A solution is considered Pareto optimal if no other solution can improve one objective without worsening at least one other 47.
Notes
- Dominated solution: A solution is dominated if another solution is better in all objectives or equal in some and better in at least one.
- Non-dominated solution: Not dominated by any other in the population; considered Pareto optimal.
- Pareto front: The set of all non-dominated solutions. These represent the best trade-offs.
Example
Imagine optimizing a design for cost and performance:
| Design | Cost ↓ | Performance ↑ | Dominated? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 100 | 70 | No |
| B | 90 | 60 | No |
| C | 120 | 80 | No |
| D | 100 | 50 | Yes (by A) |
Design D is dominated by A (same cost, worse performance), so it’s not Pareto optimal.