Using harmonious houses for visual pairwise comparison of multiple criteria alternatives

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Abstract

In this paper, we consider the problem of evaluating decision alternatives, which are described by means of several criteria. Our aim is to develop an approach which enables a decision-maker to present value information on the basis ofa visual representation. The underlying ideas used in the approach are based on the use of symmetry and harmony. These principles are operationalized by using “harmonious houses”. The theoretical approach is implemented as a decision support system, which makes pairwise comparisons possible between alternatives. To perform sensitivity analysis is also possible. In our pilot tests, the idea has proven very promising.

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The author wishes to thank Mr. Pekka Peiponen for computational assistance and Prof. Jyrki Wallenius for constructive and helpful comments. The research was supported, in part, by grants from the Foundation for Economic Education, and the Foundation of the Student Union of the Helsinki School of Economics, Finland.

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Pekka J. Korhonen is Professor of Statistics at the Helsinki School of Economics, Finland. He received a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, all from the University of Helsinki. His research interests are multiple criteria decision making, interactive computer graphics, computational statistics, the applications of such models to management problem solving. His articles have appeared in The Journal of the Operational Research Society, Management Science, Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Quarterly Publication of the International Research Institute of Management Sciences (MNIIPU), European Journal of Operational Research, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, Interfaces, Operations Research, VNIISI Publications, Belgian Journal of Operations Research, Statistics and Computer Science, Mathematical Modelling.

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