Generalized fuzzy variable precision rough sets based on bisimulations and the corresponding decision-making

Recently, the classical rough set has been extended in many ways. However, some of them are based on binary relations which only excavate “one step” information to distinguish objects. The “one step” in the binary relation means that the ordered pair of the starting and end points of the step belongs to the relation. Faced with some complex data sets, the “one step” information may be not feasible. Motivated by the notion of bisimulation in computer science, three types of bisimulation-based generalized fuzzy variable precision rough set (BGFVPRS) models are constructed. Different from many existed rough set models which are based on binary relations, the BGFVPRS models can distinguish objects by excavating the “multi-step” information of underlying relations. The related properties and relationships of BGFVPRS models are investigated. The uncertainty measure of BGFVPRS models and the reduction of fuzzy bisimulations are also discussed. Furthermore, learning from the PROMETHEE II method and combining it with our presented BGFVPRS models, a novel multiple-attribute decision-making method is provided. This method can effectively deal with complex problems including attribute data and relational data. The flexibility and effectiveness of our decision-making method are illustrated by comparative analysis and sensitivity analysis in the Zachary karate club network.