
Optimization and Decision Making 241
reached, meaning that D has a greater probability of attaining yet higher
levels.) Conversely, a risk-averse decision maker will prefer to avoid riskier
outcomes and may prefer C to D. In general, such comparisons are often
ambiguous and highly dependent on the decision maker’s preferences, so it
is advisable to use tools such as simulation tables to compare the distribu-
tions for different decisions fully.
Sometimes a stochastic dominance test may help. A distribution domi-
nates another in the second degree when any risk-averse decision maker
would prefer one to the other. A simple exampl ...