What-if Decision Analysis

Netica

What-if Decision Analysis

With Netica’s undo feature it is easy to solve a decision net, undo it, change a utility value or a node table, and then re-solve the net to see how the optimal decisions and maximum expected utility are affected.

But what if you want to force a decision node to have a certain decision function, and see how the other decisions and maximum expected utility change?  Just enter the desired decision function for the node in its table dialog box (or paste it in, since you are often obtaining it from a previous solution of a decision net), select the decision node, and change it into a nature node by clicking the image\EllipseTOOL.gif toolbar button while holding down the ctrl key.  Then solve the net in the usual way, and observe the changes to the other decision functions and the change to the maximum expected utility.  Of course you can use ‘undo’ to return to the original situation.  In general, when you want to set a decision node to a certain decision function while you continue your analysis, you temporarily change it into a nature node.