that consists of
the best scores of each criterion. It is usually an infeasible alternative. The best
scores of every criterion can be the values that are unavailable within a given set of
alternatives. However, the definition above makes it easier to conceptualize the ideal
point, since all its characteristics can be directly experienced, being derived from
existing alternative choices (Zeleny, 1982). In CP, all available alternatives are rated
based on their multidimensional distance to the ideal point (Pereira and Duckstein,
1993). The distance from the ideal point, which is calculated for each alternative,
is a function of the criteria values themselves, the relative importance of the various
criteria, and the importance of the maximal deviation from ideal solution. Equation
3.3 is the operational expression of a generalized family of distance matrices based on
the parameter p.