A Weight-Free Index for the Purpose of Ranking or Selection with Respect to Several Traits at a Time

The problem is considered of how to rank individuals with respect to measures on several traits jointly when nothing is to be assumed about what economic weights are appropriate. A selection or ranking index is developed on intuitive grounds and then shown to be in a certain sense weight-free. The use of this index is illustrated for two traits measured on chickens. The case where there are errors of measurements is also discussed; in this case a modification of Smith's [1936] selection index may be appropriate.