Here's yet another approach that uses the same basic idea as Gradual Info Approval. I call it "up the ante approval" or "Auntie" for short:
Initialize the "approval ante" as 0. Mark all candidates as "viable" initially. Initialize all candidates' approval at 1 (or any other value greater than zero). While more than one candidate is marked "viable" ... On each ballot calculate the new approval cutoff as a weighted average of the viable candidates' CR values, where the weights are the most recent respective candidate approvals decreased by the most recent "approval ante". Calculate all candidates' new approvals based on the new approval cutoffs. Up the ante, i.e. increment the approval ante. Erase the old viability marks, and mark as viable all candidates with approval greater than the new approval ante. End While The winner is the candidate with the highest approval value in the last approval calculation inside the while loop. Note that in this method as the approval ante begins to overtake a candidate's approval, that candidate weighs less and less in the cutoff calculation (unless the other candidates are being over taken at a faster rate). To be continued ... Forest ---- Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info