Multi-criteria

Multi-criteria methods emerged in the 60s. In the following decade there were several studies and, consequently, several methods were suggested, of which two schools of thought stand out: the American and the French.

One of the first methods developed in the context of Discrete Multi-Criteria Decisions was the Analytic Hierarchy Process - AHP (Saaty 1980), which divides the decision into hierarchical levels to facilitate understanding of the problem and the evaluation of possible solutions.

Another way to solve problems is to consider the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), which is derived from the Utility Theory (von Neumann and Morgenstern 1944). In this case, aspects are addressed using/with the expected utility theory.

The French School has developed methods which allow a more flexible model to represent and structure the problem. The methods of Electre - ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité (ELimination and Choice Expressing REality) suggest a new concept of the preference model, and is more flexible. Another method is the French School's PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluations), which has variants I, II, III and IV, and proposes assistance in problems like gamma - that is, to put the alternatives in order of priority.

In Brazil, Gomes' and Lima's (1992) TODIM method (Interactive Multi-Criteria Decision-Making) was presented, to solve gamma-like problems.