What Lies beyond the Pareto Front? A Survey on Decision-Support Methods for Multi-Objective Optimization

Zuzanna Osika, Jazmin Zatarain Salazar, Diederik M. Roijers, Frans A. Oliehoek, Pradeep K. Murukannaiah

Abstract: We present a review that unifies decision-support methods for exploring the solutions produced by multi-objective optimization (MOO) algorithms. As MOO is applied to solve diverse problems, approaches for analyzing the trade-offs offered by these algorithms are scattered across fields. We provide an overview of the current advances on this topic, including methods for visualization, mining the solution set, and uncertainty exploration as well as emerging research directions, including interactivity, explainability, and support on ethical aspects. We synthesize these methods drawing from different fields of research to enable building a unified approach, independent of the application. Our goals are to reduce the entry barrier for researchers and practitioners on using MOO algorithms and to provide novel research directions.