Taxonomy Method — Wrocław Taxonomic Development Measure
TAXONOMY (Taxonomy Method — Wrocław Taxonomic Development Measure) is a ranking multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Florek, K., Łukaszewicz, J., Perkal, J., Steinhaus, H., Zubrzycki, S. in 1951. 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
d_i ∈ (−∞,1]. Higher d means closer to the ideal reference object. The Taxonomy method and Hellwig's method share the same algorithm; the key difference is historical context — Taxonomy originates in 1951 Wrocław School of Mathematics, Hellwig applied it to socio-economic development measurement in 1968.
Strengths & limitations
- 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.
- Assumes full compensation — a strong score on one criterion can offset a weak score on another.
Common pitfalls
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Sources
- 1.Florek, K., Łukaszewicz, J., Perkal, J., Steinhaus, H., Zubrzycki, S. (1951). Taksonomia wrocławska. Przegląd Antropologiczny
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ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). TAXONOMY. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/decision-making/taxonomy