Rudolf Müller

Decision support on demand : Emerging electronic markets for decision technologies

Abstract For the individual or organization wishing to employ a scientific approach in solving decision problems, there is a plethora of relevant concepts, methods, models, and software. Yet, relative to their potential or to peer software such as database technologies, decision technologies are little used in real-world decision making. We argue that at least some of the problems that restrict the use of decision technologies are rooted in the use of conventional market mechanisms to distribute them. We propose the development of electronic markets for decision technologies, and explain how features of modem information networks offer a solution to these problems. We present a framework for comparing alternative electronic markets for decision technologies, survey and analyze several such emerging markets, and present some details on our own research initiative — DecisionNet. A distinctive feature of DecisionNet is that it consists of software agents that perform — at the market level —; functions (such as user accounting, billing and setting up the interface to a decision technology) that would otherwise need to be developed for each consumer, provider, or technology.

MMM: a Web-based system for sharing statistical computing modules

This prototype method management system (MMM), implemented with Web technologies, supports distributed authoring and execution of computational software modules among an interdisciplinary group of developers and users. Heterogeneous data formats, programming languages, and computing platforms pose various challenges whenever researchers are sharing and combining software modules, especially when the collaboration occurs across different traditions of scientific computing. To meet these challenges, we designed and implemented MMM. MMM is a collection of middleware services to support the interaction between software users and developers, and to facilitate the sharing of software modules across heterogeneous networks. The system design follows the World Wide Web paradigm: developers (providers) install their modules on the network in a way that allows users (consumers) to access and execute them. A prototype is available on the Web.

Electronic commerce in decision technologies: a business cycle analysis

The phenomenal growth of global information networks such as the World Wide Web has generated considerable interest in electronic commerce in information goods and services. Most work in this area has focused on commerce in static information services such as digital libraries and electronic newstands. This paper is concerned with electronic commerce in interactive information services, in particular, software and information technologies that support decision making. We identify distinctive features of decision technologies that influence the functionality required to support the business cycle of consumers and providers in an electronic commerce setting. We then discuss alternative modalities of providing such functionality and discuss the implications of this choice for barriers to entry in the marketplace. We conclude with a discussion of legal and social issues that need to be addressed in electronic markets for decision technologies.

From GISystems to GIServices: Spatial Computing on the Internet Marketplace

Question: Why do people buy a GIS? Answer: Because their neighbor has one. Richard Newell of Smallworld Systems told this joke during his keynote speech at the 1997 Symposium on Spatial Databases—and he did not only refer to Smallworld customers. The truth behind his joke is that GIS are often greatly underutilized. Many customers use only a small fraction of the functionalities offered by their GIS. Some of them are aware of that: they simply do not care about the remaining features. Others are not: they may thus miss functionalities that are actually there and use complicated ways to reimplement them with the features they know. Yet other users may not use their GIS at all: they bought it because they thought it may help them with their problems but then found out that it does not. Some customers may not even have bothered to look: they bought the GIS andleft it in the package.

A framework for micropayment evaluation

Lacking payment systems become a bottleneck for the vision of the Information Economy. In many cases, the payments of a fraction of a cent, the so-called micropayments, are of particular interest. In this paper we propose a framework to evaluate the payment systems. The framework consists of a well structured parameter vector of the desired attributes. For the evaluation of attribute values, we suggest to use VTS diagrams from object-oriented analysis and design. The framework is applied to DigiCash, SET and First Virtual.

Model management in electronic markets for decision technologies: a software agent approach

DecisionNet is a distributed, Web-based electronic market for decision technologies such as data, models, solution algorithms, and modeling environments. Consumer-provider interactions are facilitated by model management software agents provided by DecisionNet. To illustrate different approaches for designing this agent functionality, we present two agents that embody different designs for mediating consumer and provider interaction with the AMPL and GAMS modeling environments. The AMPL agent is lean, and places significant knowledge and reasoning requirements on both providers (when registering a technology) and consumers (when using technologies). In contrast, the GAMS agent encapsulates knowledge of the GAMS language and modeling environment to facilitate registration of models by providers and to create a run time interface to models for consumers. We discuss the relative advantages of both approaches and argue for the need to incorporate them into environments such as DecisionNet.

On the partial order polytope of a digraph

We introduce the partial order polytope of a digraphD, defined as the convex hull of the incidence vectors of all transitive acyclic arc sets ofD. For this polytope we prove some classes of inequalities to be facet-defining and show that there is a polynomial separation algorithm for each of these classes. The results imply a polynomial separation algorithm for a class of valid inequalities of the clique partitioning polytope that includes the two-chorded odd cycle inequalities.The polyhedral results concerning the partial order polytope are of interest since a cutting plane based algorithm to solve the maximum weighted transitive acyclic subdigraph problem can be used to solve the maximum weighted acyclic subdigraph problem, the maximum weighted linear ordering problem and a flexible manufacturing problem.For the acyclic subdigraph polytope we show that the separation of simplet-reinforcedk-fence-inequalities is-complete.

The Interval Order Polytope of a Digraph

We introduce the interval order polytope of a digraph D as the convex hull of interval order inducing arc subsets of D. Two general schemes for producing valid inequalities are presented. These schemes have been used implicitly for several polytopes and they are applied here to the interval order polytope. It is shown that almost all known classes of valid inequalities of the linear ordering polytope can be explained by the two classes derived from these schemes. We provide two applications of the interval order polytope to combinatorial optimization problems for which to our knowledge no polyhedral descriptions have been given so far. One of them is related to analyzing DNA subsequences.

Advanced DSS for scheduling: software engineering aspects and the role of Eigenmodels

This paper describes an advanced decision support system for scheduling that is based on both, extensive knowledge about scheduling algorithms, and a new software engineering paradigm developed by the FAW. This paradigm uses an elaborate compromise between object-orientation, constraint processing, and functional capabilities, and supports distributed computing.The system has the capability to generate a model of itself. ThisEigenmodel is a directed graphG representing data structures (nodes ofG) and algorithms (edges ofG). The methods developed for scheduling problems can, on a “higher” level of abstraction, also be applied to the Eigenmodel itself. This can then be used for performance analysis andlearning aspects which will eventually provide the user with valuable information about the functioning and performance of the system, thus contributing to the envisioned new generation of decision support systems.

Decision support objects on demand: opportunities, problems and enabling technologies

The phenomenal growth of global information networks such as the World Wide Web has generated considerable interest in electronic commerce in information goods and services. Most work in this area has focused on commerce in static information services such as digital libraries and electronic news-stands. In contrast, this paper is concerned with electronic commerce in interactive technologies that support decision making. It summarizes some recent proposals on electronic markets which support this type of electronic commerce.