Selecting the Best Alternative Based on Its Quantile

Abstract

A value-at-risk, or quantile, is widely used as an appropriate investment selection measure for risk-conscious decision makers. We present two quantile-based sequential procedures—with and without consideration of equivalency between alternatives—for selecting the best alternative from a set of simulated alternatives. These procedures asymptotically guarantee a user-defined target probability of correct selection within a prespecified indifference zone. Experimental results demonstrate the trade-off between the indifference-zone size and the number of simulation iterations needed to render a correct selection while satisfying a desired probability of correct selection.