Decision network – Definition & Meaning

Definition of decision network

: a graphical model that extends a Bayesian network with decision nodes and utility or value nodes so that an agent can compare actions and choose the one with the highest expected utility under uncertainty
- The medical agent used a decision network to balance the expected benefit of another test against its cost and delay.
- In the influence diagram, weather was a chance node, the travel plan was a decision node, and arrival time contributed to the utility node.

Two meanings, one word

In everyday English

A set of connected decisions in which one choice can affect another.

In AI

A graphical model that extends a Bayesian network with decision nodes and utility or value nodes so that an agent can compare actions and choose the one with the highest…

Origin & history

Decision networks are commonly presented in artificial-intelligence texts as influence diagrams extended for decision making under uncertainty. Ronald Howard and James Matheson published the foundational Influence Diagrams treatment in 1981, and the representation later became part of probabilistic reasoning and decision-theoretic AI.

Test yourself

Which of these is the meaning of decision network?

Related terms

Bayesian network a probabilistic graphical model that represents random variables as nodes in a directed… decision tree a supervised machine-learning model that makes a classification or numerical prediction by… decision model a fast, low-cost AI model that reads text or code and returns a choice, score, or probability… inference the act of running a trained model to produce an output, such as answering a prompt or… reasoning in AI, a model's ability to solve problems that need several steps, such as math, planning, or… AI agent an AI system that can pursue a goal over many steps on its own, deciding what to do next…

Cite this entry

"Decision network." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/decision-network/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.