English

Normal form backward induction for decision trees with coherent lower previsions

Statistics Theory 2018-08-10 v2 Methodology Statistics Theory

Abstract

We examine normal form solutions of decision trees under typical choice functions induced by lower previsions. For large trees, finding such solutions is hard as very many strategies must be considered. In an earlier paper, we extended backward induction to arbitrary choice functions, yielding far more efficient solutions, and we identified simple necessary and sufficient conditions for this to work. In this paper, we show that backward induction works for maximality and E-admissibility, but not for interval dominance and Gamma-maximin. We also show that, in some situations, a computationally cheap approximation of a choice function can be used, even if the approximation violates the conditions for backward induction; for instance, interval dominance with backward induction will yield at least all maximal normal form solutions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1104.0191,
  title  = {Normal form backward induction for decision trees with coherent lower previsions},
  author = {Nathan Huntley and Matthias C. M. Troffaes},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1104.0191},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

22 pages, 5 figures; v1: added doi and arxiv links

R2 v1 2026-06-21T17:48:19.644Z