Design Theory and Methods using CAD/CAE

2.7. Summary

In this chapter, we focused on decision making in support of engineering design. We discussed two conventional methods, the decision matrix and decision tree, which are effective and powerful in support of high-level decision making. Risk and uncertainty are the two major issues that decision makers must confront. We reviewed a few basics of decision theory that support decision making under risk and uncertainty. We also discussed two theories, utility theory and game theory, which were explored to support engineering design. Although not matured yet, design methods based on the theories offer significant advantages over conventional decision making and optimization techniques.

One of our goals in this chapter was to introduce the ...