Interactive method to reduce the amount of tradeoff information required from decision makers in multi-attribute decision making under uncertainty

A method for solving a problem requiring a decision among possible solutions, the method comprising:

• optimizing a number of comparison queries to be asked to a user;
• eliciting from a decision maker, based on the optimized number of comparison queries, a minimal amount of preference information;
• solving, based on the elicited minimal amount of preference information, the decision problem within a pre-determined time period;
• outputting, as the solution of the decision problem, a set of recommended actions;
• and
• making a decision based on the set of recommended actions.

A system for providing a decision support, the system comprising:

• a memory device;
• a processor coupled to the memory device,
• wherein the processor is configured to perform steps of:
• receiving a decision model from a decision maker, the decision model used for determining a solution to a decision problem based on attributes and uncertainties of the decision problem, the decision problem including information about a plurality of outcome vectors that represent all possible outcomes and the uncertainties associated with the decision problem, the received decision model precluding any preference information of the attributes and the outcome vectors;
• determining whether the received decision model can be solved without receiving any preference information from the decision maker;
• receiving partially specified preference information from the decision maker if the received decision model cannot be solved without any preference information;
• solving the decision model with the partially specified preference information;
• and
• recommending, based on the solution, one or more decisions to the decision maker.

A system for solving a problem requiring a decision among possible solutions, the method comprising:

• a memory device;
• a processor coupled to the memory device,
• wherein the processor is configured to perform steps of:
• optimizing a number of comparison queries to be asked to a user;
• eliciting from a decision maker, based on the optimized number of comparison queries, a minimal amount of preference information;
• solving, based on the elicited minimal amount of preference information, the decision problem within a pre-determined time period;
• outputting, as the solution of the decision problem, a set of recommended actions;
• and
• making a decision based on the set of recommended actions.

A computer program product for providing a decision support, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, said method steps comprising:

• receiving a decision model from a decision maker, the decision model used for determining a solution to a decision problem based on attributes and uncertainties of the decision problem, the decision problem including information about a plurality of outcome vectors that represent all possible outcomes and the uncertainties associated with the decision problem, the received decision model precluding any preference information of the attributes and the outcome vectors;
• determining whether the received decision model can be solved without receiving any preference information from the decision maker;
• receiving partially specified preference information from the decision maker if the received decision model cannot be solved without any preference information;
• solving the decision model with the partially specified preference information;
• and
• recommending, based on the solution, one or more decisions to the decision maker.

A computer program product for solving a problem requiring a decision among possible solutions, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions run by the processing circuit for performing a method, said method steps comprising:

• optimizing a number of comparison queries to be asked to a user;
• eliciting from a decision maker, based on the optimized number of comparison queries, a minimal amount of preference information;
• solving, based on the elicited minimal amount of preference information, the decision problem within a pre-determined time period;
• outputting, as the solution of the decision problem, a set of recommended actions;
• and
• making a decision based on the set of recommended actions.