MCDMDecision-makingAggregationMath steps

Weighted Power Mean (Hölder Mean)

OriginatorHardy, G. H. Littlewood, J. E. Pólya, G.Year1934Sources1Related methods1

POWER-MEAN (Weighted Power Mean (Hölder Mean)) is a aggregation multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Hardy, G. H. Littlewood, J. E. Pólya, G. in 1934. 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

Behaviour depends on r: r→-∞ (min), r=1 (AM), r=2 (QM), r→+∞ (max). Higher score is better for positive criteria.

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
  • Results depend on the chosen normalisation, weights, and parameter settings.

Sources

  1. 1.
    Hardy, G. H., Littlewood, J. E., Pólya, G. (1934). Inequalities. Cambridge University Press
    ISBN 978-0-521-35880-4

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Cite this page

ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). POWER-MEAN. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/decision-making/power-mean