A framework of decision analysis integrating qualitative reasoning and quantitative models

Conventional decision analyses based on quantitative models suffer from the lack of ability to handle qualitative knowledge especially under complex circumstances. To integrate quantitative models with qualitative knowledge, which we argue in this paper includes information of different abstraction degree and nonnumerical factors, helps to solve decision making problems more effectively and efficiently. We apply qualitative reasoning (QR) to handle information qualitatively. A framework of decision making integrating QR with quantitative models is presented and the interaction between qualitative simulation models at the upper level and quantitative models at the lower level is discussed