47 research outputs found
The satisfiability problem for Boolean set theory with a choice correspondence (Extended version)
Given a set of alternatives, a choice (correspondence) on is a
contractive map defined on a family of nonempty subsets of .
Semantically, a choice associates to each menu a nonempty
subset comprising all elements of that are deemed
selectable by an agent. A choice on is total if its domain is the powerset
of minus the empty set, and partial otherwise. According to the theory of
revealed preferences, a choice is rationalizable if it can be retrieved from a
binary relation on by taking all maximal elements of each menu. It is
well-known that rationalizable choices are characterized by the satisfaction of
suitable axioms of consistency, which codify logical rules of selection within
menus. For instance, WARP (Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference) characterizes
choices rationalizable by a transitive relation. Here we study the
satisfiability problem for unquantified formulae of an elementary fragment of
set theory involving a choice function symbol , the Boolean set
operators and the singleton, the equality and inclusion predicates, and the
propositional connectives. In particular, we consider the cases in which the
interpretation of satisfies any combination of two specific axioms
of consistency, whose conjunction is equivalent to WARP. In two cases we prove
that the related satisfiability problem is NP-complete, whereas in the
remaining cases we obtain NP-completeness under the additional assumption that
the number of choice terms is constant
The Satisfiability Problem for Boolean Set Theory with a Choice Correspondence
Given a set U of alternatives, a choice (correspondence) on U is a
contractive map c defined on a family Omega of nonempty subsets of U.
Semantically, a choice c associates to each menu A in Omega a nonempty subset
c(A) of A comprising all elements of A that are deemed selectable by an agent.
A choice on U is total if its domain is the powerset of U minus the empty set,
and partial otherwise. According to the theory of revealed preferences, a
choice is rationalizable if it can be retrieved from a binary relation on U by
taking all maximal elements of each menu. It is well-known that rationalizable
choices are characterized by the satisfaction of suitable axioms of
consistency, which codify logical rules of selection within menus. For
instance, WARP (Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference) characterizes choices
rationalizable by a transitive relation. Here we study the satisfiability
problem for unquantified formulae of an elementary fragment of set theory
involving a choice function symbol c, the Boolean set operators and the
singleton, the equality and inclusion predicates, and the propositional
connectives. In particular, we consider the cases in which the interpretation
of c satisfies any combination of two specific axioms of consistency, whose
conjunction is equivalent to WARP. In two cases we prove that the related
satisfiability problem is NP-complete, whereas in the remaining cases we obtain
NP-completeness under the additional assumption that the number of choice terms
is constant.Comment: In Proceedings GandALF 2017, arXiv:1709.01761. "extended" version at
arXiv:1708.0612
Perfect Information vs Random Investigation: Safety Guidelines for a Consumer in the Jungle of Product Differentiation
We present a graph-theoretic model of consumer choice, where final decisions
are shown to be influenced by information and knowledge, in the form of
individual awareness, discriminating ability, and perception of market
structure. Building upon the distance-based Hotelling's differentiation idea,
we describe the behavioral experience of several prototypes of consumers, who
walk a hypothetical cognitive path in an attempt to maximize their
satisfaction. Our simulations show that even consumers endowed with a small
amount of information and knowledge may reach a very high level of utility. On
the other hand, complete ignorance negatively affects the whole consumption
process. In addition, rather unexpectedly, a random walk on the graph reveals
to be a winning strategy, below a minimal threshold of information and
knowledge.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figure
Semantics meets attractiveness: Choice by salience
We describe a context-sensitive model of choice, in which the selection
process is shaped not only by the attractiveness of items but also by their
semantics ('salience'). All items are ranked according to a relation of
salience, and a linear order is associated to each item. The selection of a
single element from a menu is justified by one of the linear orders indexed by
the most salient items in the menu. The general model provides a structured
explanation for any observed behavior, and allows us to to model the
