Binary decision

A binary decision is a choice between two alternatives, for instance between taking some specific action or not taking it.^[1]

Binary decisions are basic to many fields. Examples include:

• Truth values in mathematical logic, and the corresponding Boolean data type in computer science, representing a value which may be chosen to be either true or false.^[2]
• Conditional statements (if-then or if-then-else) in computer science, binary decisions about which piece of code to execute next.^[3]
• Decision trees and binary decision diagrams, representations for sequences of binary decisions.^[4]
• Binary choice, a statistical model for the outcome of a binary decision.^[5]

References

1. Snow, Roberta M.; Phillips, Paul H. (2007), Making Critical Decisions: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations, John Wiley & Sons, p. 44, ISBN 9780470185032.
2. Dixit, J. B. (2009), Computer Fundamentals and Programming in C, Firewall Media, p. 61, ISBN 9788170088820.
3. Yourdon, Edward (March 19, 1975), "Clear thinking vital: Nested IFs not evil plot leading to program bugs", Computerworld: 15.
4. Clarke, E. M.; Grumberg, Orna; Peled, Doron (1999), Model Checking, MIT Press, p. 51, ISBN 9780262032704.
5. Ben-Akiva, Moshe E.; Lerman, Steven R. (1985), Discrete Choice Analysis: Theory and Application to Travel Demand, Transportation Studies, 9, MIT Press, p. 59, ISBN 9780262022170.