ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the simple additive weighting method (SAW) and fuzzy simple additive weighting method (FSAW) are introduced. SAW can be considered the most intuition and easy way to deal with multiple criteria decision-making MCDM problems, because the linear additive function can represent the preferences of decision makers (DM). This is true, however, only when the assumption of preference independence (Keeney and Raiffa 1976) or preference separability (Gorman 1968) is met.
Churchman and Ackoff (1954) first utilized the SAW method to cope with a portfolio selection problem. The SAW method is probably the best known and widely used method for multiple attribute decision making MADM. Because of its simplicity, SAW is the most popular method in MADM problems and the best alternative can be derived by the following equation:
