Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Juho Laatu

--- On Mon, 8/6/09, Raph Frank  wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 11:52 PM, Juho
> Laatu
> wrote:
> > My thinking was that if the question on the
> > referendum excludes IRV, then the final outcome
> > is anyway likely to be Schulze (and the
> > unlikely event of choosing some other one of
> > the good Condorcet methods would not be a big
> > problem).
> 
> But they could pick the bottom 2 runoff version of IRV, if
> all you
> want is Condorcet compliance.
> 
> Some possibilities
> 
> "elect the condorcet winner if 1 exists, or the candidate
> with the
> most first choices otherwise."
> 
> "elect the condorcet winner if 1 exists or the candidate
> chosen by the
> outgoing PM otherwise".
> 
> It depends on how "evil" the legislators are.
> 

Yes. Bottom 2 version of IRV is not one
of the best Condorcet methods because of
the rather random nature of the sequential
elimination, but it is Condorcet compatible
at least.

Since one can not describe the full method
in the referendum question one has to take
some of these risks in any case. One could
try to list all the key characteristics of
the Schulze method but still the legislators
could decide to take into use ballots that
have only two slots in them (if you forgot
to include the requirement of having more
slots in the referendum question).

For these reasons and to make the voters
understand the question and to avoid giving
too much space for general complexity
arguments it may be wise to write the
referendum question without all the details
that would tie it exactly to the Schulze
method. Using e.g. River or Ranked Pairs
would probably also not be a catastrophe.

So, I tend to think that the best approach
would be to use some common language and
make the question such that it gives some
rough understanding to the voters and at
the same time eliminates the worst pitfalls.
The risks include e.g. 1) picking some bad
method due to not understanding what is good,
2) use of complexity arguments against the
Schulze method, 3) incumbents intentionally
picking a method that favours them (could be
e.g. IRV).

I agree with Árpád Magosányi in that one
should pay lots of attention on how to
formulate the question. I'd however keep
most of the complex criteria and requirements
out since that gives too much space for
speculation and complexity arguments. And as
we know one can spend lots of time in arguing
about the benefits and problems of most of
the criteria (there are arguments for and
against all of them, and all methods have
some problems that some others do not have,
later-no-harm can be used against the
Condorcet methods, do we want winning votes
or margins for Schulze etc.).

I.e. keep it simple and close to what people
really understand. If one wants a definite
binding to the Schulze method, then one can
mention its name in the question (without
explaining the details).

Juho





  

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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Árpád Magosányi
2009/6/7 Raph Frank 

> On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Árpád Magosányi  wrote:
>
>> 
>> - The electors rank the candidates according to their preferences.
>> - If there is a group of candidates all preferred over all candidates
>> outside the group, then ignoring the candidates outside the group should not
>> change the outcome of the election.
>> - The winner should be choosen from the above group in a way that
>> guarantees that if a candidate similar to an already running candidate is
>> introduced, the outcome of the election is not changed, and the less
>> controversial candidates are preferred.
>> """
>>
>
>
> Ok, so you are basically saying (in simple terms)
>
> A) the method is a ranked method
> B) All candidates outside the Smith set can be ignored without changing the
> result
> C) The method should be clone independent.
>

Not exactly.
C/1) The method should be clone independent
C/2) The method should prefer weak defeats

Actually C/2 is the one where I yet to became confident that there is a
one-to-one match between the wording and the exact mathematical definition.

 [...]

>
> Schulze and ranked pairs are the only methods that meet clone independence
> and the condorcet rule.
>
> Does ranked pairs fail the Smith criterion?
>

No. It fails the prefer-weak-defeats criterion only from the above.

>
>
> I would change B to "If there is a group of candidates all preferred over
> all candidates outside the group, then only those candidates may win and the
> candidates outside the group may have no effect on the result".
>
> If you don't restrict the winner to the Smith set (which your rules don't
> necessarily), then you could end up with a non-condorcet method.
>

B does restrict the winner to the Smith set. If someone outside the Smith
set wins, ignoring him would change the election result.


