Fundamentals of the analytic network process

TL;DR: The Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a general theory of relative measurement used to derive composite priority ratio scales from individual ratio scales that represent relative measurements of the influence of elements that interact with respect to control criteria as mentioned in this paper.

Abstract: The Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a general theory of relative measurement used to derive composite priority ratio scales from individual ratio scales that represent relative measurements of the influence of elements that interact with respect to control criteria. Through its supermatrix whose elements are themselves matrices of column priorities, the ANP captures the ou tcome of dependence and feedback within and between clusters of elements. The Analytic Hie rarchy Process (AHP) with its dependence assumptions on clusters and elements is a special case of the ANP. The ANP is a new and an essential phase in decision making, neglected so far b ecause of the linear structures used in traditional approaches and their inability to deal with fee dback in order to choose alternatives not simply according to attributes and criteria, but also a ccording to their consequences both positive and negative – an essential and so far a missing co nsideration in decision making. This paper gives a brief look at the foundation of the ANP t ogether with a simple example.