Title: A rank aggregating method based on several multi-criteria methodologies 'minimum of ranks': a case study for student's room allocation

Authors: Rôlin Gabriel Rasoanaivo; Pascale Zaraté

Addresses: IRIT, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UT3, UT1, UT2, Toulouse, France ' IRIT, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP, UT3, UT1, UT2, Toulouse, France

Abstract: We used the multi-criteria decision-making methods like 'analytic hierarchy process' (AHP), 'weighted sum method' (WSM), 'technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution' (TOPSIS) and 'combined compromise solution' (CoCoSo) to solve the student's accommodation allocation problem. The students rank from each method is different. We checked the similarity of those ranks by applying the rank correlation coefficients tests such as Spearman's and Kendall's coefficient. As the correlation was proven, we retrieved these ranks and reordered the students to obtain a compromised ranking through an aggregating decision-making method that we called the 'minimum of ranks' (MIRA). To validate this method, we also checked the similarity of the ranks which has just been obtained compared to those of the WSM, TOPSIS and CoCoSo methods. Finally, a decision support system (DSS) based on the AHP, WSM, TOPSIS, CoCoSo and MIRA methods was developed to solve the problem of student's room allocation.

Keywords: student's room allocation; decision support system; DSS; analytic hierarchy process; AHP; weighted sum method; WSM; technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution; TOPSIS; combined compromise solution; CoCoSo; rank correlation coefficients; minimum of ranks; MIRA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDSS.2024.137246

International Journal of Decision Support Systems, 2024 Vol.5 No.1, pp.75 - 101

Received: 15 Nov 2022
Accepted: 08 Aug 2023
Published online: 06 Mar 2024 *

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