>
>
> Also, just because the popular/proposed condorcet methods are excluded by
> your definition doesn't mean that some other weird method can't be found
> that also meets the rule.
>

This is why I have put clone independence back.

>
>
> It might be better to just include the reasons that you like Sculze and use
> those rules rather than trying to select Sculze by a process of elimination.
>

Actually I end up doing so. I did not include monotonicity because I don't
view it as very important, but include cloneproofness because I do. (I am
hoping that a nonmonotonic method matching all other criteria should not be
very bad in most cases.)

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Re: [EM] Schulze

2009-06-07 Thread Warren Smith
The Schulze-beatpaths page Arpad was probably thinking of was
http://rangevoting.org/SchulzeExplan.html

The information thing now is summarized here
http://rangevoting.org/PuzzInfo1.html
which will be a future "puzzle"...

-- 
Warren D. Smith
http://RangeVoting.org  <-- add your endorsement (by clicking
"endorse" as 1st step)
and
math.temple.edu/~wds/homepage/works.html

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Re: [EM] information content of ballots (and intelligent people)

2009-06-07 Thread Kevin Venzke

Dave,

--- En date de : Dim 7.6.09, Dave Ketchum  a écrit :
> It matters what is said, not whether
> speaking in different languages affects whether different
> information can be contained in the same size statement.
> 
> Paul is stating, correctly, that reading a ballot that only
> approves {B C} provides no information as to the voter's
> desires  being B>C, B=C, or B them over A.

That isn't what the argument is about. Nobody disagrees with this part.

Kevin Venzke


  

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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Raph Frank
On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 11:52 PM, Juho Laatu wrote:
> My thinking was that if the question on the
> referendum excludes IRV, then the final outcome
> is anyway likely to be Schulze (and the
> unlikely event of choosing some other one of
> the good Condorcet methods would not be a big
> problem).

But they could pick the bottom 2 runoff version of IRV, if all you
want is Condorcet compliance.

Some possibilities

"elect the condorcet winner if 1 exists, or the candidate with the
most first choices otherwise."

"elect the condorcet winner if 1 exists or the candidate chosen by the
outgoing PM otherwise".

It depends on how "evil" the legislators are.

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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Juho Laatu

I'm actually ok also with non-Smith-compatible
methods. They may have their own benefits even
if they might violate clone independence in
some unlikely situations. In typical large
public elections all typical Condorcet methods
are in any case likely to give similar results.
My thinking was that if the question on the
referendum excludes IRV, then the final outcome
is anyway likely to be Schulze (and the
unlikely event of choosing some other one of
the good Condorcet methods would not be a big
problem).

Juho

--- On Mon, 8/6/09, Raph Frank  wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 10:20 PM, Juho
> Laatu
> wrote:
> > It could be thus enough to say:
> > - The electors rank the candidates
> >  according to their preferences.
> > - If some candidate is preferred over
> >  all other candidates then that
> >  candidate shall be elected.
> 
> I think that Smith compliance should be required. 
> Condorcet
> compliance on its own isn't that great.
> 
> Frankly, even if 1 condorcet method is better than others,
> going from
> plurality to any Condorcet/Smith method is a massive
> improvement.
> Also, the benefit to the politicians is pretty small from
> picking a
> horrible condorcet method, so hopefully they won't bother
> (though
> maybe that is overly trusting).
> 
> If an added criteria is needed, then maybe add clone
> independence.
> However, then you are adding more complexity.
> 
> "Do you want the voting method to be one where
> 
> The voters rank the candidates, and,
> unranked candidates are considered equal worst, and,
> a candidate is considered preferred to another if he is
> preferred by a
> majority of the voters who express a preference, and,
> If a candidate is ranked first on a majority of the
> ballots, then that
> candidate wins, and,
> if a candidate is preferred to all other candidates, then
> that
> candidate wins, and,
> If every candidate in a group of candidates is preferred to
> all
> candidates outside the group, then one of them wins
> ?
> "
> 
> This has some redundant clauses, but adding them actually
> makes it
> clearer (I think).   In, theory you only
> need the last one as the
> other 2 rules automatically follow.
> 
> Maybe you could submit one that only requires condorcet
> compliance as
> the 3 clause is complex.
> 
> Btw, does Schulze allow equal rankings?
> 


  

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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Markus Schulze
Hallo,

here is another paper that confirms
the observation, that the Schulze
winner is almost always identical to
the MinMax winner:

http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/10161/1278/1/Wright_Barry.pdf

See pages 67-70.

