Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The study of poverty and analysis of the set of ‘poor’ in terms of exact or classical (crisp set) is unrealistic because the concept of ‘poor’ is non-exact. This paper uses multi-criteria fuzzy decision-making tools and fuzzy set theory to capture the extent of poverty of a household both in terms of quantitative and qualitative factors. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This paper introduces pentagonal fuzzy numbers to analyze the level of poverty of a household. Stratified Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (SFAHP) has been utilized to compare the alternatives (different households) with respect to various criteria to estimate the fuzzy criteria weights based on the membership function. Findings: Impreciseness is accounted as measureable factor using Stratified Fuzzy AHP and Pentagonal Fuzzy Numbers approach. With help of this method a position of one’s level of poverty has been captured. Thus it has logically been argued that one can overcome the dichotomy existing in the traditional method of analyzing poverty. Applications/Improvements: This article represents the subjective arguments by establishing the qualitative multi-criteria fuzzy variables into membership grades like very poor, almost very poor, poor, rather poor and non-poor. Thus the whole data of the subset of the poor has been categorized by sieving out technique. This way the impreciseness is accounted as measureable factor using Stratified Fuzzy AHP and Pentagonal Fuzzy Numbers approach. Thus with help of this method the decision makers can identify a poor person in any existing socio-economical situations.
Keywords: Decision, Pentagonal Fuzzy Numbers, Poverty, SFAHP