Compromise solutions and estimation of the noninferior set

A general framework is presented in which the relation of the set of noninferior points and the set of compromise solutions is studied. It is shown that the set of compromise solutions is dense in the set of noninferior points and that each compromise solution is properly noninferior. Also, under convexity of the criteria space, a characterization of the properly noninferior points in terms of the compromise solutions is presented. In this characterization, the compromise solutions depend continuously on the weights. Use of the maximum norm is studied also. It is shown that a subset of these max-norm solutions, obtained by taking certain limits of compromise solutions, is dense and contained in the closure of the set of noninferior points.