In the 4-candidate case, the Schulze
winner and the MinMax winner are
identical with a probability of 99.7%.

In the 5-candidate case, the Schulze
winner and the MinMax winner are
identical with a probability of 99.2%.

In the 6-candidate case, the Schulze
winner and the MinMax winner are
identical with a probability of 99.1%.

In the 7-candidate case, the Schulze
winner and the MinMax winner are
identical with a probability of 98.9%.

Markus Schulze



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Re: [EM] Idiots and information

2009-06-07 Thread Dave Ketchum

This is going crazy, but I cannot now resist.

On Jun 7, 2009, at 1:45 AM, Paul Kislanko wrote:

Let's go back to the original post. Mr Smith called me an idiot for  
pointing
out that his claim that approval ballots contain as much information  
as

ranked ballots or range ballots do.


This much should have ended it, but this idiocy goes on and ON!



I point out that given a range ballot I can create a ranked ballot,  
and
given a ranked ballot (truncation allowed, equivalent to assigning a  
zero

for a range) I can create the approval equivalent.


Slipping a bit.  If approval was truly equivalent to ranking one would  
be able to reconstruct any ranked ballot from an approval ballot that  
contained all the ranking information - but approval cannot include  
ranking information other than which candidates were approved.



Now, in a 3 alternative ballot with alternatives A, B, and C, I  
approove B
and C. Knowing only that, Mr Smith asserts their is as much  
information as
there would be if I'd ranked the candidates. I ask him publicly to  
derive
from my approval of B and C which one of them I'd prefer, using only  
the

knowledge that I approve both of them.


Weak in that Paul has not (and could not have) indicated via approving  
B and C, which of them he preferred - but Paul is pointing out that,  
with ranking, he could have indicated a preference.


He can't do that, but he calls me an idiot.

That ranked ballots provide more informations  than approval ballots  
is not
a myth, it is a fact. Mr. Smith can evidently  tell from my {B C} >  
{A} what
my preference between B and C is. If he can't provide an algorithm  
for that,
his assertion that my explicitly telling him provides no new  
information is

certainly not correct.


Does not matter whether information in an approval ballot requires the  
same length of statement as in a ranking ballot - what matters is that  
all that can be said via approval can be said via ranking, but ranking  
can say more.



If "ranked ballots provide more information than approval ballots"  
is a
MYTH, then Mr. Smith should be able to decide from {B C} > {A} which  
of {C

B} is preferred by the approval voter over the other.


Saying it another way, by approving one or more candidates approval  
divides them into two groups, but is unable to say anything more about  
either group.  Ranking, of course, approves B&C , and can indicate  
which is most preferred.


Dave Ketchum



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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Markus Schulze
Hallo,

here is another short, but complete
definition of the Schulze method:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:MarkusSchulze/Schulze_method_(simple_version)

*

> - "tends to produce winners with weak
> worst pairwise defeats"

I usually define this desideratum using
MinMax scores for sets of candidates:

   Suppose the MinMax score of a set X of
   candidates is the strength of the strongest
   pairwise win of a candidate A outside set X
   against a candidate B inside set X. Then the
   winner should always be a candidate of the
   set with minimum MinMax score.

See also section 9 of my paper:

http://m-schulze.webhop.net/schulze1.pdf

Markus Schulze



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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information con tent, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Jobst Heitzig
Dear Raph,

> Schulze and ranked pairs are the only methods that meet clone 
> independence and the condorcet rule.

Nope. River, too, of course, meets all three criteria...


> 
> Does ranked pairs fail the Smith criterion?
> 
> I would change B to "If there is a group of candidates all preferred 
> over all candidates outside the group, then only those candidates may 
> win and the candidates outside the group may have no effect on the 
> result".
> 
> If you don't restrict the winner to the Smith set (which your rules 
> don't necessarily), then you could end up with a non-condorcet method.
> 
> Also, just because the popular/proposed condorcet methods are 
> excluded by your definition doesn't mean that some other weird method 
> can't be found that also meets the rule.
> 
> It might be better to just include the reasons that you like Sculze 
> and use those rules rather than trying to select Sculze by a process 
> of elimination.
> 
> BTW it would be nice if the wikipedia page would actually contain 
> something describing Schulze method, not just the heuristics.
> The best I have found so far is:
> http://rangevoting.org/SchulzeExplan.html
> "Therefore, my aim was to find a method that satisfies Condorcet, 
> monotonicity, clone-immunity, majority for solid coalitions, and 
> reversal symmetry, and that tends to produce winners with weak worst 
> pairwise defeats (compared to the worst pairwise defeat of the winner 
> of Tideman's Ranked Pairs method)."
> 
> Yeah. Though, ofc, Schulze isn't allow to edit the article.
> 
> Could someone on this list give a brief outline or the formal rule (
> actually his statutory rules are probably it)?
> 
>  Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for 
> 
> list info



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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Raph Frank
On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 10:20 PM, Juho Laatu wrote:
> It could be thus enough to say:
> - The electors rank the candidates
>  according to their preferences.
> - If some candidate is preferred over
>  all other candidates then that
>  candidate shall be elected.

I think that Smith compliance should be required.  Condorcet
compliance on its own isn't that great.

Frankly, even if 1 condorcet method is better than others, going from
plurality to any Condorcet/Smith method is a massive improvement.
Also, the benefit to the politicians is pretty small from picking a
horrible condorcet method, so hopefully they won't bother (though
maybe that is overly trusting).

If an added criteria is needed, then maybe add clone independence.
However, then you are adding more complexity.

"Do you want the voting method to be one where

The voters rank the candidates, and,
unranked candidates are considered equal worst, and,
a candidate is considered preferred to another if he is preferred by a
majority of the voters who express a preference, and,
If a candidate is ranked first on a majority of the ballots, then that
candidate wins, and,
if a candidate is preferred to all other candidates, then that
candidate wins, and,
If every candidate in a group of candidates is preferred to all
candidates outside the group, then one of them wins
?
"

This has some redundant clauses, but adding them actually makes it
clearer (I think).   In, theory you only need the last one as the
other 2 rules automatically follow.

Maybe you could submit one that only requires condorcet compliance as
the 3 clause is complex.

Btw, does Schulze allow equal rankings?

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Re: [EM] information content of ballots (and intelligent people)

2009-06-07 Thread Dave Ketchum
It matters what is said, not whether speaking in different languages  
affects whether different information can be contained in the same  
size statement.


Paul is stating, correctly, that reading a ballot that only approves  
{B C} provides no information as to the voter's desires  being B>C,  
B=C, or B

On Jun 7, 2009, at 2:57 PM, Jan Kok wrote:


I understand quite well Warren's point that for 2 and 3-candidate
races, and with full ranking required, and equal ranking not allowed,
then Approval (with the "silly" votes excluded) and ranked ballots can
be encoded in the same number of bits. And yes, there is certainly an
algorithm for turning a binary number like 100 back into a ranking. Or
for turning an 8-bit number into 3 Approval or 3 ranked ballots.

In his most recent post to EM, Paul wrote:

If "ranked ballots provide more information than approval ballots"  
is a

MYTH, then Mr. Smith should be able to decide from {B C} > {A} which
of {C B} is preferred by the approval voter over the other.


In other words, Paul is saying that the ranked ballot "B>C>A" contains
some information (namely B>C) that is not contained in the Approval
ballot "{B,C} are approved".

I think the answer to this seeming paradox is that the ranked and
Approval ballots contain the same amount but _different kinds_ of
information. In fact the Approval ballot contains information that can
not be determined from the ranked ballot: in the above example, can
you tell from the ranked ballot whether C would be "approved" by the
voter? ("Approved" meaning the voter considers C to be better than the
outcome expected if A and B were the only candidates.)


