, 135 (2023), 102449. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.artmed.2022.102449
[6] J. C. R. Alcantud, A. Z. Khameneh, G. Santos-Garc´ıa, M. Akram, A systematic literature review of soft set theory,
Neural Computing and Applications, 36 (2024), 8951-8975. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-024-09552-x
[7] J. C. R. Alcantud, G. Santos-Garc´ıa, M. Akram, OWA aggregation operators and multi-agent decisions with N-soft
sets, Expert Systems with Applications, 203 (2022), 117430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117430
[8] J. C. R. Alcantud, G. Santos-Garc´ıa, M. Akram, A novel methodology for multi-agent decision-making based on
N-soft sets, Soft Computing, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-023-08522-0
[9] O. Aristondo, J. L. Garc´ıa-Lapresta, C. Lasso de la Vega, R. A. Marques Pereira, Classical inequality indices,
welfare and illfare functions, and the dual decomposition, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 228 (2013), 114-136. https:
//doi.org/10.1016/j.fss.2013.02.001
[10] G. Beliakov, On random generation of supermodular capacities, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, 30(1) (2022),
293-296. https://doi.org/10.1109/TFUZZ.2020.3036699
[11] G. Beliakov, T. Cao, V. Mak-Hau, Aggregation of interacting criteria in land combat vehicle selection by using
fuzzy measures, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, 30(9) (2022), 3979–3989, https://doi.org/10.1109/
TFUZZ.2021.3135972
[12] G. Beliakov, S. James, Choquet integral-based measures of economic welfare and species diversity, International
Journal of Intelligent Systems, 37(4) (2022), 2849–2867, https://doi.org/10.1002/int.22609
[13] G. Beliakov, S. James, J. Wu, Choquet capacities and fuzzy integrals, Springer Nature, Switzerland, (2026). https:
//doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97070-2
[14] A. Bilbao-Terol, V. Ca˜nal Fern´andez, C. Gonz´alez-P´erez, Evaluating energy security using choquet integral: Analysis
in the southern E.U. countries, Annals of Operations Research, 355 (2025), 721-763. https://doi.org/10.
1007/s10479-023-05748-x
[15] S. Biswas, S. Bhattacharjee, B. Biswas, K. Mitra, N. Khawas, An expert opinion-based soft computing framework
for comparing nanotechnologies used in agriculture, Spectrum of Operational Research, 4(1) (2025), 1-39. https:
//doi.org/10.31181/sor4156
[16] H. Bustince, R. Mesiar, J. Fern´andez, M. Galar, D. Paternain, A. Altalhi, G. Dimuro, B. Bedregal, Z. Tak´aˇc,
d-Choquet integrals: Choquet integrals based on dissimilarities, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 414 (2021), 1-27. https:
//doi.org/10.1016/j.fss.2020.03.019
[17] N. C¸ a˘gman, F. C¸ ıtak, S. Engino˘glu, Fuzzy parameterized fuzzy soft set theory and its applications, Turkish Journal
of Fuzzy Systems, 1(1) (2010), 21-35.
[18] G. Choquet, Theory of capacities, Annales de l’institut Fourier, 5 (1954), 131-295. https://doi.org/10.5802/
aif.53
[19] A. K. Das, C. Granados, IFP-intuitionistic multi fuzzy N-soft set and its induced IFP-hesitant N-soft set in
decision-making, Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 14 (2023), 10143-10152. https:
//doi.org/10.1007/s12652-021-03677-w
[20] I. Demir, N-soft mappings with application in medical diagnosis, Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences,
44(8) (2021), 7343-7358. urlhttps://doi.org/10.1002/mma.7266
[21] G. P. Dimuro, J. Fern´andez, B. Bedregal, R. Mesiar, J. A. Sanz, G. Lucca, H. Bustince, The state-of-art of the
generalizations of the choquet integral: From aggregation and pre-aggregation to ordered directionally monotone
functions, Information Fusion, 57 (2020), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2019.10.005
[22] Y. Even, E. Lehrer, Decomposition-integral: Unifying choquet and the concave integrals, Economic Theory, 56
(2014), 33-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00199-013-0780-0
[23] F. Fatimah, D. Rosadi, R. B. F. Hakim, J. C. R. Alcantud, N-soft sets and their decision making algorithms, Soft
Computing, 22 (2018), 3829-3842. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-017-2838-6
[24] M. Grabisch, A new algorithm for identifying fuzzy measures and its application to pattern recognition, In Proceedings of 1995 IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems, 1 (1995), 145-150. https://doi.org/10.1109/
FUZZY.1995.409673
[25] M. Grabisch, C. Labreuche, A decade of application of the Choquet and Sugeno integrals in multi-criteria decision
aid, Annals of Operations Research, 6 (2008), 144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10288-007-0064-2
[26] H. Kamacı, Introduction to N-soft algebraic structures, Turkish Journal of Mathematics, 44(6) (2020), 2356-2379.
