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How to choose a winner : the mathematics of social choice

Instantanés de recherche mathématique à Oberwolfach

How to choose a winner : the mathematics of social choice

Suppose a group of individuals wish to choose among several options, for example electing one of several candidates to a political office or choosing the best contestant in a skating competition. The group might ask: what is the best method for choosing a winner, in the sense that it best reflects the individual preferences of the group members? We will see some examples showing that many voting methods in use around the world can lead to paradoxes and bad outcomes, and we will look at a mathematical model of group decision making. We will discuss Arrow’s impossibility theorem, which says that if there are more than two choices, there is, in a very precise sense, no good method for choosing a winner.

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Sujet mathématique

Mathématiques discrètes et fondements des mathématiques

Liens avec d'autres domaines

Humanités et sciences sociales

Auteur(s)

Victoria Powers

Licence

DOI

10.14760/SNAP-2015-009-EN

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snapshots: overview

      Sujet mathématique

      Algèbre et théorie des nombres
      Analyse
      Pédagogie et éducation
      Mathématiques discrètes et fondements des mathématiques
      Géométrie et Topologie
      Calcul numérique et calcul scientifique
      Théorie des probabilités et statistique

      Liens avec d'autres domaines

      Chimie et sciences de la terre
      Informatique
      Ingénierie et technologie
      Finances
      Humanités et sciences sociales
      Sciences de la vie
      Physique
      Pensées mathématiques

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