Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : September 15, 2021 - September 17, 2021
When mathematical optimization is applied to a multi-objective design problem, it is the common practice of decision support to generate Pareto optimal solutions as alternatives and clarify their trade-offs. The decision-maker selects any design solution according to his or her preferences. Although any comparison of alternatives is beneficial for its selection, in the case of combinatorial design problems, a simple comparison study cannot find the significant relationships between alternatives because of their discrete nature. This paper proposes a decision-making support method based on the dendrogram of hierarchical clustering. It is assumed that an optimal solution can be represented as a piling-up of smaller pieces, which correspond to building blocks, in the combinatorial solution space. The distance of alternatives is surveyed using schema representation defined in various levels. The structure of the solution space is reconstructed into a dendrogram through hierarchical clustering. When essential parts of schemas are identified as building blocks, they are organized into a tree-shaped graph. It is expected to help the designer's exploration into the solution space.