Ranking Alternatives on the Basis of a Dominance Intensity Measure

The additive multi-attribute utility model is widely used within MultiAttribute Utility Theory (MAUT), demanding all the information describing the decision-making situation. However, these information requirements can obviously be far too strict in many practical situations. Consequently, incomplete information about input parameters has been incorporated into the decisionmaking process. We propose an approach based on a dominance intensity measure to deal with such situations. The approach is based on the dominance values between pairs of alternatives that can be computed by linear programming. These dominance values are transformed into dominance intensities from which a dominance intensity measure is derived. It is used to analyze the robustness of a ranking of technologies for the disposition of surplus weapons-grade plutonium by the Department of Energy in the USA, and compared with other dominance measuring methods

Aspiration Based Decision Analysis and Support Part I: Theoretical and Methodological Backgrounds

In the interdisciplinary and intercultural systems analysis that constitutes the main theme of research in IIASA, a basic question is how to analyze and support decisions with help of mathematical models and logical procedures. This question -- particularly in its multi-criteria and multi-cultural dimensions -- has been investigated in System and Decision Sciences Program (SDS) since the beginning of IIASA. Researchers working both at IIASA and in a large international network of cooperating institutions contributed to a deeper understanding of this question. Around 1980, the concept of reference point multiobjective optimization was developed in SDS. This concept determined an international trend of research pursued in many countries cooperating with IIASA as well as in many research programs at IIASA -- such as energy, agricultural, environmental research. SDS organized since this time numerous international workshops, summer schools, seminar days and cooperative research agreements in the field of decision analysis and support. By this international and interdisciplinary cooperation, the concept of reference point multiobjective optimization has matured and was generalized into a framework of aspiration based decision analysis and support that can be understood as a synthesis of several known, antithetical approaches to this subject -- such as utility maximization approach, or satisficing approach, or goal -- program -- oriented planning approach. Jointly, the name of quasisatisficing approach can be also used, since the concept of aspirations comes from the satisficing approach. Both authors of the Working Paper contributed actively to this research: Andrzej Wierzbicki originated the concept of reference point multiobjective optimization and quasisatisficing approach, while Andrzej Lewandowski, working from the beginning in the numerous applications and extensions of this concept, has had the main contribution to its generalization into the framework of aspiration based decision analysis and support systems. This paper constitutes a draft of the first part of a book being prepared by these two authors. Part I, devoted to theoretical foundations and methodological background, written mostly by Andrzej Wierzbicki, will be followed by Part II, devoted to computer implementations and applications of decision support systems based on mathematical programming models, written mostly by Andrzej Lewandowski. Part III, devoted to decision support systems for the case of subjective evaluations of discrete decision alternatives, will be written by both authors