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Home›Decision-making›Minkowski Distance — generalised Lp norm (p ≥ 1)
MCDMDistancecrisp

Minkowski Distance — generalised Lp norm (p ≥ 1)

DIST-MINKOWSKI (Minkowski Distance — generalised Lp norm (p ≥ 1)) is a distance multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Minkowski, H. in 1910. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.

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When to use it

d_p ≥ 0. Monotone in p: d_1 ≥ d_2 ≥ … ≥ d_∞ for the same pair. p controls the sensitivity to large differences.

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. Minkowski, H. (1910). Geometrie der Zahlen. Teubner, Leipzig link ↗

How to cite this page

ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). Minkowski Distance — generalised Lp norm (p ≥ 1). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/decision-making/dist-minkowski

Similar methods

DIST-CHEBYSHEVMAHALANOBIS-DISTANCEDIST-EUCLIDEANDIST-MANHATTANDIST-HAMMINGCOMPROMISE-PROGRAMMINGPOWER-MEANGINI-WEIGHT

Related reference concepts

Multidimensional ScalingDecision Support SystemsDecision MakingLinear Discriminant AnalysisDiscriminant AnalysisK-Means Clustering

Spotted an issue on this page? Report or suggest a fix →

ScholarGate — DIST-MINKOWSKI (Minkowski Distance — generalised Lp norm (p ≥ 1)). Retrieved 2026-07-21 from https://scholargate.app/en/decision-making/dist-minkowski · Dataset: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20539026
Quick facts
Originator
Minkowski, H.
Subfamily
Distance
Year
1910
Type
Distance (Lp, generalised)
Value Space
crisp
Uncertainty
None
Compensation
N/A
Rank Reversal
No
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