MCDMDecision-makingRankingMath steps
Characteristic Objects METhod
COMET (Characteristic Objects METhod) is a ranking multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Sałabun, W. in 2015. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.
Key highlights
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
Intuition
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How it works
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When to use it
P(x_i) ∈ [0,1]. Higher = better. COMET is provably rank-reversal free — adding/removing alternatives does not change relative rankings of existing alternatives. Tradeoff: requires expert elicitation for CO scores.
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
Limitations
- Assumes full compensation — a strong score on one criterion can offset a weak score on another.
Common pitfalls
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Sources
- 1.Sałabun, W. (2015). The Characteristic Objects Method: A New Distance-based Approach to Multicriteria Decision-making Problems. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
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Cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). COMET. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/decision-making/comet