Paradox?  (ignoring Jan's naming error), Paul's approval ballot is  
approving {B C} as if equally liked, and unable to imitate rank's  
ability to include relative liking of the two.


The approval voter had to omit voting for A to indicate lesser liking  
for A, while the rank voter could indicate lesser liking for A in the  
ranking.


To state it more simply: does the voter like C a lot or not much at
all, compared to the likely winners? You can't tell from the ranked
ballot. The Approval ballot at least gives you a hint.




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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Juho Laatu

To me all this sounds still a bit too
complex for the referendum. I'd drop
out all the criteria, Smith set etc.
since the voters will not understand.

There is also the risk that experts
and opponents of the reform will
"sabotage" the referendum by digging
into the details (and thereby
"proving" to the voters that the
method is too complex).

The question in the referendum can
not in any case define the complete
method. It may be enough to make it
clear in the question that the method
is a ranked method (the voters may
understand even have interest in this
point) and that it is a Condorcet
method (if you want to rule out e.g.
IRV). If the question clearly points
out the group of Condorcet methods
and it will be approved, then it may
be natural to pick the Schulze method
since it is anyway the most used
Condorcet method.

It could be thus enough to say:
- The electors rank the candidates
  according to their preferences.
- If some candidate is preferred over
  all other candidates then that
  candidate shall be elected.

Juho


--- On Sun, 7/6/09, Raph Frank  wrote:

> On Sun, Jun
> 7, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Árpád Magosányi 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> - The electors rank the candidates according to their
> preferences.
> 
> - If there is a group of candidates all preferred over all
> candidates
> outside the group, then ignoring the candidates outside the
> group should
> not change the outcome of the election.
> 
> - The winner should be choosen from the above group in a
> way that guarantees that if a candidate
> similar to an already running candidate is introduced, the
> outcome of
> the election is not changed, and the less controversial
> candidates are preferred.
> """
> Reasoning below. Please point out possible mistakes and
> ways to better phrase it between the boundary conditions
> given (simple words, no expert terms like
> "Schulze" or "beatpath", and should be
> matchable to correct mathematical definitions.
> 
> 
> Ok, so you are basically saying (in simple terms)
> 
> A) the method is a ranked method
> B) All candidates outside the Smith set can be ignored
> without changing the result
> C) The method should be clone independent.
> 
> 
> That is a pretty good idea.  You are in effect defining
> the characteristics that Schulze meets and the others
> don't.
> 
> Wikipedia has a table at:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulze_method
> 
> 
> Schulze and ranked pairs are the only methods that meet
> clone independence and the condorcet rule.
> 
> Does ranked pairs fail the Smith criterion?
> 
> I would change B to "If there is a group of candidates
> all preferred over all candidates
> outside the group, then only those candidates may win and
> the candidates outside the group may have no effect on the
> result".
> 
> If you don't restrict the winner to the Smith set
> (which your rules don't necessarily), then you could end
> up with a non-condorcet method.
> 
> 
> Also, just because the popular/proposed condorcet methods
> are excluded by your definition doesn't mean that some
> other weird method can't be found that also meets the
> rule.
> 
> It might be better to just include the reasons that you
> like Sculze and use those rules rather than trying to select
> Sculze by a process of elimination.
> 
> 
> 
> BTW it would be nice if the wikipedia page would actually
> contain something describing Schulze method, not just the
> heuristics.
> 
> 
> The best I have found so far is:
> http://rangevoting.org/SchulzeExplan.html
> "Therefore, my aim was to find a method that satisfies
> Condorcet,
> monotonicity, clone-immunity, majority for solid
> coalitions,
> and reversal symmetry, and that tends to produce
> winners with weak worst
> pairwise defeats (compared to the worst pairwise defeat of
> the winner
> of Tideman's Ranked Pairs
> method)."
> 
> Yeah.  Though, ofc, Schulze isn't allow to edit the
> article.
> 
> Could someone on this list give a brief outline or the
> formal rule (actually his statutory rules are probably it)?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -Inline Attachment Follows-
> 
> 
> Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
> 


  

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Re: [EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Raph Frank
On Sun, Jun 7, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Árpád Magosányi  wrote:

> 
> - The electors rank the candidates according to their preferences.
> - If there is a group of candidates all preferred over all candidates
> outside the group, then ignoring the candidates outside the group should not
> change the outcome of the election.
> - The winner should be choosen from the above group in a way that
> guarantees that if a candidate similar to an already running candidate is
> introduced, the outcome of the election is not changed, and the less
> controversial candidates are preferred.
> """
> Reasoning below. Please point out possible mistakes and ways to better
> phrase it between the boundary conditions given (simple words, no expert
> terms like "Schulze" or "beatpath", and should be matchable to correct
> mathematical definitions.



