A Dempster-Shafer-based approach to compromise decision making with multiattributes applied to product selection

The Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence is applied to a multiattribute decision-making problem whereby the decision maker (DM) must compromise with available alternatives, none of which exactly satisfies his ideal. The decision mechanism is constrained by the uncertainty inherent in the determination of the relative importance of each attribute element and the classification of existing alternatives. The classification of alternatives is addressed through expert evaluation of the degree to which each element is contained in each available alternative. The relative importance of each attribute element is determined through pairwise comparisons of the elements by the DM and implementation of a ratio-scale quantification method. The belief and plausibility that an alternative will satisfy the DM´s ideal are then calculated and combined to rank order the available alternatives. Application to the problem of selecting computer software is given