Fwd: Arrow's Impossibility Theorem

[Owen Densmore]

Some folks asked for me to resend this email at friam today.  Here 'tis.

Owen Densmore          908 Camino Santander       Santa Fe, NM 87505
[hidden email]    Cell: 505-570-0168         Home: 505-988-3787
AIM:owendensmore   http://complexityworkshop.com  http://backspaces.net


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Owen Densmore <[hidden email]>
> Date: December 18, 2003 10:20:05 AM MST
> To: The Friday Morning Complexity Coffee Group <[hidden email]>
> Cc: Subject: [FRIAM] Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
> Reply-To: The Friday Morning Complexity Coffee Group  
> <[hidden email]>
>
> During the last Friam, we got talking about voting and Arrow's  
> Impossibility Theorem came up.  It basically discusses anomalies in  
> voting when there are more than two choices being voted upon.
>
> The result depends strongly on how the votes are tallied.  So for  
> example, in our last election, due to having three candidates, we  
> entered the Arrow regime.  But "spoilers" like Ralph are not the only  
> weirdness.
>
> The html references below have interesting examples, and the pdf  
> reference is a paper by SFI's John Geanakoplos who gave a public  
> lecture last year.
>
> "Fair voting" schemes are getting some air-time now a-days.  There are  
> several forms, but the most popular I think is that you basically rank  
> your candidates in order of preference, the "top-most" being your  
> current vote. There are several run-offs which eliminate the poorest  
> performer and let you vote again, now with the highest of your ranks  
> still available.  This insures you always have a vote if you want one.  
>  This would have won the election here for Gore, for example,  
> presuming the Nader votes would favor Gore.
>
> Various web pages with examples:
>   http://www.udel.edu/johnmack/frec444/444voting.html
>   http://econ.gsia.cmu.edu/Freshman_Seminar/notes_on_arrow.htm
>    
> http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/j/mjd1/ 
> arrowimpossibilitytheorem.htm
>   http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/arrow.htm
> Three proofs by John Geanakoplos
>   http://cowles.econ.yale.edu/P/cd/d11a/d1123-r.pdf
>
> Owen Densmore          908 Camino Santander       Santa Fe, NM 87505
> [hidden email]    Cell: 505-570-0168         Home: 505-988-3787
> AIM:owendensmore   http://complexityworkshop.com  http://backspaces.net
>
>
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