Ok, so you are basically saying (in simple terms)

A) the method is a ranked method
B) All candidates outside the Smith set can be ignored without changing the
result
C) The method should be clone independent.

That is a pretty good idea.  You are in effect defining the characteristics
that Schulze meets and the others don't.

Wikipedia has a table at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulze_method

Schulze and ranked pairs are the only methods that meet clone independence
and the condorcet rule.

Does ranked pairs fail the Smith criterion?

I would change B to "If there is a group of candidates all preferred over
all candidates outside the group, then only those candidates may win and the
candidates outside the group may have no effect on the result".

If you don't restrict the winner to the Smith set (which your rules don't
necessarily), then you could end up with a non-condorcet method.

Also, just because the popular/proposed condorcet methods are excluded by
your definition doesn't mean that some other weird method can't be found
that also meets the rule.

It might be better to just include the reasons that you like Sculze and use
those rules rather than trying to select Sculze by a process of elimination.


> BTW it would be nice if the wikipedia page would actually contain something
> describing Schulze method, not just the heuristics.
> The best I have found so far is:
> http://rangevoting.org/SchulzeExplan.html
> "Therefore, my aim was to find a method that satisfies Condorcet,
> monotonicity, clone-immunity, majority for solid coalitions, and reversal
> symmetry, *and* that tends to produce winners with weak worst pairwise
> defeats (compared to the worst pairwise defeat of the winner of Tideman's
> Ranked Pairs method)."



Yeah.  Though, ofc, Schulze isn't allow to edit the article.

Could someone on this list give a brief outline or the formal rule (actually
his statutory rules are probably it)?

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[EM] information content of ballots (and intelligent people)

2009-06-07 Thread Jan Kok
I understand quite well Warren's point that for 2 and 3-candidate
races, and with full ranking required, and equal ranking not allowed,
then Approval (with the "silly" votes excluded) and ranked ballots can
be encoded in the same number of bits. And yes, there is certainly an
algorithm for turning a binary number like 100 back into a ranking. Or
for turning an 8-bit number into 3 Approval or 3 ranked ballots.

In his most recent post to EM, Paul wrote:

> If "ranked ballots provide more information than approval ballots" is a
> MYTH, then Mr. Smith should be able to decide from {B C} > {A} which
> of {C B} is preferred by the approval voter over the other.

In other words, Paul is saying that the ranked ballot "B>C>A" contains
some information (namely B>C) that is not contained in the Approval
ballot "{B,C} are approved".

I think the answer to this seeming paradox is that the ranked and
Approval ballots contain the same amount but _different kinds_ of
information. In fact the Approval ballot contains information that can
not be determined from the ranked ballot: in the above example, can
you tell from the ranked ballot whether C would be "approved" by the
voter? ("Approved" meaning the voter considers C to be better than the
outcome expected if A and B were the only candidates.)

To state it more simply: does the voter like C a lot or not much at
all, compared to the likely winners? You can't tell from the ranked
ballot. The Approval ballot at least gives you a hint.

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[EM] Schulze definition (was: information content, game theory, cooperation)

2009-06-07 Thread Árpád Magosányi
Hi!

Sorry for top posting, But I believe I have found something nearing a
suitable simple-word definition for Schulze. As this is what I desperately
need, I offer it for scrutiny here:


- The electors rank the candidates according to their preferences.
- If there is a group of candidates all preferred over all candidates
outside the group, then ignoring the candidates outside the group should not
change the outcome of the election.
- The winner should be choosen from the above group in a way that guarantees
that if a candidate similar to an already running candidate is introduced,
the outcome of the election is not changed, and the less controversial
candidates are preferred.
"""
Reasoning below. Please point out possible mistakes and ways to better
phrase it between the boundary conditions given (simple words, no expert
terms like "Schulze" or "beatpath", and should be matchable to correct
mathematical definitions.


