The balance space approach to multicriteria decision making – involving the decision maker

The balance space approach (introduced by Galperin in 1990) provides a new view on multicriteria optimization. Looking at deviations from global optimality of the different objectives, balance points and balance numbers are defined when either different or equal deviations for each objective are allowed. Apportioned balance numbers allow the specification of proportions among the deviations. Through this concept, the decision maker can be involved in the decision process. In this paper, we prove that the apportioned balance number can be formulated by a min–max operator. Furthermore, we prove some relations between apportioned balance numbers and the balance numbers and the balance set, and see the representations of balance set. The main results are necessary and sufficient conditions for the balance set to be exhaustive, which means that by multiplying a vector of weights (proportions of deviation) with its corresponding apportioned balance number a balance point is attained. The results are used to formulate an interactive procedure for multicriteria optimization. All results are illustrated by examples.