From my doctoral courses
This section holds notes from courses I took during my doctorate. I rewrote the text myself and recomputed the numerical examples. To me the three courses form one thread: how do we decide when there are several goals and several parties?
Three courses, one question
Systems analysis ends in a decision. When alternatives are many and criteria conflict, multi-attribute decision making gives tools. When more than one party is deciding and each thinks for itself, game theory becomes necessary. And when the decision is to build a physical network, supply chain network design turns the problem into a mathematical model. I think none of them decides for us; they only make the assumptions explicit and open to debate.
Multi-attribute decision making
- Introduction: what is multi-attribute decision making?
- Normalizing criteria
- Weighting criteria
- AHP: the analytic hierarchy process
- Non-compensatory methods in multi-attribute decision making
- Scoring methods: SAW, WPM and WASPAS
- Compromise methods: TOPSIS and VIKOR
- Outranking methods: ELECTRE and PROMETHEE
- Group decision making
- Decisions under uncertainty: fuzzy numbers
- Probabilistic decisions: utility and the value of information
Game theory and bargaining
- Game theory: introduction and history
- Static games: the prisoner’s dilemma and Nash equilibrium
- Zero-sum games: maximin and mixed strategies
- Bargaining: power factors and the cost of waiting
- Nash’s solution and Rubinstein’s model
- Ultimatum, Stackelberg and sequential games
- Bayesian games and signaling
- Position-based and principled negotiation
Supply chain network design
- Supply chain network design: concept and motives
- The multi-stage framework: from region to exact site
- The multi-product, multi-period model in network design
- Multi-objective network design: cost, sustainability and resilience
- Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains
Where to start?
If you have a personal or organisational decision: Introduction: what is multi-attribute decision making?. If you are dealing with a rival or counterpart: Game theory: introduction and history. If your problem is location and capacity: Supply chain network design: concept and motives.
Related: Analysis and systems analysis and Design and systems design.