2009/6/7 Markus Schulze 

> Dear Árpád Magosányi,
>
> here are the proposed statutory rules for the
> Schulze method:
>
> http://m-schulze.webhop.net/propstat.pdf
>
> If I understand you correctly, then you want
> to define the Schulze method in an axiomatic
> manner in your proposal. I don't think that
> this is a good idea.
>

I'm afraid you haven't yet understood the Hungarian situation ([?]). There is
no hope to push real changes through the Parliament. The only way to achieve
any democratic change is referendum. The rules for the questions eligible
for referendum are very strict. Nothing remotely as complex as your
statutory proposal would go through. Of course when time comes for changing
the text of law, we will push this text.
What I need is a small set of simply worded criteria, and to be able to show
that these criteria are not just wishes with a broad meaning, but can be
matched with exact mathematical definitions.

BTW it would be nice if the wikipedia page would actually contain something
describing Schulze method, not just the heuristics.
The best I have found so far is:
http://rangevoting.org/SchulzeExplan.html
"Therefore, my aim was to find a method that satisfies Condorcet,
monotonicity, clone-immunity, majority for solid coalitions, and reversal
symmetry, *and* that tends to produce winners with weak worst pairwise
defeats (compared to the worst pairwise defeat of the winner of Tideman's
Ranked Pairs method)."

Sorry for thinking loudly, this boils down to:
-Condorcet and majority for solid coalitions can be described with ISDA
"whenever you can partition the candidates into group *A* and group *B* such
that each candidate in group *A* is preferred over each candidate in group *
B*, you can eliminate all candidates of group *B* without changing the
outcome of the election."
-Monotonicity
"*A candidate* x *should not be harmed* [i.e., change from being a winner to
a loser] *if* x *is raised on some ballots without changing the orders of
the other candidates."
-*Clone immunity
"the addition of a candidate identical to one already present in an election
will not cause the winner of the election to change."
- reversal symmetry
 "If a candidate A is the unique winner, and the individual preferences of
each voter are inverted, then candidate A must not be elected."
- "tends to produce winners with weak worst pairwise defeats"
prefers candidates who are cooperative

Now there are 3 methods I know of (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulze_method#Comparison_with_other_preferential_single-winner_election_methods)
complying with ISDA. Of them only Schulze "tends to produce winners with
weak worst pairwise defeats". But this does not imply clone independency,
and it is overly important, so we should add this as well.

So my definition is the above.
<<4F4.gif>>
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Re: [EM] information content, game theory, cooperation

2009-06-07 Thread Markus Schulze
Dear Árpád Magosányi,

here are the proposed statutory rules for the
Schulze method:

http://m-schulze.webhop.net/propstat.pdf

If I understand you correctly, then you want
to define the Schulze method in an axiomatic
manner in your proposal. I don't think that
this is a good idea.

Markus Schulze



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Re: [EM] information content, game theory, cooperation

2009-06-07 Thread Kevin Venzke

Hi,

--- En date de : Dim 7.6.09, Árpád Magosányi  a écrit :
> Shulze prefers the candidate which beatpath is weak (as far
> I can remember Schulze's description). Which means
> something like it is the least unacceptable candidate. I
> have the feeling that this is connected with cooperativeness
> of the candidate.
> 
> Formal description or refusal of this effect is welcome.

Schulze is a Condorcet method, so that it wants to elect the candidate who 
could defeat any other candidate head-to-head.

When such a candidate doesn't exist, then Schulze wants to find the candidate 
whose worst loss is the least. (The idea is to reduce the number of voters who 
have good reason to object to the outcome.)

But simply doing this would violate clone independence. So beatpaths are used 
to ensure that a candidate doesn't lose simply due to being a clone.

That's not very formal but it's how I would explain it.

Kevin Venzke


  

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