https://doi.org/10.3906/mat-1907-99
[27] H. Kamacı, S. Petchimuthu, Bipolar N-soft set theory with applications, Soft Computing, 24 (2020), 16727-16743.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-020-04968-8
[28] E. Korkmaz, M. Riaz, M. Deveci, S. Kadry, A novel approach to fuzzy N-soft sets and its application for identifying
and sanctioning cyber harassment on social media platforms, Artificial Intelligence Review, 57 (2024), 1-14. https:
//doi.org/10.1007/s10462-023-10640-y
[29] R. Krishankumar, D. Pamucar, M. Deveci, M. Aggarwal, K. S. Ravichandran, Assessment of renewable energy
sources for smart cities’ demand satisfaction using multi-hesitant fuzzy linguistic based choquet integral approach,
Renewable Energy, 189 (2022), 1428-1442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.03.081
[30] G. Lucca, J. A. Sanz, G. P. Dimuro, B. Bedregal, M. J. Asiain, M. Elkano, H. Bustince, CC-integrals: Choquet-like
Copula-based aggregation functions and its application in fuzzy rule-based classification systems, Knowledge-Based
Systems, 119 (2017), 32-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2016.12.004
[31] E. A. Ok, L. Zhou, The choquet bargaining solutions, Games and Economic Behavior, 33(2) (2000), 249-264.
https://doi.org/10.1006/game.1999.0778
[32] Z. Ontkoviˇcov´a, V. Torra, Computation of choquet integrals: Analytical approach for continuous functions, Information Sciences, 679 (2024), 121105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2024.121105
[33] J. Sartori, G. Lucca, T. Asmus, H. Santos, E. Borges, B. Bedregal, H. Bustince, G. P. Dimuro, d-CC integrals:
Generalizing CC-integrals by restricted dissimilarity functions with applications to fuzzy-rule based systems, In
Naldi, M. C. Bianchi, R. A. C., editors, Intelligent Systems, volume 14195, Springer Nature, Switzerland, (2023),
243-258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45368-7_16
[34] D. Schmeidler, Integral representation without additivity, Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 97(2)
(1986), 255-261. https://doi.org/10.2307/2046508
[35] Z. Tak´aˇc, M. Uriz, M. Galar, D. Paternain, H. Bustince, Discrete IV dG-Choquet integrals with respect to admissible
orders, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 441 (2022), 169-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fss.2021.09.013
[36] A. Theerens, O. U. Lenz, C. Cornelis, Choquet-based fuzzy rough sets, International Journal of Approximate
Reasoning, 146 (2022), 62-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijar.2022.04.006
[37] V. Torra, Υ-values: Power indices `a la orness for non-additive measures, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems,
32(7) (2024), 4099-4108. https://doi.org/10.1109/TFUZZ.2024.3392268
[38] V. Torra, Differentially private choquet integral: Extending mean, median, and order statistics, International Journal
of Information Security, 24 (2025), 68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10207-025-00984-7
[39] V. Torra, Y. Narukawa, Numerical integration for the choquet integral, Information Fusion, 31 (2016), 137-145.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2016.02.007
[40] E. T¨urkarslan, V. Torra, Measure identification for the choquet integral: A python module, International Journal
of Computational Intelligence Systems, 15(1) (2022), 89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44196-022-00146-w
[41] J. Wang, X. Zhang, J. Dai, J. Zhan, TI-fuzzy neighborhood measures and generalized choquet integrals for granular
structure reduction and decision making, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 465 (2023), 108512. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.fss.2023.03.015
[42] Z. Xu, Choquet integrals of weighted intuitionistic fuzzy information, Information Sciences, 180(5) (2010), 726-736.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2009.11.011
[43] R. R. Yager, On ordered weighted averaging aggregation operators in multi-criteria decision making, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, 18(1) (1988), 183-190. https://doi.org/10.1109/21.87068
[44] H. Zhang, T. Nan, Y. He, q-Rung orthopair fuzzy N-soft aggregation operators and corresponding applications to
multiple-attribute group decision making, Soft Computing, 26(13) (2022), 6087-6099. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s00500-022-07126-4
[45] X. Zhang, J. Wang, J. Zhan, J. Dai, Fuzzy measures and choquet integrals based on fuzzy covering rough sets, IEEE
Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, 30(7) (2022), 2360-2374. https://doi.org/10.1109/TFUZZ.2021.3081916