A literature review on the theory and applications of spherical fuzzy sets
EXPERT SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS, cilt.332, 2027 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Cilt numarası: 332
- Basım Tarihi: 2027
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.eswa.2026.133610
- Dergi Adı: EXPERT SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Applied Science & Technology Source, Compendex, INSPEC, Public Affairs Index, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Kocaeli Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study presents a comprehensive literature review on spherical fuzzy sets and their generalizations, with a particular focus on their theoretical foundations and practical applications in decision-making problems. First, the theoretical concepts of spherical fuzzy sets are examined, followed by a systematic discussion of their main extensions proposed in the literature. Subsequently, aggregation operators commonly used in spherical fuzzy set environments are reviewed in detail. In addition, the study provides an overview of decision-making methodologies and weighting techniques frequently integrated with spherical fuzzy frameworks, including objective, subjective, and hybrid weighting approaches. Beyond the theoretical perspective, a large-scale bibliometric and methodological content analysis is conducted based on 225 articles indexed in the Web of Science database. These studies are analyzed with respect to publication trends, methodological preferences, aggregation operators, weighting methods, application areas, and citation performance. The results reveal dominant research patterns, frequently adopted methodological combinations, and emerging application areas, while also identifying gaps and underexplored directions for future research. By systematically synthesizing both theoretical developments and empirical trends, this review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners working on spherical fuzzy sets and multi-criteria decision-making problems.