MM-Minos - An Integrated Interactive Decision Support System

The Interactive Decision Analysis Project is concerned, among other things, with the development of software for solving multiple-criteria decision problems. In this paper the authors describe some recent modifications to an interactive decision-support system previously developed at IIASA: the new package is more user-friendly and more efficient but less portable. All the new options are defined in full in a technical appendix

IAC-DIDAS-N - A Dynamic Interactive Decision Analysis and Support System for Multicriteria Analysis of Nonlinear Models, v.4.0

This paper presents introductive and user documentation -- including extended summary, theoretical manual, short user manual and description of illustrative examples -- for a version of decision analysis and support systems of DIDAS family that is designed for multicriteria analysis of nonlinear models on professional microcomputers. This version has been developed in the years 1986-1990 in the Institute of Automatic Control, Warsaw University of Technology, under a joint research program with the Systems and Decision Sciences Program of IIASA. It can be run on professional microcomputers compatible with IBM-PC-XT or AT (with Hercules Graphics Card, Color Graphics Adapter or Enhanced Graphics Adapter and, preferably, with a numeric coprocessor and a hard disk) and supports graphical representation of results of interactive multicriteria analysis. Moreover, this version called IAC-DIDAS-N is provided with a new nonlinear model generator and editor that support, in an easy standard of a spreadsheet, the definition, edition and symbolic differentiation of nonlinear substantive models for multiobjective decision analysis. A specially introduced standard of defining nonlinear programming models for multiobjective optimization helps to connect the model generator with other parts of the system. Optimization runs involved in interactive, multiobjective decision analysis are performed by a solver, that is, a version of nonlinear programming algorithm specially adapted for multiobjective problems. This algorithm is based on shifted penalty functions and projected conjugate directions techniques similarly as in former nonlinear versions of DIDAS, but it was further developed and several improvements were added. The system is permanently updated and developed. Currently (starting from October 1990) the version 4.0 of the system is released. Most of enhancements added in this version are not directly visible to the user. They influence the efficiency of the system

IAC-DIDAS-N: A Dynamic Interactive Decision Analysis and Support System for Multicriteria Analysis of Nonlinear Models with Nonlinear Model Generator Supporting Model Analysis

This paper is one of the series of 11 Working Papers presenting the software for interactive decision support and software tools for developing decision support systems. These products constitute the outcome of the contracted study agreement between the System and Decision Sciences Program at IIASA and several Polish scientific institutions. The theoretical part of these results is presented in the IIASA Working Paper WP-88-071 entitled "Theory, Software and Testing Examples in Decision Support Systems". This volume contains the theoretical and methodological backgrounds of the software systems developed within the project. This paper presents the user documentation for decision analysis and support systems of DIDAS family designed for supporting decision problems when the model of the system under study can be formulated in terms of set of nonlinear equations. The program presented in the paper, called IAC-DIDAS-N is provided with a nonlinear model generator and editor that support definition, edition and symbolic differentiation of nonlinear models for multiobjective decision analysis. A specially introduced standard of defining nonlinear programming models for multiobjective optimization helps to connect the model generator with other parts of the system. Optimization runs involved in interactive, multiobjective decision analysis are performed by a new version of nonlinear programming algorithm specially adapted for multiobjective problems. This algorithm is based on shifted penalty functions and projected conjugate directions techniques. An attachment to this paper presents user documentation for a pilot version of a nonlinear model generator with facilities for symbolic differentiation and other means of fundamental model analysis

Decision Support System Mine Problem Solver for Nonlinear Multi-Criteria Analysis

The Decision Support System MINE has been developed for the analysis of regional water policies in open-pit lignite mining areas. It is based on a two-level model approach. The first-level planning model is used for the estimation of rational strategies of long-term development applying dynamic multi-criteria analysis. The second-level management model considers managerial/operational aspects for shorter time steps (monthly and yearly). The paper describes the problem solver for multi-criteria analysis in the planning model. This analysis is based on the reference point approach. For the solution of the resulting nonlinear programming problem the MSPN-algorithm, developed at the Institute of Automatic Control of the Technical University has been adopted. The solver considers the special characteristics of the mathematical model of the DSS MINE, as its non-linearity and the sparse character of the resulting Jacobian matrix. Starting with the description of the general mathematical structure of the planning model within the DSS MINE the problem formulation for multicriteria analysis based on the Reference Point Approach is given. Next, the non-linear problem solver MSPN is presented, including a program description. Finally the results of some computational tests are shown

Decision support systems of DIDAS family

This paper presents a review of methodological principles, mathematical theory, variants of implementation and various applications of decision support systems of DIDAS family, developed by the authors and many other cooperating researchers during the years 1980–1986 in cooperation with the Systems and Decision Sciences Program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. The purpose of such systems is to support generation and evaluation of alternative decisions in interaction with a decision maker that might change his preferences due to learning, while examining a substantive model of a decision situation prepared by experts and analysts. The systems of DIDAS family are based on the principle of reference point optimization and the quasisatisficing framework of rational choice