Two Squares of Oppositions and Their Applications in Pairwise Comparisons Analysis 1

Abstract

This paper examines two main possibilities of pairwise comparisons analysis: first, pairwise comparisons within a lattice, in this case these comparisons can be measurable by numbers; second, comparisons beyond any lattice, in this case these comparisons cannot be measurable in principle. We show that the first approach to pairwise comparisons analysis is based on the conventional square of opposition and its generalization, but the second approach is based on unconventional squares of opposition. Furthermore, the first approach corresponds to lateral inhibition in transmission signals and the second approach corresponds to lateral activation in transmission signals.