METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATING NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PARTIES

A system calculates the mutual satisfaction between negotiating parties and maximizes their mutual satisfaction over a range of decision variables and does so without requiring the parties to identify themselves and their positions to each other. For automatically negotiating agreements between multiple parties, a computer accepts a satisfaction function from an offering party who defines his degree of satisfaction to agree to a range of terms upon which the party is desirous of negotiating as a function of the relevant decision variables. The computer then accepts input from all other parties regarding their degree of satisfaction to agree to each of the terms as a function of a particular relevant decision variable. The computer then calculates a satisfaction function for each of these terms based on all of the individual inputs. Next, the computer calculates a joint satisfaction function for all of the terms as a function of the particular relevant decision variable, and then calculates the mutual satisfaction function for the offering party and the other parties, also as a function of the particular relevant decision variable. Finally, the computer calculates the set of decision variable yielding the maximum mutual satisfaction and provides this output to the parties.