Hierarchical Structure of Multicriteria Problems.

Abstract

It is shown that any multicriteria problem can be represented by a hierarchical system of criteria. Individual properties of the object (alternative) are evaluated at the bottom level of the system, using a criteria vector. A composition mechanism is used to evaluate the object as a whole at the top level. The problem is solved by the method of nested scalar convolutions of vector-valued criteria. The methodology of the problem solving is based on the complementarity principle by N. Bohr and the theorem of incompleteness by K. Gödel. An example is presented that helps the reader digest some of the intricacies in the methodology.