Metrics for Quality Assessment of a Multiobjective Design Optimization Solution Set

Abstract In this paper, several new set quality metrics are introduced that can be used to evaluate the ‘goodness’ of an observed Pareto solution set. These metrics, which are formulated in closed-form and geometrically illustrated, include coverage difference, Pareto spread, accuracy of an observed Pareto frontier, number of distinct choices and cluster. The metrics should enable a designer either monitor the quality of an observed Pareto solution set as obtained by a multiobjective optimization method, or compare the quality of observed Pareto solution sets as reported by different multiobjective optimization methods. A vibrating platform example is used to demonstrate the calculation of these metrics for an observed Pareto solution set.