Compromise ranking based on superiority, inferiority and Euclidean normalised similarity metrics: the ESIASP method

Abstract

Xiaozhan Xu introduced in the year 2001 the multi-attribute methods SIR.TOPSIS and SIR-SAW. The SIR.TOPSIS method has two different variants, which we refer to here as SR.TOPSIS and IR.TOPSIS. Noteworthy, each variant gives attention only to one type of indexes rather than both types, which may result in questionable final ranking of alternatives. Additionally, the SIR.TOPSIS variants ranking indexes have been based on the TOPSIS closeness coefficient, which is inflexible in the sense of not being affected by the relative importance of separations of each alternative from positive ideal solution and negative ideal solution. Likewise, the SIR.SAW method ignores the relative significances of superiority flows and inferiority flows of alternatives. It is therefore worthwhile to introduce a new ranking method to overcome the flaws seen in Xu's SIR methods. Comparison of the ranking results obtained shows that the suggested method is a relevant and implementable alternative to Xu's SIR methods.