Humans must make many kinds ofdecisions. Deciding what to wear and which route to take to work or school maybe no more than habitual or automatic choices， needing little thought， butdecisions of a more serious nature， for example，what school or college to attend， or even whom to marry require careful thoughtand attention. The making of even minor decisions may sometimes be a difficultundertaking.
People use different methods toarrive at a decision. Some depend on others to make the choice for them; somechoose according to their liking with little regard for reason; others followa careful， systematic procedure through a process of analysis. Whatever themethod employed the purpose is usually considered to be to get the best resultpossible for the decision maker.
Some aspects of this decisionmakin
g process can be found in various forms of computer programming where thecomputer is asked to process a number of factors in relation to particularproblems or events， and then produce a recommended course of action. Forexample， airline companies use computers for choosing the routes， staffing and scheduling of planes thatwould be most profitable and efficient. In recent years the applications ofcomputer technology to medical diagnosis and to the making of investments andfinancial plans have received considerable attention. However， while computerscan aid decision making， the final analysis and choice most be made by peopleusing their individual judgment.