'moodiness' of a decision maker, which is typical of choices requiring as many
distinct rationales as items. Asymptotically all choices are moody. We single
out a model of linear salience, in which the salience order is transitive and
complete, and characterize it by a behavioral property, called WARP(S). Choices
rationalizable by linear salience can only exhibit non-conflicting violations
of WARP. We also provide numerical estimates, which show the high selectivity
of this testable model of bounded rationality
Choice resolutions
AbstractWe describe a process to compose and decompose choice behavior, called resolution. In the forward direction, resolutions amalgamate simple choices to create a complex one. In the backward direction, resolutions detect when and how a primitive choice can be deconstructed into smaller choices. A choice is resolvable if it is the resolution of smaller choices. Rationalizability, rationalizability by a preorder, and path independence are all preserved (backward and forward) by resolutions, whereas rationalizability by a weak order (equivalently, ) is not. We characterize resolvable choices, and show that resolvability generalizes
Necessary and possible hesitant fuzzy sets: A novel model for group decision making
We propose an extension of Torra’s notion of hesitant fuzzy set, which appears to be well suited to group decision making. In our model, indecisiveness in judgements is described by two nested hesitant fuzzy sets: the smaller, called necessary, collects membership values determined according to a rigid evaluation, whereas the larger, called possible, comprises socially acceptable membership values. We provide several instances of application of our methodology, and accordingly design suitable individual and group decision procedures. This novel approach displays structural similarities with Atanassov’s intuitionistic fuzzy set theory, but has rather different goals. Our source of inspiration comes from preference theory, where a bi-preference approach has proven to be a useful extension of the classical mono-preference modelization in the fields of decision theory and operations research
On resolutions of linearly ordered spaces
[EN] We define an extended notion of resolution of topologicalspaces, where the resolving maps are partial instead of total. To showthe usefulness of this notion, we give some examples and list severalproperties of resolutions by partial maps. In particular, we focus ourattention on order resolutions of linearly ordered sets. Let X be a setendowed with a Hausdorff topology τ and a (not necessarily related)linear order . A unification of X is a pair (Y, ı), where Y is a LOTSand ı : X →֒ Y is an injective, order-preserving and open-in-the-rangefunction. We exhibit a canonical unification (Y, ı) of (X,, τ ) such thatY is an order resolution of a GO-space (X,, τ ∗), whose topology τ ∗refines τ . We prove that (Y, ı) is the unique minimum unification ofX. Further, we explicitly describe the canonical unification of an orderresolution.Caserta, A.; Giarlotta, A.; Watson, S. (2006). On resolutions of linearly ordered spaces. Applied General Topology. 7(2):211-231. doi:10.4995/agt.2006.1925.SWORD21123172R. Engelking, General Topology (Heldermann Verlag, Berlin, 1989).V. V. Fedorcuk, Bicompacta with noncoinciding dimensionalities, Soviet Math. Doklady, 9/5 (1968), 1148–1150.K. P. Hart, J. Nagata and J.E. Vaughan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of General Topology (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 2004)
Solving MCDM problems based on combination of PACMAN and LINMAP
Multicriteria decision-making approaches are receiving more and more attention with the increase of expectations from decision makers in variety of fields. The growth in applying such approaches has led to identifying their strengths as well as their shortcomings. Passive and active compensability multicriteria analysis (PACMAN) is one of the frequently used approaches which has the capability to consider compensation in describing intercriteria relations in multicriteria decision-making problems. This methodology is well formed and rationally structured in the first two phases, in which the problem is formulated and the decisive indices are obtained. However, it has some shortcomings in the idea of concluding the process of solution in its last phase. In the current study, we review the methodology, discuss its possible shortcomings, and propose an approach based on the combination of PACMAN and linear programming technique for multidimensional analysis of preference (LINMAP). The proposed approach which is taken to evaluate the PACMAN and LINMAP methodologies can help researchers and decision makers who seek an accurate perspective to evaluate a multicriteria decision-making methodology.authorsversionpublishe