Measuring the Efficiency of Decision Making Units with Some New Production Functions and Estimation Methods.

A new series of linear programming models is used to clarify and extend a measure of efficiency introduced by M.J. Farrell. Multiple output as well as single output versions are provided which relate this efficiency to ordinary Pareto-Koopmans optimality conditions. Their duals supply numerical estimates of production coefficients. This duality, from mathematical programming, is distinguished from another in the theory of production and then used to provide new nonlinear duals which open contacts with other mathematical programming developments in areas like fractional programming, etc.