A criterion is a characteristic, basis, or decision rule for evaluating something against specified requirements.
A criterion is a distinguishing feature by means of which an object or phenomenon can be characterized.
Problem situations that require resolution contain various kinds of uncertainty, which can be broadly reduced to uncertainties of nature, of human behavior, and of the goals for resolving the problem. To overcome uncertainty, one resorts to a simplified representation of the problem at hand and to the construction of models, which is always an informal and unregulated procedure. One of the most common approaches to simplifying a choice problem consists of obtaining additional information by describing the alternatives (options, objects) under consideration in the language of criteria.
A criterion is a characteristic on the basis of which an evaluation, determination, or classification of something is made; a measure of assessment.
In a certain sense, criteria are quantitative models of qualitative goals. Indeed, once formulated, criteria subsequently serve, in a sense, as substitutes for goals. Criteria are required to correspond as closely as possible to goals, to bear resemblance to them. At the same time, criteria cannot fully coincide with goals, since they are expressed differently. Goals are simply stated, whereas criteria must be expressed in one measurement scale or another. A somewhat different but equally valid interpretation of the term "criterion" is also encountered, in which the qualitative aspect of the result obtained — the degree of goal achievement — serves as the criterion. In this interpretation, the concept of "criterion" is separated from the concepts of "indicator" and "parameter." Under this interpretation, a single criterion may have multiple indicators or parameters.
The set of criteria used to describe a problem situation must satisfy the following requirements:
- completeness — the set of criteria must reflect all essential aspects of the problem under consideration, the quality of its solution, and the principal features of the alternatives;
- decomposability — the composition of criteria must simplify the description and analysis of the problem, allowing the evaluation of different characteristics of alternatives and different aspects of the quality of the problem's solution;
- non-redundancy — the number of criteria must be the minimum necessary for solving the problem; criteria must not duplicate one another in content;
- transparency — the content and meaning of the criteria, as well as the formulations of evaluation grades on criterion scales, must be unambiguously understood by all participants in the decision-making process.