Neutrosophic Data Envelopment Analysis: a Comprehensive Review and Current Trends

Abstract

The concept of a neutrosophic set is a comprehensive extension of both fuzzy sets and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets (IFSs). It allows decision makers to assign three distinct membership degrees, enabling a more precise representation of uncertainty. Neutrosophic Data Envelopment Analysis (Neu-DEA) is an extended version of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Fuzzy DEA (FDEA) concepts. It aims to assess the performance of Decision Making Units (DMUs) within a neutrosophic environment. Neu-DEA specifically tackles the challenges associated with evaluating performance when the input and output data are incomplete, ambiguous, or unsure. As a result, the Neu-DEAs have attracted substantial attention from scholars and academics. This article aims to provide an academic overview of the present state, development patterns, and future research directions of the Neu-DEA research. To do this, the study examines relevant publications using two analytical approaches: description analysis and literature review.