The Methods for Solving Influence Diagrams: A Review

Abstract

Influence diagrams (IDs) are one of the most commonly used graphical decision models for reasoning under uncertainty. Solving an ID means determining the optimal strategy for the decision maker and the value or certain equivalent of the decision situation when that optimal strategy is applied. Much research effort has been devoted to develop methods and algorithms for solving IDs, and a vast literature on this problem has been yielded. This paper attempts a brief exposition on the methods common used for solving IDs, for the purpose of providing a help for decision makers to select appropriate methods when they solve IDs.