Präferenzmaß

Präferenzmaß is a concept in decision theory and economics that describes a way to formally represent an agent's preferences over a set of alternatives. It assigns a numerical value, or utility, to each alternative such that a higher value indicates a stronger preference. This allows for a quantitative comparison of different choices.

The core idea behind Präferenzmaß is that if an agent prefers alternative A to alternative B, then the utility assigned to A must be greater than the utility assigned to B. Similarly, if an agent is indifferent between A and B, their utilities are equal. This relationship can be expressed mathematically.

Various types of Präferenzmaß exist, depending on the assumptions made about the preferences. A common and simple form is ordinal Präferenzmaß, which only captures the ranking of preferences. Cardinal Präferenzmaß goes further by assuming that the differences in utility values are meaningful, implying that not only is A preferred to B, but the degree of preference can be quantified and compared to the degree of preference of C over D.

Präferenzmaß is a fundamental tool for analyzing choice behavior, modeling economic agents, and designing decision support systems. It provides a structured framework for understanding and predicting how individuals or groups will make choices when faced with multiple options.