Abstract
The intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy set (IHFS) is an enriched version of hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs) that can cover both fuzzy sets (FSs) and intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs). By assigning membership and non-membership grades as subsets of [0, 1], the IHFS can model and handle situations more proficiently. Another related theory is the theory of set pair analysis (SPA), which considers both certainties and uncertainties as a cohesive system and represents them from three aspects: identity, discrepancy, and contrary. In this article, we explore the suitability of combining the IHFS and SPA theories in multi-attribute decision making (MADM) and present the hybrid model named intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy connection number set (IHCS). To facilitate the design of a novel MADM algorithm, we first develop several averaging and geometric aggregation operators on IHCS. Finally, we highlight the benefits of our proposed work, including a comparative examination of the recommended models with a few current models to demonstrate the practicality of an ideal decision in practice. Additionally, we provide a graphical interpretation of the devised attempt to exhibit the consistency and efficiency of our approach.