Problem definition
Multi-criteria optimization - Application in the construction industry

The resource allocation problem can be formulated in two different ways:

1) Let X_ibe the budget allocated for the i^th project, and let f *_i be the performance associated with this resource allocation. We are looking for (X₁*, X₂*, X₃*, ..., X_n*) which maximizes the total profit from the overall allocation over the projects. This definition is consistent with the approach that seeks to maximize profit, given a given limited budget.

2) Let X_n be the budget allocated for the n^th project. We are looking for (X₁*, X₂*, X₃*, ..., X_n*) that minimizes the total allocation over projects, with constraints such as time, performance, while keeping the total profit at a satisfactory level.

The latter definition focuses on cost minimization, and is...