An introduction to the properties and characteristics of goals

The notion of a goal has been useful in forming conceptual models about decision systems and in general about systems which exhibit purposeful behavior. While the term "goal" is used quite frequently it is surprising that such an intuitively useful notion has remained so ambiguous. This paper formalizes the notion of a goal and discusses some of its properties and characteristics. This formalization provides a structure within which one can compare goals, check the consistency of composite goal structrues and analyze harmony and conflict in (hierarchical) multiple goal systems.