Among the various multi-level formulations of mathematical models in decision making processes, this book focuses on the bi-level model. Being the most frequently used, the bi-level model addresses conflicts which exist in multi-level decision making processes. From the perspective of bi-level structure and uncertainty, this book takes real-life problems as the background, focuses on the so-called random-like uncertainty, and develops the general framework of random-like bi-level decision making problems. The random-like uncertainty considered in this book includes random phenomenon, random-overlapped random (Ra-Ra) phenomenon and fuzzy-overlapped random (Ra-Fu) phenomenon. Basic theory, models, algorithms and practical applications for different types of random-like bi-level decision making problems are also presented in this book.

2019 marked the 85th anniversary of Heinrich Freiherr von Stackelberg’s habilitation thesis “Marktform und Gleichgewicht,” which formed the roots of bilevel optimization. Research on the topic has grown tremendously since its introduction in the field of mathematical optimization. Besides the substantial advances that have been made from the perspective of game theory, many sub-fields of bilevel optimization have emerged concerning optimal control, multiobjective optimization, energy and electricity markets, management science, security and many more. Each chapter of this book covers a specific aspect of bilevel optimization that has grown significantly or holds great potential to grow, and was written by top experts in the corresponding area. In other words, unlike other works on the subject, this book consists of surveys of different topics on bilevel optimization. Hence, it can serve as a point of departure for students and researchers beginning their research journey or pursuing related projects. It also provides a unique opportunity for experienced researchers in the field to learn about the progress made so far and directions that warrant further investigation. All chapters have been peer-reviewed by experts on mathematical optimization.

This paper presents a literature review on the theory, applications and software of Bi-level, Multi –Level Multiple Criteria Decision Making and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity Ideal Solution) Approach.

What are the random-like phenomena that can be found everywhere in real-life world? When carrying out a random sampling survey on the traffic situation, we often obtain some descriptive results such as approximately expedite, a little crowded and so on, therefore, the average level should be regarded as the random fuzzy phenomenon, which is one of the random-like phenomena. Decision makers usually need to make the decision for these problems with random-like phenomena. Which model should be constructed for them? How should we handle these models to find the optimal strategy? How can we apply these models to solve real-life problems with random-like phenomena? In order to answer these questions, this book provides an up-to-date methodology system 5MRP for random-like multiple objective decision making, which includes problem system with random-like phenomena, model system with random-like coefficients, research system with random-like uncertain methods. Some practical applications are also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology system. Researchers, practitioners and students in systems science, economics, mathematics, information, engineering and MS/OR will get a lot of useful references from this research monograph.

This is the Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management (ICMSEM) held from July 21-23, 2015 at Karlsruhe, Germany. The goals of the conference are to foster international research collaborations in Management Science and Engineering Management as well as to provide a forum to present current findings. These proceedings cover various areas in management science and engineering management. It focuses on the identification of management science problems in engineering and innovatively using management theory and methods to solve engineering problems effectively. It also establishes a new management theory and methods based on experience of new management issues in engineering. Readers interested in the fields of management science and engineering management will benefit from the latest cutting-edge innovations and research advances presented in these proceedings and will find new ideas and research directions. A total number of 132 papers from 15 countries are selected for the proceedings by the conference scientific committee through rigorous referee review. The selected papers in the first volume are focused on Intelligent System and Management Science covering areas of Intelligent Systems, Logistics Engineering, Information Technology and Risk Management. The selected papers in the second volume are focused on Computing and Engineering Management covering areas of Computing Methodology, Project Management, Industrial Engineering and Decision Making Systems.

This book presents the proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Soft Computing Applications, SOFA 2018, held on 13–15 September 2018 in Arad, Romania. The workshop was organized by Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, in conjunction with the Institute of Computer Science, Iasi Branch of the Romanian Academy, IEEE Romanian Section, Romanian Society of Control Engineering and Technical Informatics – Arad Section, General Association of Engineers in Romania – Arad Section and BTM Resources Arad. The papers included in these proceedings, published post-conference, cover the research including Knowledge-Based Technologies for Web Applications, Cloud Computing, Security Algorithms and Computer Networks, Business Process Management, Computational Intelligence in Education and Modelling and Applications in Textiles and many other areas related to the Soft Computing. The book is directed to professors, researchers, and graduate students in area of soft computing techniques and applications.

