Comprehensive Evaluation of Complex Quantities

Any social and economic phenomenon is complex by nature. For example, social and economic development of the state or its particular regions, enterprise commercial activities and strategic potential, as well as comparison of various investment projects, etc. belong to the category of complex phenomena. They cannot be described by a single value or criterion because it is hardly possible to find a property integrating the essential features of such phenomena. Recently, multicriteria methods have been effectively used for evaluating complex quantities. The criteria describing the considered processes or objects, as well as the criteria values and relative significances (weights) make the basis of quantitative multicriteria evaluation methods. Irrespective of the area of investigation, the analysis of a complex phenomenon (quantity) is carried out in several steps, including statement of the research problem at the initial stage and determination of the integrated value describing a particular phenomenon at the final stage. Many investigations addressed the above problems, however, further research is still needed.