New trends are emerging regarding earnings management and corporate governance showing similarities and striking differences in the practices of different countries and economies. These new trends currently shape the field of modern corporate governance with crucial issues being looked at in governance law and practices, accounting systems, earnings quality and management, stakeholder involvement, and more. In order to advance these new avenues in corporate governance, research looks at accounting policies firms use in different opportunistic circumstances in order to manage earnings, the corporate governance practices in different countries, firm performance, and other dimensions of companies. The understanding of these topics is beneficial in understanding the current state of different types of firms and their practices in modern times. Comparative Research on Earnings Management, Corporate Governance, and Economic Value is focused on the investigation of key challenges and perspectives of corporate governance and earnings management and outlines possible scenarios of its development. The chapters explore this new avenue of research and cover theoretical, empirical, and experimental studies related to different themes in the global context of earnings management and corporate governance. This book is ideal for economists, businesses, managers, accountants, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in the current issues and advancements in corporate governance and earnings management.

Under intense scrutiny for the last few decades, Multiple Objective Decision Making (MODM) has been useful for dealing with the multiple-criteria decisions and planning problems associated with many important applications in fields including management science, engineering design, and transportation. Rough set theory has also proved to be an effective mathematical tool to counter the vague description of objects in fields such as artificial intelligence, expert systems, civil engineering, medical data analysis, data mining, pattern recognition, and decision theory. Rough Multiple Objective Decision Making is perhaps the first book to combine state-of-the-art application of rough set theory, rough approximation techniques, and MODM. It illustrates traditional techniques—and some that employ simulation-based intelligent algorithms—to solve a wide range of realistic problems. Application of rough theory can remedy two types of uncertainty (randomness and fuzziness) which present significant drawbacks to existing decision-making methods, so the authors illustrate the use of rough sets to approximate the feasible set, and they explore use of rough intervals to demonstrate relative coefficients and parameters involved in bi-level MODM. The book reviews relevant literature and introduces models for both random and fuzzy rough MODM, applying proposed models and algorithms to problem solutions. Given the broad range of uses for decision making, the authors offer background and guidance for rough approximation to real-world problems, with case studies that focus on engineering applications, including construction site layout planning, water resource allocation, and resource-constrained project scheduling. The text presents a general framework of rough MODM, including basic theory, models, and algorithms, as well as a proposed methodological system and discussion of future research.

The Intelligent Decision Technologies (IDT) International Conference encourages an interchange of research on intelligent systems and intelligent technologies that enhance or improve decision making. The focus of IDT is interdisciplinary and includes research on all aspects of intelligent decision technologies, from fundamental development to real applications. IDT has the potential to expand their support of decision making in such areas as finance, accounting, marketing, healthcare, medical and diagnostic systems, military decisions, production and operation, networks, traffic management, crisis response, human-machine interfaces, financial and stock market monitoring and prediction, and robotics. Intelligent decision systems implement advances in intelligent agents, fuzzy logic, multi-agent systems, artificial neural networks, and genetic algorithms, among others. Emerging areas of active research include virtual decision environments, social networking, 3D human-machine interfaces, cognitive interfaces, collaborative systems, intelligent web mining, e-commerce, e-learning, e-business, bioinformatics, evolvable systems, virtual humans, and designer drugs. This volume contains papers from the Fourth KES International Symposium on Intelligent Decision Technologies (KES IDT’12), hosted by researchers in Nagoya University and other institutions in Japan. This book contains chapters based on papers selected from a large number of submissions for consideration for the conference from the international community. The volume represents the current leading thought in intelligent decision technologies.